Devotional: The Account with Purity Scripture Reading: Matthew 15:18-20 (KJV)

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

Today, we’re going to talk about something Jesus taught His disciples. He said that it’s not what we eat or touch that makes us impure, but what comes out of our hearts. This means our thoughts, words, and actions show what’s really in our hearts.

Jesus tells us that things like bad thoughts, lies, and unkind words come from our hearts. Even if we try to be good on the outside, what’s inside our hearts is what really matters. So, how can we make sure our hearts are pure and pleasing to God?

We can’t make our hearts pure by ourselves. We need Jesus to help us. When we invite Jesus into our lives, He helps us clean our hearts. He shows us how to love others, be kind, and think good thoughts.

Imagine you have a cup of water. If the water is dirty, you can’t drink it, right? But if someone cleans the cup and fills it with fresh water, it’s good to drink. Our hearts are like that cup. Jesus can clean our hearts and fill them with His love, making us pure.

Let's pray together:

"Dear Jesus, thank You for teaching us about our hearts. Please come into our hearts and make them pure. Help us to think good thoughts, speak kind words, and do good deeds. We want to follow You and show Your love to everyone. Thank You for always being with us and helping us. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Scripture: "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:20 (KJV)

Have you ever thought about what it means to be truly good? Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:20 that our righteousness must go beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees. But what does that mean?

The Pharisees were known for strictly following religious laws. They did many good things, but Jesus said that wasn't enough. He wants us to understand that true righteousness isn't just about what we do on the outside, but who we are on the inside.

Imagine a tree with beautiful leaves and fruit. It looks healthy and strong. But if its roots are weak or rotten, the tree won't last. Our lives are like that tree. We can do good things, but if our hearts and motives aren't pure, we're missing the point.

Jesus came to give us a new way of being. He offers us His grace to change us from the inside out. When we accept Him, He changes our hearts, making our motives pure and our actions truly good.

Think about your motives. Why do you do the things you do? Are you trying to look good in front of others, or are you doing things because your heart is right with God?

Pray and ask Jesus to help you be pure in your thoughts and actions. Let His grace transform you so that your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. Remember, it’s not just about following rules but being truly good from the inside out.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your grace that changes us. Help me to have pure motives and a pure heart. Transform me from the inside out so that my righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees. Amen.

Title: "Will You Lay Down Your Life?"

Devotional:

Hey there, friends! Welcome to another episode of "My Best - For Him - Today." I'm Mickey Crews, your guide to practical Christ-centered living. Today, our theme is all about a powerful question: "Will you lay down your life?"

In the Bible, John 15:13 tells us, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." It's a big statement, and it brings to mind Peter's bold declaration in John 13:37 when he said to the Lord, "I will lay down my life for your sake." Peter had a real sense of heroism, a readiness for something grand.

But here's the twist: Jesus didn't ask us to physically die for Him, but rather to lay down our lives for Him in our daily choices and actions. It's a day-in, day-out commitment to live in accordance with the high calling of God. Our duty is best realized through our sense of heroism.

Think about it—has the Lord ever asked you, "Will you lay down your life for My sake?" It's a challenging question, and in John 13:38, Jesus foretells Peter's denial, showing that the journey of laying down our lives is not always easy.

Jesus, for 33 years, laid down His life by doing the will of His Father. He had one bright shining moment on the mount of transfiguration, but then He came down into the challenges of everyday life. In Mark 9:1-29, we see that even in the demon-possessed valley, Jesus continued to lay down His life.

We, too, are called to lay down our lives for others. 1 John 3:16 says, "By this we know love because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." It's contrary to our human nature, but as friends of Jesus, we must deliberately and carefully lay down our lives for Him.

Salvation is a gift, but exhibiting it in our lives is where the challenge lies. God saves us, fills us with the Holy Ghost, and then says, "Now, work it out in your life. Be faithful to Me, even when everything around you tempts you to be unfaithful."

So, my friends, as Jesus calls us friends, let's remain faithful to Him. Remember, our actions reflect His honor in our everyday lives. Will you lay down your life? It's a question worth pondering as we navigate our faith journey.

Thanks for tuning in to "My Best - For Him - Today." Until next time, stay blessed and keep laying down your life for the One who laid down His life for you.

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

Abide in me

"Follow me," He invites (Luke 18:22).

Where our wants fade and devoted surrender thrives. One big stopper to coming to Jesus is using our own likes as an excuse. We often let our personality and wants get in the way of Jesus. But when we do get to Jesus, we see He doesn't care about what we naturally want. We might think we can give our skills to God, but you can't give what you don't own. There's only one thing you can truly give to God—your claim to yourself (see Romans 12:1). If you give God your claim to yourself, He'll do something special with you, and His special things always work out. The sign of a saint of God is the creativity that comes from fully giving to Jesus. In the life of a saint, there's a special wellspring, a never-ending Source of fresh life. The Spirit of God is a always-flowing Well, always fresh. A saint knows it's God who plans their life; so, there's no complaining, only giving in to Jesus. Don't try to make your experience a rule for others. Let God be just as creative with others as He is with you.

If you give up everything for Jesus, and go when He says, "Come," then He will keep saying, "Come," through you. You'll go out into the world and sound like Christ's "Come." That's what happens to every soul that gives up everything and comes to Jesus.

Have I really come to Him? Will I come now?

In John 1:38-39, they asked Jesus where he was staying, and he

Sometimes we get caught up in our own interests, but when we

In John 1:42, Simon's name was changed to Cephas. Our new name

Pride is like making ourselves our own god. We can fall into

Saying, "I'm no saint," can be a form of human pride.

Don't put conditions on your relationship with Jesus. Let Him be

And after that, what's next to Do? Seek and you will find Luke 11:9.

When sin and sorrow stops, and the song of the saints starts. Do I really want to get there?

Have you ever come to Jesus? Look at the stubbornness of your heart. You would rather do

Jesus Christ makes himself. The test to determine your genuineness. Look how he used the

“And I will give you rest." That is, “I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm.” He

It can be hard to ask for help. Sometimes, we want things, and when we don't get them, it makes us sad. But we often wait until we really, really need something before we ask for it. Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever asked for something you really needed, like wisdom? The Bible says in James 1:5 that if you don't know what to do, you can ask God for help.

But remember, you should really need help before you ask for it. You can't just ask for things all the time. It's like when you ask your parents for something. They give you good things, right? Well, God can give us good things too, like the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us understand what Jesus did for us.

Here's something important: If you don't ask, you won't get. But that doesn't mean you won't get anything if you don't ask. God still gives good things to everyone. It's like how the sun shines for everyone, whether they're good or not. (Matthew 5:45) But when we ask God for help, it's like we're showing that we trust Him like a child trusts their parent. And when we understand that good things come from God, we start to appreciate them more.

So, if you don't understand something or need help, don't be afraid to ask God. When we realize we need help, that's when we're really understanding how things work in our hearts and minds. Just like when you need something and you're not too proud to ask for it, it's okay to ask God for help too. It's like being poor in your heart, and Jesus said that's a good thing. (Matthew 5:3)