I want to say something up front that's been on my mind for a long time. Sometimes the people who talk the most about grace can become the least gracious. Not always, but it happens, and when it happens, it's ugly. We get sharp, we get smug, and we get quick to correct and slow to love.

And what makes this so strange is this. If we really believe salvation is all of grace, then we have absolutely no reason to look down on anyone. And I'm not talking about those people. I'm talking about me. I'm talking about me. And I hate to say it, but I've done it. And guess what? You probably have too.

So today I want to talk about what I believe is one of the biggest hindrances to our witness. And it's not the lack of knowledge or the lack of arguments, but it's something far worse. It's pride. and not just any pride, it's religious pride.

And by the way, my name is Brandon Kraft and thank you for being here. If this is your first time watching, I'd encourage you to subscribe and check out my other videos at my website at pristinegrace.org. When you watch and subscribe on YouTube, it helps the YouTube algorithm and helps get this message out to more people. So the more people we can get on YouTube, I think the better it will be for this ministry. But I'm also on Sermon Audio if you like listening there.

So let's get back to the topic. And what we're going to examine today affects every single one of us who claims to believe the gospel. And it's something most of us would rather not face, okay? So let me just say it plainly, our greatest hindrance in ministry, whether it be our preaching from the pulpit, and yes, preachers can be hindered, or just telling others of what Christ has done for us, It's our sinful behavior, but specifically it's our religious behavior, which in my opinion is the most sinful behavior.

And it's not because other sins aren't serious, but because religious pride, it really disguises itself as a virtue. Now before you think I'm going to go start this podcast by pointing fingers at somebody, let me be clear. I'm not talking about anybody else. Really, but me. I'm talking about me. And I'm also talking about you too. So I am pointing my finger at you just a little bit.

But I'm talking about all of us who have ever looked down on someone because they didn't know as much as we did. Or because their life wasn't put together as well as ours seemed to be. And those of us who rest in the finished work of Christ and are aware of God's sovereign grace and the work of salvation, we have absolutely no reason to come to others, including non-believers, and bang them over the head with some sort of snobbish self-righteous attitude or strict religious rules that do nothing but condemn.

And yet, sadly, we do it all the time. We do it, I think, sometimes without even realizing it half the time. And that person you might be looking down upon because you don't think they know as much as you or have their life together as well as you, you really should approach with sympathy and concern and not with fire and brimstone judgment.

And I look around this world and I see heartbreak everywhere. I see people suffering through all kinds of terrible situations. I just have to drive through downtown Ashland to go pick up a box of donuts from the donut shop, and I see it there. I see drug users, and I see prostitutes, and yeah, I see people who don't know Christ. I see false religion. And instead of being angry at them and everything, I really have sadness. I have sadness and sympathy in my heart. And if I meet a drug addict, or a criminal, or a false religionist, my heart is not immediately set to that of anger and of judgment, but one of sympathy and sadness for them. And the only reason I'm not sharing in their misery right now is because the Lord has shed His grace on me and rescued me from such a life. And instead of patting myself on the back for having it all together, I thank the Lord for his preserving grace.

So let me pause here because I think that's where a lot of us get tripped up. We look at someone who's struggling with addiction, or someone caught up in false religion, or someone living in open sin, and we feel this sense of superiority, like we're better than them somehow. But the truth is, and the harsh truth, if you want to know it, it's we're not. We're not better than them. The only difference between us and them is grace. The only difference between them is Christ. And that's it. Nothing more. We didn't choose Christ. We didn't pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We didn't make better decisions. God quite simply had mercy on us. And if God had mercy on us when we were dead in our sins, blind to the truth, even hostile toward him in our minds, then how can we look at someone else who's in that same condition and feel anything but compassion?

So let's just linger on this idea for a moment because I think it's absolutely crucial. When we forget where we came from, when we forget what we were before God opened our eyes, we start to think that somehow we earned our position, that somehow we deserve what we have. And that's when religious pride creeps in. That's when we start measuring other people by our own standards instead of pointing them to Christ.

