GDLC Audio

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. 

This week we watch Jesus confront the Pharisees who prided themselves on protecting God’s law, but in doing so, they kept people from God’s love. In their desire for control they acted as gatekeepers for who deserved love and who didn’t deserve love. Jesus tears down the barriers that religion builds and throws open the doors of grace. This week we allow Jesus to challenge us by asking who might feel shut out because of how I speak, act or believe and instead of being a gatekeeper what if I became a gateway to mercy instead?