Day 59 (Feb 28, 2022)

Why would anyone ask the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

It seems like a foolish question. Most of us have some kind of concept of who we consider our neighbors and would never think to ask such a question. Of course, things become a lot less obvious when we are trying to justify ourselves in the face of moral scrutiny.

This lawyer knows who he considers his neighbor, but he is looking for a way out, a legal way to say he has fulfilled the command, while not surrendering his own autonomy. Jesus sees right through this and gives him the story of the good Samaritan. This particular tale is a beautiful example of love that is not looking for a loophole. The Samaritan just does the right thing without looking for technicalities that will absolve him of any responsibility. For him, this is simply a matter of loving your fellow man.

Today, what parts of your Christian walk are you trying to avoid using “technicalities”? Are you walking to please and honor him, or are you doing just enough to make sure you don’t cross any lines?

What would your life look like if you stopped looking for loopholes and just started living for His Glory?
-Pastor Conley

Luke 10:25–37 (MEV)

25 Now, a lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read?”

27 He answered, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus answered, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 By chance a priest came down that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to that place, looked at him and passed by on the other side.

33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. Then he set him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 The next day when he departed, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said to him, ‘Take care of him. I will repay you whatever else you spend when I return.’

36 “Now which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

37 He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Day 57 (Feb 26, 2022)

Seek Him first. That may be the beginning, middle, and end of this text and our walk.

Seek Him, not approval.

Seek Him, not wealth.

Seek Him, not worldliness.

Seek Him, not the seat of judgment.

Seek Him, not security.

Seek Him. It’s that simple.

-Pastor Conley

Matthew 6:5–7:29 (MEV)

5 “When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

6 But you, when you pray, enter your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7 But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him.

9 “Therefore pray in this manner: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 For if you forgive men for their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive men for their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces so they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 so that you will not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in nor steal,

21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 “The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is unclear, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore, I say to you, take no thought about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?

27 Who among you by taking thought can add a cubit to his stature?

28 “Why take thought about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: They neither work, nor do they spin.

29 Yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

30 Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is here and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 Therefore, take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.

34 Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof.

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, it will be measured again for you.

3 “And why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank that is in your own eye?

4 Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me pull the speck out of your eye,’ when a log is in your own eye?

5 You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn around and attack you.

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

9 “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake?

11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

12 Therefore, everything you would like men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

13 “Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it,

14 because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16 You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit. But a corrupt tree bears evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bear good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Therefore, by their fruit you will know them.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?’

23 But then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.’

24 “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.

25 And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded a rock.

26 And every one who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27 And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it fell. And its fall was great.”

28 When Jesus finished these sayings, the people were astonished at His teaching,

29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.