And I've seen this happen so many times, so many times. Someone comes to understand the doctrines of grace They learn about election, predestination, God's sovereignty and salvation. And instead of making them humble, instead of those doctrines making these people humble and grateful, it makes them arrogant. It makes them judgmental. It's the ultimate irony, the ultimate paradox when you think about it.

And they look at other believers who don't understand these things and they mock them. They ridicule them. They make fun of their theology. And then they look at unbelievers with disgust rather than compassion. But that's completely backwards.

If you truly understand that God chose you before the foundation of the world, that your salvation has nothing to do with your own merit or decision, that you were just as dead and blind as everyone else before God gave you life, then how can you be anything but humble? How can you look at someone who's still in darkness and feel superior?

Because you were there. You were in the darkness. You were blind as a bat. We all were. We were all there in the darkness. And the only reason we're not still there is because of grace.

Now, I need to be clear about something. We can't convert anyone. Okay? Somebody's going to accuse me of saying we can convert somebody, but that's not true. Only God gives life. But, and here's a major but, we are called to witness. We are called to hold Christ up. preach Him, preach Him to sinners, and to do it with grace. And though we are not really able to hinder God, sometimes our actions and speech have a repelling effect and not an inviting one. And if you think that unbeliever will embrace what you have to say while having a self-righteous attitude toward them, you can think again. They will turn away and reject what you have to say. And that is tragic. Not because we have some power to save them. No, we don't. But our poor behavior can be a stumbling block. Our religious pride can turn people away from even hearing the gospel. And the good news, though, is God can overcome that if he so desires.

I've watched this. I've watched people become a stumbling block to unbelievers. And I've seen someone who's genuinely interested in spiritual things, who's asking questions, who seems to be seeking for more information, and then they encounter a Christian who treats them with contempt. who judges them, who looks down on them, and then they walk away. These people, they walk away thinking, if that's what Christianity produces, I want nothing to do with it. And can you blame them? Really, can you blame them? Because if all they're seeing is religious pride and self-righteousness, they're not seeing Christ, they're seeing the Pharisees.

And Jesus had a lot to say about this kind of behavior. He had a lot to say about the Pharisees and self-righteous people. And maybe we should all examine ourselves and take a refresher course on these things. Hear what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 23, verses 4 and 5.

for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers, but all their works they do for to be seen of men. They made broad phylacteries, which are those little wooden boxes that the Jews would put on their foreheads, and they enlarged the borders of their garments. Okay, basically their religious symbolism. They placed heavy burdens on people, grievous to be born. That's what the Pharisees were laying on people, and they weren't willing to lift a finger to help carry those burdens themselves. and all their works were done to be seen of men, to look spiritual, to appear righteous, appear righteous, to impress, to impress others with how much they knew and how well they followed the rules.

Does any of that sound familiar to you? Because it should. Because every single one of us has been guilty of this at some point or another. And we can take this glorious gospel of grace and we can turn it into a burden. We can take the good news of what Christ has done and we add our own rules and regulations and expectations on top of it. We look at someone who doesn't meet our standards and we judge them.

And I want to give you a specific example of what this looks like because sometimes it's easier to see when we make it a little bit more concrete. Let's say someone comes to your church. They're new. And they're investigating Christianity. Maybe they heard something about Jesus and they want to know more. I don't know. Maybe they were invited to come with their cousin. But they show up and they're dressed differently than everyone else. Maybe they've got tattoos. Maybe they're smoking. Maybe they're living with someone they're not even married to. Maybe they're involved in something that's very clearly sinful to everyone. Now here's the question. How do you respond to that person? Do you welcome them? Do you show them kindness? Do you make them feel like they belong even though they're a mess? Or do you judge them? Do you look down on them? Or do you whisper to the person next to you about how inappropriate they are? Do you make them feel like they need to clean themselves up before they can be accepted? Because if you do the latter, guess what? You're acting like a Pharisee. You're laying heavy burdens on them. And you're saying, in effect, you need to meet my standards before you can approach God. But that's not the gospel. The gospel says, come as you are. Christ receives sinners. He doesn't wait for you to clean yourself up. He cleans you up. And he clothes you in his righteousness.

