You can look spotless on the outside and be a mess underneath. Jesus cares about the underneath.

"But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you." (Luke 11:41, ESV)

Jesus said this to religious people who kept the outside shiny while their hearts were full of greed. Real cleanness is not a good performance. It starts inside and shows up in an open hand toward the people around you. Tend the heart, and the life follows.

Where have you been polishing the outside while avoiding the inside?

Because of Jesus, you can walk straight up to God with your head held high.
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22, ESV)
Full assurance. Not maybe He will have me. Not if I am good enough this week. You come clean, because He made you clean. The guilt that whispers you do not belong here has already been answered by the blood of Christ. Draw near. You are welcome at His side.
What guilt have you been letting keep you at a distance from God?

Being angry is not the same as sinning. What you do with the anger is where it turns.

"Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah" (Psalm 4:4, ESV)

God does not tell us to never feel angry. He tells us not to let it lead us into sin. And notice His remedy. Go quiet. Lie down, search your heart, and be still before Him. So much sin happens in the heat of the moment. This verse says take it to your bed and to God before you take it anywhere else.

What are you angry about right now that you need to bring to God in the quiet first?

You do not have to clean yourself up before you come to God. You come, and He does the cleaning.

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8, ESV)

Look at the order. You draw near first, and He draws near back. It is a promise. One small step toward Him is always met with a step from Him. The washing of your hands and heart is not the price of admission. It is what happens when you get close to a holy God.

What is one step toward God you could take today, even a small one?

The way to be close to God is not to hide better. It is to come into the light.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7, ESV)

We assume walking in the light means having it all together. It means stepping out of hiding, letting God and a few trusted people see the real us. And look at the tense of that last verb. Cleanses. Present, ongoing. The blood of Jesus is not a one-time rinse you used up years ago. It keeps cleansing, every day you keep walking toward Him instead of away.

What have you kept in the dark that would lose its power the moment you brought it into the light?

If you ever feel like you are not enough, this one is for you."But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:10, ESV)Paul, who once hunted Christians, looks at his whole life and credits none of it to himself. By the grace of God I am what I am. Not by his effort. Not by his resume. Grace. Whatever is good and useful in you today was placed there by a God who loved you before you did one thing to earn it. You do not have to manufacture your worth. It was given.What would change today if you truly believed you are what you are by grace, and not by performance?

Hi, friend! Welcome to According to His Purpose. In this short intro, I share a little about who I am, why I started this podcast, and what you can expect here, daily Scripture, honest encouragement, and deeper conversations when there's more to share. Rooted in Romans 8:28: 'And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.'

Come walk with me, friend, and hit follow so you don't miss what's coming.