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.

Remember What You Used to Be
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Paul reminds the believers in Ephesus of what they used to be before Jesus came — without hope and without God in the world. Since they were all lost without Jesus, he warns them not to discriminate against others who are lost or who are different from them. This is a healthy reminder for our churches today!



