When you think of “sinners” who might be excluded from God’s kingdom, does anyone come to mind? If so, you may be entering dangerous territory. The Pharisees were certain of their own seat at God’s table, convinced that the tax collectors and prostitutes had no such place. But Jesus came precisely for the people the religious crowd wrote off. He welcomes the broken, the fallen, the forgotten with open arms the moment they repent and turn to Him. God’s grace reaches farther than our judgments, and we may be surprised by those who are on heaven’s guest list!

Losing My Religion
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Jesus reserved His harshest words–not for those who were down and out and lost in their sin–but for those who claimed to be the most religious. Why? Because religion puffs us up and blinds us to our need of a Savior. It causes us to focus on external modification instead of heart transformation. We all have religious rules that we still struggle with which keep our hearts unchanged. What areas might God want you to lay aside in order to live out a fully surrendered relationship with Him?


