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A stone in his mouth for 3 years
In elementary school there was a kid who did a lot of annoying things. He would slap people in the back of the head for no reason or pull a girl’s ponytail and run away. Other kids would inevitably chase him or call him names. In response he would shout… Listen ⇢
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What does it mean to be disciplined?
I recently asked some young people what they thought of when they heard the word “discipline.” One of them said “hard work.” Another said: “when you get in trouble you get disciplined.” A third said “self-control.” They had good insights. I was impressed. Self-control is definitely closely related to discipline.… Listen ⇢
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Know you are loved
We’ve been talking about religious hypocrisy—in ourselves. This isn’t about being ourselves up, but about honest self-evaluation as we strive to grow and become more like Jesus. But that’s just what can happen. We beat ourselves up. The more we examine ourselves to see our sin, the more sin we… Listen ⇢
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Being mentally present
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused…” (Matthew 13:14-15). Jesus often speaks against hypocrisy. It is giving lip service to faith. It is pretending, or simply going through the religious motions. So how do… Listen ⇢
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Humility and hypocrisy
The opposite of religious hypocrisy is faithful sincerity. With God’s help we want to move from the first category to the second. Not only do we want to say we believe in Jesus, but to think and act like we believe in Jesus. An important ingredient is humility. In Mark… Listen ⇢
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Closing the gaps
Hypocrite. It’s a heavy, negative word. It means “pretender”—someone who says and does things which aren’t harmonious with what they say they believe. Richard Baxter says: “As fencers upon a stage differ from soldiers fighting for their lives, so hypocrites differ from serious Christians.”* In Mark 7:6 (ESV) Jesus took… Listen ⇢
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Praying on the fly
The early Christians prayed. A lot. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul famously says to “pray continuously.” Does he mean that we should never stop uttering words to God? What about when we’re sleeping or eating? His point, of course, is that we should make a regular habit of prayer. Some… Listen ⇢
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Time for you is also time for others
In Mark 6 Jesus taught and fed thousands upon thousands of people. Afterward he sought some alone time with his heavenly Father. That makes sense. He had a big day and was also preparing for the next task. “And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on… Listen ⇢
Meet the producer, Matthew Ruttan.
Matthew is a disciple, pastor, husband, and dad of three who lives in the psalms.