And Jesus says something more to say about that. In fact, he says a lot in Matthew 23, and you can see what he has to say there. The whole chapter. It's a sobering read, especially if you're someone who prides yourself on knowing theology or having sound doctrine. But because Jesus doesn't hold back, he calls the Pharisees hypocrites. He calls them blind guides. He calls them whitewashed tombs. full of dead man's bones on the inside while looking clean on the outside. And that's strong language and it's directed at religious people. It's directed at people who knew their scriptures, people who are serious about doctrine, people who are trying to be faithful. And yet their hearts were wrong. Their attitudes were wrong. Their treatment of others was wrong.

And Jesus goes on in Matthew chapter 23, verses 13 and 14. And he says, but woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. For you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, hypocrites, for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer. Therefore, ye shall receive the greater damnation.

You shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. That's what Jesus says. And that's what religious pride does. It shuts the kingdom of heaven against people. Not because we have the power to actually keep anyone out, but because our behavior turns them away. It makes them think that's what following Christ looks like. And then they neither go in themselves, because you can't truly enter the kingdom with that kind of heart. And you don't suffer those who are entering to go in. You discourage them. You judge them. You make it harder for them. And that's serious. That's a serious charge. And Jesus says they will receive greater damnation for it.

We're all called to preach the gospel, and we can do this obviously from the pulpit. But we can also do this with our talents and materials that the Lord has given each of us. We can tell others of what great things the Lord has done for us. Take me for example, I don't have a pulpit, but the Lord's given me computer skills, he's given me the ability to run a website, and he's obviously given me the ability to make a podcast. So that's what I'm utilizing. But God has gifted all of his people with skills that they can use to preach the gospel.

And we can tell the good news of how the Lord took such pity on such deplorable souls like us, wretched souls like us, and lifted us off the dung heap, and robed us with the perfect righteousness of Christ. He has covered all of our sins and deficiencies. And He has shown us unmerited favor, love, and mercy. We are highly favored people. Highly favored. And we can tell everyone of this great news while leaving our own sanctimonious opinions out of our speech. We really can. And that's the key right there. Leaving our sanctimonious opinions out of it. not adding your own commentary, not laying down extra requirements, not judging whether someone measures up to our standards. Just tell them what Christ has done, and that's it. That's the gospel. Christ came to save sinners. He lived the life that we couldn't live, and He died the death that we deserved. He rose again victorious over sin and death, and all who are in Him are saved. And that's good news. That's the gospel, and we don't need to add anything to it.

I think about the gospel accounts how Jesus interacted with sinners. He ate with tax collectors. If you know anything about tax collectors back in those times, these were the most despised people on the planet, actually. And he also talked with prostitutes. He touched lepers. He touched lepers. And he welcomed children. He showed compassion to the woman caught in adultery. and he spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well who had five husbands and was living with a man who wasn't her husband. He communicated with the sinners. And in every single case he showed them grace. He didn't condone their sin, but he didn't beat them up over the head with it. He didn't beat them over the head with it either. He met them where they were. And he showed them compassion. And he pointed them to the truth with kindness.

And you know who he was harsh with? Jesus was harsh with people. Some, anyway. He was harsh with the Pharisees. The religious leaders. The people who thought they had it all figured out. The people who were quick to judge everyone else while ignoring their own hearts. And that should tell us something. Preach the truth and leave it at that. God has it all under control. You don't need to judge, and he didn't give you the authority to run around with a self-righteous attitude so you can judge others by laying guilt trips on them. You aren't serving the kingdom by acting like a Pharisee, okay?

Now, I know that might sound harsh, but I'm saying because I've seen it. I've seen people who claim to believe in sovereign grace, and act like the most judgmental, harsh, critical people you've ever met. And I've been that person myself at times. We get so caught up in being right and having the right doctrine and having our I's and T's dotted and crossed and defending the truth. We'd like to take the moniker gospel defense, okay? And we get so caught up in doing all that that we forget. We forget to be kind. and we forget to be patient, and we forget to be gentle, all right? We forget that we were once blind too.

