KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus’ followers have heard a different tune than the world hears. They
have a different reason to live in this world. So naturally — or
should we say, supernaturally — we are to live very differently in the
world. One of the places this must show up is in those in whom we place
value. Our ultimate hero was a servant who washed his followers’ feet
and then gave up his life for them. Shouldn’t our everyday heroes
follow that same example? The greatest in Jesus’ Kingdom IS a servant.
We mustn’t wait until we are in heaven to recognize this value system;
we must display it in our communities today.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O Father, help us — help me — to be quite different in what we value,
honor, and hold dear. In the name of Jesus, the greatest human who ever
lived, I ask this. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
God the Father holds some things in his hands alone. The Son, in his
earthly ministry, will not decide the importance or place of his
followers before their lives are done. Only God will. The point from
this seems to be that we are not to live for the place of honor, but
for the person of honor — Jesus, the Son of God.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
God, calm my restless and selfish spirit of striving. To be loved,
honored, and welcomed by you and to know that you will dry every tear
from my eyes and give me a home with you are far more than I can
rightfully ask. Calm me, O Lord, and help me trust that your place for
me will be far more glorious than I have a right to expect because your
grace is more than sufficient for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
James and John both paid huge prices for their faith in Jesus. James
was martyred early in the history of the church. John, on the other
hand, was exiled to the Island of Patmos where he saw visions of what
lay ahead for the church in Asia Minor — a time of persecution,
apostasy, and challenge. Each gave his life in a different way to
follow the Master who saw greatness in sacrifice and not in human
success. O that we might have the courage to do as they both did,
faithfully serving the Lord no matter what challenges face us in our
lives.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O God, you are worthy of my life. You gave it to me at my conception. I
pray that you will use it to your glory. And I trust, dear Father, that
you will keep it for eternity. In Jesus’ name I confess my trust in
you. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
Before we overestimate what we would actually do to serve the Lord, we
had better look at some who failed him miserably. This is not to
discourage us, but to humble us and remind us of how difficult it is to
let faith triumph over fear and trust win over trial. We will not make
it on our own, but with the help of the Lord and the encouragement of
each other, by God’s grace we can remain faithful even unto the point
of death.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O God, I confess that I cannot do it alone. My strength is not
sufficient. Even looking at the great heroes of faith who have paid the
ultimate price before me, I’m sure that I don’t have the strength to
pay the ultimate price on my own. So, dear Father, I turn to you and
the power of the Holy Spirit to sustain me. I ask that the
encouragement and support of your people can uphold me. I promise to do
my best, but I also know that without your grace, my best is not
sufficient. So please strengthen my courage and inspire my strength. In
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
Two things strike me powerfully about these verses and the people they
describe. First, despite their great fear, Jesus’ followers still
followed him even though they knew danger awaited them. This is a great
reminder that faith can help lead us on to face life’s biggest
challenges even when we can’t understand exactly what is going on and
when we’re not really ready for the challenges. Second, Jesus knew what
lay ahead for himself, but rather than looking after his own needs, he
was busy trying to prepare his followers for what lay ahead. Jesus was
a servant to his followers even to the very end when he displayed the
ultimate act of service and gave his life for them and also for us.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O God, give those of us who follow Jesus faith that can inspire our
courage and keep us following even when we can’t understand. To face
life’s biggest challenges with question marks and confusion is very
difficult for us, but we do trust that you will lead us through. We
only ask that our faith not fail us! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
God evaluates people differently than most earthly judges, critics, and
cultures do. Those who appear to be lowly, unimportant, backward,
impoverished, broken, and meek will be valued as precious by God. Is it
because he favors the poor and the weak over the strong and the rich?
Not necessarily. However, God does cherish the person who serves others
regardless of his or her station in life. He does care deeply for the
person who recognized her or his need for God’s love, mercy, and grace.
God does recognize the genuine humility of a person who has suffered
because he or she would not compromise on integrity issues. So those
who have cheated their way to the top and thereby gained fame and
recognition will not be the ones God honors. No, it will be the people
they stepped on who refused to give up on faith, morality, integrity,
honesty, and Christian values. It will be the people who served others
— even those who abused them — in the name of Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O Father, help me value others by your standards. Help me see the value
of others through your eyes. Confound my intentions when I choose the
wrong path and go the way of fame and fortune rather than faith and
service. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus is basically promising three things in this Scripture. First, he
is saying that the disciples — and we who follow Jesus today — can’t
out give God. God will bless them and us far more than we could ever
give up for him. Second, that doesn’t mean that followers of Jesus will
have easy lives on this side of eternity — there will be persecutions.
Finally, he promises eternal life. In other words, their sacrifices for
their faith will be far overshadowed by the blessings they will receive
from their Father in heaven.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O Father, thank you for being so generous. I know that I will be
blessed far more than I can imagine as one of your children. Help me
not to lose that hope in the face of hardship, discouragement, and
persecution. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
This is true or our faith is really in vain. We have strength beyond
human will power, knowledge, or ability. Even more importantly, God
through Jesus has covered all of the shortcomings and sins that we
have. God is … and was … and will be … God. Nothing is impossible
with him!

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O Father, please make this truth self-evident to those who lead in your
churches. I trust that everything is possible with you! In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
As the disciples processed the information they had seen and heard in
Jesus’ interchange with the young man who went away sorrowfully (see
the previous verses), they were shocked. Being on the poorer end of the
economic scale, they assumed that the richer folks would have a better
chance of making it into heaven. Jesus told them the exact opposite was
true — it would be harder for those who were rich to enter the Kingdom
of God. This must be a sober warning to us. Most of us with access to a
computer are so much better off financially than the majority of the
world’s population. Yet we often focus on what we lack rather than what
God has given us to use to bless others and honor him. We must not let
ourselves become possessed by our possessions and our desire for them.
They turn our hearts away from God and become idols which replace God
in our lives.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O Father, bless me with wisdom, generosity, and a passion for your work
as I seek to use “my” financial and material blessings to honor you and
bring others closer to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

KEY THOUGHT:
The Bible has heart-wrenching stories of men and women who came to know
the will of the Lord and yet were not willing to respond because
something was holding them back. I’m sure you know someone — that
someone may even be you — who has something holding him or her back
from totally surrendering to the will and grace of God. Please pray for
them today. While we cannot ensure these people will ever respond to
God’s offer of grace, at least we can pray that they will be lovingly
confronted with the decision to accept or reject the will of the Lord.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
O LORD God Almighty, I confess that there are times when I want you to
more forcefully reveal yourself to friends of mine who will not
surrender to your grace. I know that you will not overpower their
wills. I know that you want our hearts and not a forced, coerced, or
manipulated and shallow response to your offer of salvation in Jesus.
So please use me and my influence to be a helpful, tender, and clear
example to my friends who have not decided to follow your Son. In
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.