Scripture: Matthew 5:48; Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10 Jesus concludes this section of His teaching with a powerful call to maturity. After teaching His followers about anger, reconciliation, purity, integrity, love, forgiveness, and responding differently to those who hurt us, Jesus brings everything back to one central truth: The goal is to become more like the Father. This is not a call to religious perfe

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7; Hebrews 4:12 “For the Lord seeth not as man seeth... for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7 People often see our actions. God sees our motives. People may hear what we say.God knows why we said it. People may applaud our behavior. God examines our hearts. People may see us serving. God knows whether we serve out of love or for recognition. People may see us forgive. God knows whether f

Devotional Scripture: Romans 12:20–21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:21 Our natural instinct is often retaliation. When someone hurts us, we want them to understand how it feels. When someone speaks against us, we want to speak against them. When someone mistreats us, we may feel justified in returning the same energy. When someone disrespects us, our natural response may be to disrespect them. When someone embarrasses us, we may want to e

Forgiveness Frees the Heart Scripture: Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” — Luke 23:34 Jesus spoke these words while hanging on the cross. He was betrayed. He was falsely accused. He was beaten. He was mocked. He was crucified. And yet, Jesus prayed for the people who hurt Him. There is something powerful about the fact that Jesus did not wait until the pain was over to demonstrate forgiveness. While experiencing the very suffering caused by ot

— Love Beyond What Is Easy Scripture: Matthew 5:43–44; John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” — John 13:35 It is easy to love people who love us back. It is easy to be kind to people who are kind to us. It is easy to show grace when we feel appreciated, respected, and understood. But Jesus calls us beyond what is easy. In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches His disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute the