Grace Church
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Thursday, August 17, 2023

Hypocrisy

Saturday, January 16

Read

Psalm 139:1-6,13-18, 1 Samuel 2:21-25, James 1:18-25 (NLT)

Psalm 139:1-6
For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

1 Samuel 2:21-25
And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.

James 1:18-25
He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
God’s Messenger (p.160)

Meditate

Humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. (James 1:21)


Pray

Heavenly Father, You are my Creator and Redeemer. You knit me together in my mother’s womb and gave me life. Even though I rebelled against You and rejected Your Word, You looked on me with mercy and compassion. Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem me from my sin and revealing him to me in the Scriptures. How precious are Your Words to me. Keep me from the foolishness of hypocrisy and enable me by Your Spirit to walk according to Your Word. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Take a moment to pray for others.

Sing

Speak O Lord

*Copyright laws prohibit us from posting the lyrics here, so please click on the title above!

Watch below or on YouTube!

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupSpeak O Lord · Keith & Kristyn GettyIn Christ Alone℗ 2005 Getty Music Label, LLCReleased on: 2006-01-01Producer: ...

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Tuesday, September 29

Read

Matthew 15:1-20 (NLT)

Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
The Terrible Lie (p.28)
Don't have the Jesus Storybook Bible at home? Check it out on Hoopla here!

Meditate

It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. (Matthew 15:11)

Pray

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil. For Your’s is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Sing

Create In Me A Clean Heart

*Copyright laws prohibit us from posting the lyrics here, so please click on the title above!

Watch below or on YouTube!

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group Create In Me A Clean Heart · Keith Green Jesus Commands Us To Go ℗ 1990 Sparrow Records Released on: 1990-01-01 ...

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Saturday, August 15

Read

Malachi 1:6-14 (NLT)

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!

“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’

“You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.

“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’

“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

“Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

Jesus Storybook Bible: 
How To Pray (p.222)
Don't have the Jesus Storybook Bible at home? Check it out on Hoopla here!

Meditate

“I am a great king,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!” (Malachi 1:14)

Pray

Lord of Heaven, you are our Father and our King. You are worthy of all blessing and honor and glory. Yet we have neglected to worship you as you deserve. We have approached your throne of grace with lazy and apathetic hearts. Forgive us for our presumptuousness and ingratitude. Thank you for your mercy toward at the cross and for providing the pure and blameless sacrifice we could never give. Convict us by your Spirit and enable us to worship you with our whole lives. Glorify yourself in our midst and among the nations. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Sing

Is He Worthy?

*Copyright laws prohibit us from posting the lyrics here, so please click on the title above!

Watch below or on YouTube!

The official music video for Andrew Peterson's new song Is He Worthy! This video was shot in one continuous take. Directors: Max Hsu, Brian Skinner, and Nath...

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