Soon afterward, Jesus traveled through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him, along with some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. Among them were Mary Magdalene (from whom seven demons had been thrown out), Joanna (the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:1-3‬ ‭CEB‬‬

Jesus’ teaching: Matthew 7.1-6

““Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls in front of pigs. They will stomp on the pearls, then turn around and attack you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:1-6‬ ‭CEB‬‬

Weekly Reflection:

• What lesson was Jesus teaching his students?
• What is God teaching me in this lesson?
• When have I fallen short in doing what Jesus taught?
• When have I done well at following this lesson?
• What needs to change in me now that I know what Jesus wants?
• Who will I ask to pray with me and for me as we follow a Jesus’ teaching?

In the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4: 1-20, Matthew 13: 3-23; Luke 8: 4-15), Jesus is using different types of ground to describe different types of hearts. There is “wayside” ground, “stony” ground, “thorny” ground, and “good” ground. We are going to focus on the “Wayside ground.” In Matthew 13:19 (NKJV), Jesus says “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.” You can clearly see the imagery that Jesus is sharing in this passage. The “wayside” is the foot path or a walkway. When seeds fall by the ‘wayside,” it is not an intentional investment from the sower. It just happens by mistake. A “wayside” heart does not set out to hear the word of God purposefully. When this sort of heart hears the word, Satan comes immediately and takes it away. Why is Satan allowed to take it away? Because your heart cannot sustain its health as a “well-beaten path.” It must be guarded with diligence. Too many people, too many words, too many circumstances affecting your heart on a daily basis causes your heart to be worn out and unable to grasp what is necessary for living. An unguarded heart is an unintentional heart. It cannot purposefully embrace what God has to say. You may hear God’s word on TV or on a podcast, or even in reading this devotion; but because of the many distractions in your heart, Satan will come immediately and snatch that word away right along with your attention. Whatever gets your attention, gets you. When it comes to your heart health, you must quiet the extra voices and the chaos around you. Find quiet time in the car, the shower, or on a simple walk outside. Allow your heart to focus on what God is whispering to it. When you quiet the chaos, your heart will become more intentional about what God has to say. You will be able to feel those “God nudges.” Reference: “Heart Health” in the Bible app

Treasure your Temple Did you know that God is at home in your body? It’s a strange thought, isn’t it? Perhaps you don’t always feel at home in your body. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that God chooses to dwell in your body. “Do you not know,” Paul says, “that your bodies are temples for the holy spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own.You were bought at a price, therefore, honor God with your bodies.” Take a moment now to meditate for a few moments on this Bible passage and let the words sink deep into your body, this temple that God has given you, and in which the holy spirit dwells. Sit in a nice comfortable position, hands gently relaxed on your upper thighs or by your sides. Eyes closed (after you finish reading this portion of course lol) Pay attention to your body for a moment. Notice any tension you may be holding anywhere in your body, and release it. Now take a deep breath inhaling over 4-6 seconds, filling your lungs. Now slowly release it exhaling just as long as your inhale (4-6 seconds). Repeat these deep breaths at least 2 more times. (stop reading here and perform the deep breathing exercise) Notice how your heart rate responded. Do you feel more relaxed? More at peace? Can you feel the holy spirit stirring in you? Notice how your Godly Temple feels? Are you still holding tension anywhere? Have you been able to quiet your mind or have you let the events of the day or your to do list creep into your thoughts? Take a moment everyday to quiet your mind and meditate with deep breathing and notice how you feel in your “healthy temple.” My friends, your body is a gift from God, and God is not ashamed to dwell in it. In fact God sent Jesus to Earth to live, die and rise again in order to be reconciled to you in your body. God asks you to use this good gift, your body, to honor him. He is not asking you to do this with your own strength. God has given you the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen you in all wisdom as you make choices with your body and your healthy habits. Pray: God thank you for knitting me together. Thank you for sending the holy spirit to dwell inside me. Help me to love the body you have given me and to love, honor and nurture it. Help me to use my body for your good works, in ways that will help me love my neighbor and honor you. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen. Reference: Healthy Living God’s Way (audio guide meditations) on the Bible app

Our Thought Life All seeds of thought produce a tree as a result. If those thoughts are rooted in aggravation, then a tree of aggravation springs forth, and the same will be true with depression. Have you ever experienced a time where you may have struggled with depression? There have been times in my life where I have struggled with thoughts that made me feel depressed, and it can be very difficult once you are at that point to not purposely think about these thoughts and allow yourself to dwell on these thoughts, not realizing you're producing a tree of depression. I never really thought about it like that until reading this devotion. When we let ourselves allow these negative thoughts to grab hold of us, we can continue growing our tree of depression and even manufacture a cloud hovering over us, keeping us grey and covered, unable to see the light; the warmth from the sun. You cannot always choose your circumstances, but you can choose how you react to the situation and thereby choose the thoughts you have. Emerson said, “A man is what he thinks about all the time.” You would be shocked if you could record your thoughts all day and then play them back in the evening. You would be shocked to discover that the thoughts that you gravitate toward may be the very source of many of the problems in your life. Norman Vincent Peale once said, “A man is not what he thinks he is, but what he thinks, he is.” Marcus Aurelius, a great philosopher who ruled over the Roman Empire, said it in 8 easy words: “our lives are what our thoughts make it.” If you don’t like how things are going in your life right now, examine your thoughts. He also went on to say, “The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts.” What are you coloring your life with? Are you coloring your life in pale shades of gray and black and dismal dull colors? Or are you coloring your life with the rainbow: joy, healthy, excitement, enthusiasm, optimism, goodwill? It’s up to you. Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything flows from it” Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever if right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything if excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” It is often how you perceive situations, rather than the actual situations themselves that cause you to react. Uninvestigated thoughts can cause stress in our lives and sometimes these thoughts lie! Before reacting with negativity or anger, evaluate the thought and ask “is it true? Where is this thought coming from?” Today is a good day to begin to redefine and re-grow your tree with good thoughts. What color are you going to use to paint your “thought tree?”

Soon afterward, Jesus traveled through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him, along with some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. Among them were Mary Magdalene (from whom seven demons had been thrown out), Joanna (the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:1-3‬ ‭CEB‬‬

Jesus’ teaching: Matthew 7.1-6

““Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls in front of pigs. They will stomp on the pearls, then turn around and attack you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:1-6‬ ‭CEB‬‬

Weekly Reflection:

• What lesson was Jesus teaching his students?
• What is God teaching me in this lesson?
• When have I fallen short in doing what Jesus taught?
• When have I done well at following this lesson?
• What needs to change in me now that I know what Jesus wants?
• Who will I ask to pray with me and for me as we follow a Jesus’ teaching?