Good morning! When change begins to take place, we have two choices: 1) retreat back and stay the same; or 2) surrender to the change and in spite of fear keep pressing forward.  As the Lord, begins to change us we have two choices: 1) stay the same and act like we have been changed; or 2) fully live in joy of the change He brings and be changed forever. – Just something to ponder on as we prepare to read Matthew 15:15-20

BIBLE VERSE – Matthew 15:15-20
“¹⁵ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”
¹⁶ “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. ¹⁷ “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. ¹⁸ But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. ¹⁹ For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. ²⁰ These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.””

REFLECTION
Jesus was patient with Peter. I can imagine Jesus saying to me, “don’t you understand yet?”and I would say, Lord, please be patient with me and teach me.

Jesus is certainly patient with us. 

The Lord wants our heart. Not just the pieces that are together, but every broken piece that holds our brokenness, resentment, anger and so much more. No matter how clean we are when we attend church, how pristine we appear, how many times we worship a week or proclaim to be a Christian, we will never truly experience the relationship the Lord desires for us to have with Him until we surrender our lives including the depth of our hearts to Him.

If you struggle with things listed in verse 19:

• evil thoughts

• murder

• adultery

• all sexual immorality

• theft

• lying

• slander

or other things in your heart that continue to keep you from drawing closer to the Lord, I want to pray for you. I also want to pray for those who have been delivered from those things and ask that the Lord continue to sustain you and change you.

PRAYER
Father God, in the name of Jesus we come asking for you to forgive us for our sins. Lord, forgive us for our thoughts and actions that are not pleasing to you. Lord, forgive us for our desire to do things our way instead of following yours. Lord, forgive us of our desire to control things when you are the one that is in control over everything. Lord, today we surrender our heart and our will to you. Lord, it’s painful to release these things, but Lord for You – to simply be closer to You, we choose You over all things. So Lord, you know our hearts. Lord, break it for what breaks you. Change us Lord and equip us with the strength to deny the things that do not please you. Teach us, Lord to be more like you. Lord, lead us and pour new life into our hearts, so that we are no longer defiled by the things in our hearts. In Jesus name, amen!

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