And here's what I noticed, the people who are the harshest, the most judgmental, the most critical, they're usually the ones who are the most insecure in their own faith. They're the ones who need to prove something to themselves or others, I don't know, but that seems to be the case. But when you're resting in Christ, when you're truly secure in His finished work, you don't need to judge everyone else. You don't need to prove how much you know. You don't need to show how right you are, and the gospel is not a scoreboard. Okay? You're free to be kind. You're free to be patient, and you're free to meet people where they are because you know where you came from, okay?

And instead of passing around judgment and condemnation upon everyone, maybe you should consider going into your prayer closet, being quiet, and studying the scriptures. You know, I love doctrine. I do. I love doctrine. I love sound doctrine. I love right doctrine. Doctrine's important. Let me be clear about that. Doctrine's very important. You know, it shows how God's mercy flows towards sinners. But our life in Christ is not just a doctrine. It's not just a doctrine. It's about a relationship with the living and triune God through Christ our Lord. And I know a lot of you doctrinalists out there that may, you may hear this and even write about it on Facebook, but I stand by that statement. Salvation is being known by Christ. Eternal life is knowing Christ. Okay? And yes, we do know him through doctrine. That is true. But check out last week's podcast where I talked about all this. Okay? There's a, there's an episode.

But to get back on topic, if all we have is correct doctrine without love, keyword there, love, charity, without compassion, without humility, well then we're really missing something very essential. And I go back to this all the time. You're going to see me go back to this in future podcasts, many of them.

Paul writes in first Corinthians chapter 13 verse 1 all right first Corinthians 13 here we are verse 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal Sounding brass a tinkling cymbal that that's what we are without love. All right, just noise Just noise just clanging. All right, and I don't care how theologically precise we are No matter how doctrinally sound we are Without love. It's just noise just noise. Okay, and and then in verse 2 he continues 1st Corinthians 13 verse 2 says And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that it can remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing, nothing, nothing. That's what we are without love. Even if we understand all mysteries, okay? Even if we have all the knowledge in the world, even if we have faith that could move mountains, without love, we are nothing.

Let that sink in, because how many of us have focused so much on being right that we've forgotten to be loving? How many of us have been so concerned with defending the truth that we've trampled people in the process? I know I have, and I'm not proud of it. I'm not proud of it, but it's the truth. I've been that way.

And I remember years ago, and this is confession time for me, I remember years ago I was in an online discussion about theology with someone, and they were clearly confused about some doctrinal points. Wildly confused, okay? But they were asking honest questions. They were genuinely trying to understand

And instead of being patient with them, instead of helping them work through it, I was a little harsh. Okay, no, I was pretty harsh. I was a lot harsh. I was critical and I made them feel stupid for not understanding. Because I corrected them in a way that was really more about showing off my own knowledge than actually helping them. I was trying to display my righteousness, so to speak. And they left that conversation hurt. And they left that conversation feeling like they weren't smart enough to understand theology. Like they weren't good enough to be part of that discussion.

And, you know, looking back on that time, I have major regrets. And that's not the only time. I've been a bad person. But anyway, I realized later that that's not what Christ would have done. Okay, that's not how he would have treated them. I was acting like a Pharisee, not like Christ.

And here's the thing, when we act like Pharisees, when we're judgmental and harsh and self-righteous, we're not representing Christ's will. We're not showing people the gospel. We're showing them religion. Okay? Dead religion. The kind of religion that binds heavy burdens on people without lifting a finger to help. That's not the gospel, because the gospel is good news. Okay, the gospel is freedom. The gospel is rest. It's rest for weary souls.

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 11 verses 28 through 30, he says, And I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Come unto me, all who labour and are heavy laden, That's an invitation to those who are feeling the weight of their sin and have been convicted by the Spirit of God. That's a welcome. That's grace. And Jesus describes himself as meek and lowly in heart, not harsh, not judgmental, not self-righteous, but meek and lowly. In his yoke, it's easy. His burden is light, not heavy, not grievous to be borne like the burdens that Pharisees lay on people.

