GDLC Audio

This week we watch Jesus confront the Pharisees for their lack of heart connected to the things they do. In this scripture Jesus doesn’t rebuke their giving, but he rebukes their lack of heart behind their giving. The Pharisees tithed meticulously but neglected the more important things of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. God’s expectation is not for our perfection but for our faithfulness. The things we do become truly worshipful when they flow from hearts overflowing with gratitude and compassion for all that God has done for us.  

This week we watch Jesus confront the Pharisees for their lack of heart connected to the things they do. In this scripture Jesus doesn’t rebuke their giving, but he rebukes their lack of heart behind their giving. The Pharisees tithed meticulously but neglected the more important things of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. God’s expectation is not for our perfection but for our faithfulness. The things we do become truly worshipful when they flow from hearts overflowing with gratitude and compassion for all that God has done for us.  

This week, Jesus confronts the Pharisee who prizes rules, traditions, and “how” we do things over the love of people. When love is missing, our holiness becomes hallow and the “what” we do lacks a Godly “why”. In this confrontation, Jesus is restoring the Sabbath to its original purpose. The Sabbath was a space for rest, renewal, healing, compassion, and the joy of being human in God’s presence. In a desire for control and power, the Pharisees made it all about their own personal “what’s” & “how’s” and completely left behind the true “why” of the gift. This week, Jesus confronts that spirit by asking…what traditions have we allowed to become more important than the command to love God and love others? 

This week, Jesus confronts the Pharisee who prizes rules, traditions, and “how” we do things over the love of people. When love is missing, our holiness becomes hallow and the “what” we do lacks a Godly “why”. In this confrontation, Jesus is restoring the Sabbath to its original purpose. The Sabbath was a space for rest, renewal, healing, compassion, and the joy of being human in God’s presence. In a desire for control and power, the Pharisees made it all about their own personal “what’s” & “how’s” and completely left behind the true “why” of the gift. This week, Jesus confronts that spirit by asking…what traditions have we allowed to become more important than the command to love God and love others? 

This week we watch Jesus confront the Pharisee that is so fixated on the minor details of others and misses the heart of God in the process. Jesus warns against straining gnats and swallowing camels. This is a Rabbinic way of teaching where Jesus is using the smallest/largest creature to highlight a deep spiritual truth. Don’t care so much about precision while neglecting compassion for others. Jesus is calling us to refocus on justice, mercy and faithfulness and to see that true clarity comes when we see through the lens of love rather than legalism

This week we allow Jesus to confront our judgmentalism and the desire we have to throw stones at the sins of others while ignoring the sin in ourselves. In John 8 this woman is caught in the act of adultery and is surrounded by stones of judgment. Instead of casting this woman off Jesus bends down low, not to accuse her, but to forgive her. His confrontation with the Pharisees reveals that grace disarms condemnation. When we recognize our own need for mercy, we drop the stones in our hands and begin to love others as we’ve been loved.