**Read Matthew 17:14-21 and Romans 14:17-23
I. Jesus Heals an Epileptic Boy
- Matthew 17:14-21; Jesus, prior to this, Jesus had gone to the mountaintop with Peter, James, and John and they left the other nine disciples to continue the ministry, teaching, and healing for the first time without Jesus by them. The nine disciples did preach and heal but there is one boy who they could not heal. When Jesus and the other three returned, a man approached Him, begging Him to heal his son which Jesus did. After this, the nine disciples asked Jesus how come they could not heal him. Jesus pointed out that they had little faith, smaller than a mustard seed. Because they had been healing many, they became too confident in their own ability and started using their "own ability" instead of relying in God. They were so convinced that they can heal anything or anyone that they treated it as if they had the powers to act alone.
- Sometimes, when we experience a difficulty in our lives, we reach out to God to help us. After God answers our prayers, we tend to forget who helped us and start relying back on our own understanding. It is also till we experience a new problem that we go back to Him. We are reminded to keep our faith in God for God does wonders in our lives. We should not rely on ourselves but rely on our faith in God as the first step of any of our problems. Let us meditate and ask God for our help for he is a loving and faithful God and He will grant our hearts' desires, if its His will and in time, if we just ask. With God on our side, nothing is impossible.
II. Build Each Other Up
- Romans 14:17-23 reminds us that we cannot attain the Kingdom of heaven just by "eating or drinking" what the elders or church leaders tell us. We can not be accepted into heaven by following the laws and traditions of our ancestors. It is only though righteousness, repentance, trust in Jesus Christ, and the grace of God that we may be blessed with salvation. Let us seek to do everything out of love for God and leave our sinful past behind. Let us live the life of the Lord and give up the lusts of the world. Let us be holy, godly, and righteous, and help each other out during our walk in faith so we may be drawn closer to our father.
III. Proverbs for Today/ 9:7-8
7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 35:10-35, Exodus 36, and Psalms 34:1-10
