“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ”
Matthew 7:1-4 (NIV)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) and judgements were zinging through the air everywhere. We are living in the best and worst of times and rather than it bringing out our better natures, it seems to be ripping us apart. Because people are spending a lot of time pointing out the specks in other people’s eyes, while completely ignoring that plank in our eyes, we are just out there judging everything. I’m guilty too, I just don’t normally say it out loud – doesn’t make it right, just being honest.
This week’s passage, starts with a command: “Do not Judge…” and the consequences – however we judge others is how we will be judged. I think being judgmental can take many forms. Sometimes we see a homeless person and make a judgement as to why. Sometimes we see injustice and either think that somehow, it is deserved or we turn a blind eye rather than speaking out. Sometimes we think the “they” are wrong and we are right, when the truth is maybe we are wrong.
Jesus follows up His questions by calling the people (especially His followers) hypocrites (essentially two-faced people) and instructing them to get the plank out of their own eyes before being concerned about the speck in someone else’s eye. No one is perfect, that’s why we need Jesus, we were deserving of harsh judgement and a punishment to match. Instead, we got mercy. We got grace. We got a love that transforms our hearts.
As followers of Jesus, we are supposed to love mercy, act justly and walk humbly in our dealings with others. We are called to unity with the Lord and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
I’ll leave you with this question, who is out there judging you in the same way you might be judging someone else? We won’t be absolutely perfect until Jesus comes back and makes everything new – in the mean time we can show grace, mercy and love to everyone we encounter.
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this email – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – don’t judge – just show the love of Jesus.
Monday, January 26, 2026
Monday, January 19, 2026
Do Not Worry - Trust ME
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? ”
Matthew 6:25-30 (NLT)
Can we just be real for a second? I don’t know how many times I have read the sermon on the mount, more than a few for sure. But, it never clicked in my mind how many questions Jesus asked. We started this year talking about staying salty. Last week, Jesus and I encouraged you love all the “others”. This week, Jesus asks questions to make it clear we are not to worry, because He’s got us.
We do however, need to put this in the proper context. The passage above starts “That is why…” Some translations have the word “therefore” at the beginning of Matthew 6:25. That is because it is linked to the verse that came before. Just before teaching those present about not worrying, Jesus taught about money and possession. The last verse of that section says: “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money” (Matthew 6:24). Then our passages for the week start – “That is why…” or “Therefore…”
We are encouraged not to worry about the bare necessities of life, food and clothing specifically. Why? Because, He provides for the rest of His creation and He kind of likes us even more than the birds and flowers, so he’ll provide for us as well. In fact, He will use us to help with that as part of loving all the others. Fortunately, for us if Jesus asks a question; he frequently provides the answer. He tells us not worry and we often ask how? Jesus says: “Seek first the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Simply put – don’t worry, trust Him.
I’ll leave you with these questions, what are you worrying about and how are you trusting Him? Have you cared for someone else, so they don’t have to worry?
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – have faith, don’t worry and trust Jesus.
Matthew 6:25-30 (NLT)
Can we just be real for a second? I don’t know how many times I have read the sermon on the mount, more than a few for sure. But, it never clicked in my mind how many questions Jesus asked. We started this year talking about staying salty. Last week, Jesus and I encouraged you love all the “others”. This week, Jesus asks questions to make it clear we are not to worry, because He’s got us.
We do however, need to put this in the proper context. The passage above starts “That is why…” Some translations have the word “therefore” at the beginning of Matthew 6:25. That is because it is linked to the verse that came before. Just before teaching those present about not worrying, Jesus taught about money and possession. The last verse of that section says: “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money” (Matthew 6:24). Then our passages for the week start – “That is why…” or “Therefore…”
We are encouraged not to worry about the bare necessities of life, food and clothing specifically. Why? Because, He provides for the rest of His creation and He kind of likes us even more than the birds and flowers, so he’ll provide for us as well. In fact, He will use us to help with that as part of loving all the others. Fortunately, for us if Jesus asks a question; he frequently provides the answer. He tells us not worry and we often ask how? Jesus says: “Seek first the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Simply put – don’t worry, trust Him.
I’ll leave you with these questions, what are you worrying about and how are you trusting Him? Have you cared for someone else, so they don’t have to worry?
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – have faith, don’t worry and trust Jesus.
Monday, January 12, 2026
Loving All the Others
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”
Matthew 5:46-47 (NIV)
We are still on the mountain side and Jesus is still teaching. Jesus is in the “you’ve heard it said…” portion of his message. That means in some ways he gives the answer, before he asks the question. In this instance He starts by saying: “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45). Then comes the questions, that I believe are really meant to make us look at ourselves from the perspective of Jesus’ words about loving our enemies. If you only love those who love you, how is that any better that what sinners do? If you only talk to your family and friends, that’s nothing special. Even unbelievers do that? Sit with that for a bit – I reckon they should be making us a little uncomfortable, maybe more than a little.
I think, and scripture seems indicate that there is a priority to who we love. In what followers of Jesus know as the great commandment we are given the top priority: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Then as followers of Jesus we are to love our fellow followers – that’s how people will know that we are His disciples. Last but not least, there is everyone else.
There is nothing to indicate that there are boundaries around love. Nothing about only loving people we agree with. Only loving people who look a certain way or act a certain way or – you can add whatever boundaries you might put up around who you love.
