“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” —Mark 7:6-8

Have you ever seen that commercial where a wife tells her husband they’re expecting their first child, but he isn’t really listening? Instead, he’s distracted by a commercial he just heard and suddenly yells out, “Hey Joe!” to a plumber. His wife, in disbelief, asks, “Are you kidding me? You’re going to do this right now?” It’s funny because it’s so true—we all get caught up in the immediate and forget what really matters. Paul reminds us: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” —2 Corinthians 4:18.

It’s so easy for the unimportant to rise above the important in our lives. Jesus even warned that some will come to Him saying, “Lord, we did this in Your name,” and He will have to tell them, “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23) The word religion literally means “to bind down,” but faith in Jesus Christ is meant to set us free. It’s not just about listing the things we’ve done for Him—it’s about knowing Him personally.

This Sunday, Pastor Mark will share an inspiring message on how to bring our faith to life by building a deeper, more authentic relationship with God.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White