There's a shortage of truth in the world today. Of course, the definition of truth seems to be up for grabs for some, but today we're talking about sincerity in action without pretense. Matthew West sings about this in his song "Truth Be Told." Jesus teaches about it in the Gospel of Matthew.
Spend some time this week examining the words of Jesus with an open heart.
In this episode I discuss:
Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
Consider the historical background
Follow the cross-references
Utilize a trusted outside resource (like a commentary or Study Bible)
Really considering the root of what Jesus is teaching and how it may apply to our own "clean on the outside and a hot mess on the inside" moments
Zooming out all the way to Matthew 21 to see the context of our focus teaching
Summarizing Matthew 23:1-11 in our own words
Recognizing the seven "woe"s in Matthew 23
Checking out another "woe" from the Old Testament - Hosea 7:13
Hearing the "rolling thunder of Christ's wrath" in the text
Recognizing the hypocrisy in our own lives and treating it with the weight Christ demands
Make no mistake. I don't think Jesus is going to give us a pass on what He is distinctly declaring as worthy of woe and judgment just because we're not a Scribe or a Pharisee.
Check out the official live performance video of this week's song below!