We live in a time where families are torn apart because they don’t agree about certain topics. Where in some cases churches are being torn apart because the members don’t agree with each other or their leaders on certain issues. We, unfortunately, live in a time where some who follow Jesus spew just as much hate as unbelievers.
What if we looked at life from someone else’s perspective? What if we took the time to pursue the truth about what is happening in our world, rather than doom scrolling or relying on the nightly news? What if we remember that we used to be sinners and as such we were enemies of God but He loved us anyway?
I’ll leave you with this challenging question, is how you are loving all the others, pointing them to Jesus or not?
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this email – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – love God and all the others around you.
Matthew 5:46-47 (NIV)
We are still on the mountain side and Jesus is still teaching. Jesus is in the “you’ve heard it said…” portion of his message. That means in some ways he gives the answer, before he asks the question. In this instance He starts by saying: “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45). Then comes the questions, that I believe are really meant to make us look at ourselves from the perspective of Jesus’ words about loving our enemies. If you only love those who love you, how is that any better that what sinners do? If you only talk to your family and friends, that’s nothing special. Even unbelievers do that? Sit with that for a bit – I reckon they should be making us a little uncomfortable, maybe more than a little.
I think, and scripture seems indicate that there is a priority to who we love. In what followers of Jesus know as the great commandment we are given the top priority: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Then as followers of Jesus we are to love our fellow followers – that’s how people will know that we are His disciples. Last but not least, there is everyone else.
There is nothing to indicate that there are boundaries around love. Nothing about only loving people we agree with. Only loving people who look a certain way or act a certain way or – you can add whatever boundaries you might put up around who you love.
We live in a time where families are torn apart because they don’t agree about certain topics. Where in some cases churches are being torn apart because the members don’t agree with each other or their leaders on certain issues. We, unfortunately, live in a time where some who follow Jesus spew just as much hate as unbelievers.
What if we looked at life from someone else’s perspective? What if we took the time to pursue the truth about what is happening in our world, rather than doom scrolling or relying on the nightly news? What if we remember that we used to be sinners and as such we were enemies of God but He loved us anyway?
I’ll leave you with this challenging question, is how you are loving all the others, pointing them to Jesus or not?
Let me know your thoughts. Know someone who might be encouraged by this email – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – love God and all the others around you.
Monday, January 5, 2026
Stay Salty
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”
Matthew 5:13 (NLT)
Ok, I didn’t come up with the title myself – it is actually the catch phrase for an electrolyte powder called LMNT. It is however the ultimate answer to the question Jesus asks in the verse above. This verse and it’s companion verse about light are part of what we know as the Sermon on the Mount.
Let’s talk about salt. Anyone who does any kind of cooking knows that salt makes things taste better, because it enhances the flavor of things. Some of you might also know that it is really good at preserving some kinds of foods. A lot of us know that salt is a natural mineral and that it is important to our health.
Jesus indicates that it is possible for salt to lose its flavor, but how?
Here’s what I learned. Pure salt will not lose its saltiness. Salt can be diluted in water but, if you let the water evaporate the salt will still be salty. However, if salt gets contaminated it will lose its flavor.
So what’s the point, why did Jesus ask the question? He told his audience that they were the “salt of the earth.” I think He was telling the crowd, look if you are following me and are believing what I’ve just said about God blessing… (Matthew 5:3-12) I want you to keep the real thing the real thing. Preserve the message, keep it pure and use it to enhance your life and the lives of those around you. The question about salt losing its saltiness and making the salt worthless, is about letting the truths of the Kingdom be contaminated, contaminated by the Law, by the world, by all sorts of things.
So here we are today, He still calls us the salt of the earth – pure salt. So I want to encourage all who are reading this, not to let the salt of your life get contaminated by the things going on in the world around you. Instead, let the saltiness of your faith make a difference for good in the world.
Let me know your thoughts on being the salt of the earth. Know someone who might be encouraged by this email – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – keep your eyes on Jesus.
Matthew 5:13 (NLT)
Ok, I didn’t come up with the title myself – it is actually the catch phrase for an electrolyte powder called LMNT. It is however the ultimate answer to the question Jesus asks in the verse above. This verse and it’s companion verse about light are part of what we know as the Sermon on the Mount.
Let’s talk about salt. Anyone who does any kind of cooking knows that salt makes things taste better, because it enhances the flavor of things. Some of you might also know that it is really good at preserving some kinds of foods. A lot of us know that salt is a natural mineral and that it is important to our health.
Jesus indicates that it is possible for salt to lose its flavor, but how?
Here’s what I learned. Pure salt will not lose its saltiness. Salt can be diluted in water but, if you let the water evaporate the salt will still be salty. However, if salt gets contaminated it will lose its flavor.
So what’s the point, why did Jesus ask the question? He told his audience that they were the “salt of the earth.” I think He was telling the crowd, look if you are following me and are believing what I’ve just said about God blessing… (Matthew 5:3-12) I want you to keep the real thing the real thing. Preserve the message, keep it pure and use it to enhance your life and the lives of those around you. The question about salt losing its saltiness and making the salt worthless, is about letting the truths of the Kingdom be contaminated, contaminated by the Law, by the world, by all sorts of things.
So here we are today, He still calls us the salt of the earth – pure salt. So I want to encourage all who are reading this, not to let the salt of your life get contaminated by the things going on in the world around you. Instead, let the saltiness of your faith make a difference for good in the world.
Let me know your thoughts on being the salt of the earth. Know someone who might be encouraged by this email – please share. I will be praying for you. Until next week – keep your eyes on Jesus.
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