“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” John 5:39 (NLT) Have you ever heard it said that someone “can’t see the forest for the trees”? It means looking right at the very thing you’re searching for and not recognizing it. In today’s verse, Jesus was addressing the Pharisees—people whose strict adherence to an astounding number of religious rules was second to none. But get this: the Pharisees looked eye to eye with the Lord Himself—the One they dreamed about, talked about, read about, memorized Scripture about—and they didn’t recognize Him. The Pharisees studied the Old Testament scriptures intensely and knew them by heart, yet they couldn’t see the forest for the trees—even though the …

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.” Matthew 11:28 (MSG) Organized legalistic religion believes that following a bunch of rules gains God’s approval. Not surprisingly, I run into people who tell me this kind of religion turns them off. And they’re always shocked when I agree with them as a pastor. Now, having said that, let me clarify that organized legalistic religion is different from an organized church. It’s necessary to have organization when it comes to church services, finances and programs. But legalistic religion operates by trying to get closer to God through works like good behaviour and rule-following. Living that way is heavy, tiresome and futile. That’s why the …

You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? Galatians 4:4–7 (MSG) Some people think that Christianity is just about getting to Heaven, and that their time on the planet is meant to be endured. I thank God for Heaven, but I want to walk out every freedom Jesus gained for me on this planet too! Salvation isn’t just about being saved from Hell. It also means that we can walk in freedom in every area of our lives here on earth. God our …

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, Luke 21:34 (NLT) If you’re not careful, your heart can become weighed down and begin to produce things you don’t like. You may think that the things you watch on TV, read in books or view on the internet aren’t affecting you, but they can begin to influence what you believe about the world. Even if you know intellectually that what you are watching isn’t real, as you think about what you’re seeing seeds are being planted in your heart. This is a problem because your heart beliefs determine your future. These deep beliefs that you’ve developed unconsciously over …

And He said to them, “Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.” Mark 4:24 (AMPC) The more study and thought you give to what you hear, the more impact it has on your autopilot (your heart). This is why it’s so important to carefully choose who you allow to speak into your life. Don’t let just anyone speak into your life. Think carefully about the people you bring into your inner circle. Do they speak mistrust, suspicion and negativity into you? Your heart takes in what it is exposed to, so …