We sometimes mistake religious performance for a relationship with God, convinced that if we just check enough boxes, we’re doing what He desires. The Pharisees kept all the rules, yet their hearts were far from Him. Jesus repeatedly crossed their man-made boundaries, not in rebellion, but to remind us that God cares more about what’s right than what’s merely religious. The world isn’t looking for people with all the answers; they want to see people who actually look like Jesus. May we have the courage to love like He does, even when the religious establishment won’t, because doing what’s right sometimes means breaking the rules.

Amazing Grace
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As Stephen was being brutally murdered, a man named Saul was watching and giving his approval. It seems unthinkable that a cold hearted man like Saul would go on to become the greatest voice of the church and write half the New Testament. Yet the fact that someone like that can be completely transformed is a testimony of God’s amazing grace! No matter what road a person is on, God’s grace can still turn them around.



