SUMMARY: Easily offended
OVERVIEW: The Pharisees were offended when Jesus challenged their lifestyle and leadership.
BIG IDEA: Don’t be a hypocrite. Love and obey God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
KEY VERSE: Matthew 15:7–9 (Jesus to Pharisees)
You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”
IF GOD WROTE YOU A LETTER
Don’t use me or my name or my teaching to impress people. Remember, I am your heavenly father. You are my precious child. I love you always, no matter what, and forever. Focus on deepening our relationship rather than being right or enforcing rules or practicing a religion.
If you have reduced me to a social cause or leverage me to control others or a way to make yourself seem superior, then you’ve missed the point. I want to connect with you in ways that leave your jaw hanging open in awe—in your relationships, family, finances, career, creativity, and service to others. I want to connect with you in the dull moments of life, like when you brush your teeth or take out the trash. I am there in the ordinary and the extraordinary. Don’t spend your life wandering around the outskirts of my kingdom, shouting about how well you obey rules and how much knowledge you have.
Let go of all that and let me fill your thoughts all day. Enjoy my word. Get involved with my people and join me where I am working. Take time to be still, yet celebrate your time with me. Live life fully, as I live in you.
NEXT STEP
Think of a leader in your church who serves and loves like Jesus. Set up a time to get to know this person better.
LYRIC VIDEO