So, if we're going to represent Christ, if we're going to tell others about him, if we're going to preach the gospel, we need to do it with the same heart that Christ has. Okay? A heart of compassion, a heart of mercy, a heart that sees sinners and has pity on them, not contempt. And I think about that woman caught in an adultery in John chapter 8. The Pharisees brought her to Jesus, ready to stone her. They wanted to trap him. They wanted to see if he would uphold the law. And you know what Jesus did here. But if you don't, I'll tell you, he didn't immediately defend her. He doesn't say, oh, it's okay, don't worry about it. But he also doesn't join these Pharisees in condemning her. Instead, he does something interesting.

John chapter 8 verse 6 through 8 says, This they said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not. Basically, he's kind of ignoring them and writing into the dust of the ground with his finger. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and he said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her. And again, he went back to the ground and wrote on it. And I love that he says he that is without sin among you let him cast a stone at her That's brilliant Jesus we know he was brilliant, but that was brilliant. Okay, because what he's doing is he's exposing their hypocrisy Okay, they're they're so quick to judge her so ready to condemn her But they're sinners, too They're sinners and one by one they leave. They all walk because they know they're guilty too.

And Jesus looks at the woman and he says in John chapter 8 verse 10 and 11, And I love this, he says, when Jesus had lifted him up himself and saw none but the woman, he looked unto her and says, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more. Neither do I condemn thee. That's grace. That's mercy. That's the heart of Christ. He doesn't ignore her sin. He doesn't tell her to go and sin no more. But he doesn't condemn her. He doesn't shame her. And he doesn't make her feel like she's beyond hope. And if Christ doesn't condemn those who come to him, then who are we to condemn others? Paul writes in Romans chapter 8 verse 1, quote, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. No condemnation, not for those who are in Christ. And if there's no condemnation for us, then we have no business condemning others. Our job is not to be the judge. Our job is to point people to the judge who became their savior. to the one who took the condemnation we deserved so that we could be free. And we do that not by being harsh and judgmental, but by being vessels of His grace. By showing the same mercy we've been shown, okay? By loving others the way Christ has loved us.

John chapter 13 verse 34 says, a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love another. Whew! That is a high standard. Okay? As I have loved you. That's the standard. And the standard is not as you think is appropriate. Okay? No. And the standard's not as they deserve. No, no, no, no. It's as Christ has loved you. And how has Christ loved us? Unconditionally. Sacrificially. Completely. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans chapter 5 verse 8 says, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were yet sinners. Not after we cleaned ourselves up. Not after we got our lives together. not after we started believing the right things, while we were yet sinners. And if that's how Christ loved us, then Really, that's how we should treat others, and that's how we should love others. With patience. With kindness. With compassion. Even when they don't deserve it. Even when they are the most rotten people you've ever met, okay? Because we didn't deserve it either.

I think sometimes we forget just how far we've been brought. We forget what we were saved from. We forget the pit we were in before the Lord lifted us out of it. And when we forget that, it becomes easy to look down on others. It becomes easy to judge. It becomes easy to be harsh and critical. But when we remember what we were, when we remember the grace that was shown to us, when we remember that we were once blind and dead and hostile towards God, it changes everything. It makes us humble, it makes us compassionate, and it makes us gentle with others who are still in that darkness.

Paul talks about this in Ephesians chapter 2. Listen to what he says in verses 1-5.

And you hath he quickened who are dead in trespasses and sins, wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ."

Oh, my goodness. We were dead in trespasses and sins. We walked according to the course of this world. We were children of wrath, alright, even as others. That doesn't mean God's wrath rested on us. We were angry children. Okay, but that phrase, even as others, is important. We were no different than them in our behavior. We were just like everyone else who's lost, just like everyone else who's in darkness, just like everyone else who's hostile toward God. But God, but God who is rich in mercy, that's where everything changes. It changes with, but God who is rich in mercy. And it's not because of us, it's because of Him. Because He's rich in mercy, because of His great love.

