Category Archives: Pharisees

Is being good enough?

Salvation is a gift. Faith is a gift. Grace is a gift. Jesus is a gift. It’s all God’s work from start to finish. Continue reading

Posted in Grace, Pharisees, Salvation, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Overly concerned about offending others

Are we too quick to assume we’re in the wrong when we offend others?  Is there a way to know which plants have not been planted by the Heavenly Father? Continue reading

Posted in Antagonists, attitudes of unity, Elders, elders in the Church, Local Church, Pharisees, Teaching of Jesus, Unity | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Meet the citizens of heaven

It might surprise some to meet the true citizens of heaven. Many religious leaders “shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces” (Matthew 23:13). Jesus said of them,  “You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. ….You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are” (Matthew 23:14-15). Jesus said to these religious leaders, “religious leaders “shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces” (Matthew 23:13). Jesus said,  “You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. …Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31). Continue reading

Posted in Afraid to die, Afterlife, Assurance, Atheism, Atheists, Belief, Blessed by God, Born again?, Christian worldview, Christianity, Cliches, Comfort, Cross of Christ, Cross of Jesus, Crucifixion, Death of Christ, Depravity, Disciple-making, Elentics, Eternal life, Eternal security, Evangelism, Faith, Fear of death, God's Heart, God's Love, Godly sorrow, Gospel, Gospel-centered, Grace, Greatness, Heaven, Human depravity, Humility, Jesus Christ, Justification, Legalism, Main problem, Matthew 7:1-6, Meekness, New Creation, Pharisees, Poor in spirit, Proud, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Religion, Religion-not the answer, Repentance, Salvation, Searching, Security of salvation, Seeker Services, Seeking God, Selfishness, Sin, Spiritual inventory, Teaching of Jesus, The cross of Christ, Unbelief, Walking with God, Witness, Worldly sorrow | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

3 themes in the teaching of Jesus

The teaching of Jesus was consistently pointed and powerful. He was never hesitant to challenge deeply held assumptions, traditions or the establishment. I think there were a number of times that his disciples cringed at the ways he exposed the hypocrisy of religious leaders. Three significant emphases stand out in the teaching of Jesus. Continue reading

Posted in Christian worldview, Expository Preaching, Grace, Jesus Christ, Kingdom, Pharisees, Teaching, Teaching of Jesus, Worldview | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Overly concerned about offending others?

Why do some Churches and their leaders let pharisees set the agenda for their ministries? Continue reading

Posted in Antagonists, Church growth, Church Leadership, Elders, Emerging Leaders, Evangelism, Leadership, Pharisees, Tolerance | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

How to know God

To truly become a Christian we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Continue reading

Posted in Christianity, God, Gospel, Gospel-centered, Grace, Pharisees, Poor in spirit, Quote of the day, Regeneration, Religion-not the answer, Repentance, Salvation, Seeking God, Self love, Selfishness, Tim Keller, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A question that could change your life

Is it possible that most of us try to present others with a view of ourselves that is far more flattering than the one God sees? Continue reading

Posted in Change, Christian life, Christian worldview, Christianity, Humility, Pharisees, Pride, Religion, Religion-not the answer, Walking with God, Wisdom | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Always leading us back to grace

God is always leading us back to grace to confess our unworthiness and to celebrate His mercy. Continue reading

Posted in Christian life, Christianity, Contentment, Death of Christ, Gospel, Gospel-centered, Grace, Gratitude, Humility, Justification, Pharisees, Pride, Salvation, Schadenfreude, Self esteem, Self love, Selfishness, Servanthood, Spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The dangers of religion

The religious leaders during the time of Jesus were dangerous people. Not everyone saw them that way, but Jesus was unmistakably clear about them. They provided the primary example of all that heaven rejects. Jesus called them blind guides, blind … Continue reading

Posted in Pharisees, Religion, Religion-not the answer, Repentance, Restoration, Salvation, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Don’t be such a Pharisee

Don’t be such a Pharisee! We still hear it today. The label is typically aimed at a self-righteous person or a hypocritical religious legalist. I’ve never heard someone use the word pharisee in a positive way. The Pharisees are primarily remembered as the chief antagonists of … Continue reading

Posted in Antagonists, Leadership, Legalism, Pharisees | 2 Comments