Even when we were dead in sins, He quickened us. He made us alive and He saved us. And if that's our story, if that's your story, if that's what happened to us, then how can we look at someone else who's dead in their sins, no matter what that sin may be, whether it be, you know, a thief who comes into your house or even worse, you know, a Pharisee himself. Okay, how can we have anything but compassion?

All right, so let me ask you something, and this is a question I have to ask myself regularly. When you interact with unbelievers, when you talk to people who don't know the truth at all, when you encounter someone living in sin or caught up in false religion, what's your first response? Is it anger? Is it judgment? Is it a sense of superiority? Or is it compassion? Is it sadness? Is it a desire to see them come to know the same grace you've been shown?

Because if it's the former, then you need to examine your heart. Because that's not the heart of Christ. That's the heart of a Pharisee. And if we're going to be effective in ministry, if we're going to faithfully represent the gospel, we need to put away the Pharisee, the Pharisee monster as I call him, that lives deep inside us. We need to put that, we need to kill him, all right, and put on Christ.

We need to approach people with humility, knowing that we're no better than they are apart from grace. And we need to speak the truth in love, not in condemnation. We need to point them to Christ and not to ourselves, or how much we know, or think we know, or how right we are. Okay? Because at the end of the day, it's not about us. It's not about us at all. We are here just for a season. It's about Him. It's about Him. And it's about what He has done. And it's about His mercy, His grace, and His love.

And the more we understand that, and the more we rest in that, the more our interactions with others will reflect that. So, here's what I have to tell you. Preach the gospel. Preach the gospel. Tell others what Christ has done. Tell them what He's done for you. Share the good news of grace and mercy and undeserved favor. But, do it with humility, do it with compassion, and do it with love, and leave the judging to God, because He's the only one qualified to do it anyway. Okay?

And I'm not saying to forego discernment, okay? There's a big difference between discernment and judging. When I'm talking about judging, I'm talking about condemnation. But anyway, before I wrap this up, let me share one more passage with you. It's from Colossians chapter 4, verses 5 and 6.

Paul writes,

walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time, redeeming the time, redeem the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Let your speech always be with grace. Seasoned with salt, yeah, but in truth, yes, but always with grace. That's the balance we need to strike. Truth spoken in grace. not compromising the truth. And when you do speak with grace, you will be accused of compromising by some people out there, I'm sure. But I'm not saying compromise the truth, but don't weaponize it either. All right. Speak the truth clearly, but speak it with love. Because if we have the truth, but we don't have love, we're just making noise. And if we have both truth and love, grace and doctrine, humility and boldness, then we're representing Christ the way He should be represented.

And I want to end with this final thought. If you're listening and you're realizing that you've been acting like a Pharisee, that you've been judgmental and harsh and critical, don't despair. Don't beat yourself up, okay? Just repent. Just repent. Turn from it. Ask the Lord to give you His heart for people. Because the same grace that saved you is the same grace that will change your heart. It's the same mercy that was shown to you when you were lost in your sins, and it's now available to transform how you see others.

And if you're listening to this and you're not yet a believer, if you're someone who's been turned off by religious people, by Christian snobs, by Pharisees in the church, I want you to know something. They don't represent Christ accurately. Christ is not like that. Christ is meek and lowly. And Christ is full of compassion. And Christ receives sinners. He doesn't wait for you to clean yourself up. He meets you where you are. And He changes you from the inside out. Okay? And don't let poor behavior of religious people keep you from coming to Christ. Because He's nothing like them. He's better. He's better than all of us. He's so much better.

So that's all I got for you today. I hope you found it useful. I hope it's given you pause to consider your own heart and approach. And I hope it's challenged you the way it's challenged me. Because we all need to examine ourselves. We all need to make sure we're not becoming the very thing Jesus warned against. We all need to make sure our greatest hindrance isn't our own religious pride.

So if you have any questions or want to talk, feel free to reach out. There's a contact form in the link in the description, and I'd be happy to hear from you. And that's all I got. So grace and peace to you. Good night.