The Jesus Way: Day 2 - Pastor Kerry Shook

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“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.’”
Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)

As if the number of laws in the Old Testament were not enough, the religious rulers in Jesus’ day had accumulated some 613 more laws that the people were supposed to follow to gain God’s approval. With that many additions to the law, religious leaders debated among themselves as to the major and minor laws, while others taught that all the laws were equally binding and you couldn’t make any distinctions.  So, it was no surprise when one of the teachers of religious law came up to Jesus and asked Him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Mark 12:28c (NLT). I can imagine everyone within earshot began to lean in so they could hear how Jesus would respond. What was the Jesus way? 

Jesus’ answer summed up the entire law and all the demands of the prophets in two basic statements:  Love God and Love others. He said, “The most important commandment is this: … you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  No other commandment is greater than these.”  Mark 12:29 – 31 (NLT). Jesus just gave us the Cliff Notes on the whole Old Testament! 

Christianity is not a religion; it’s a love relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Love is the most important thing!  Love is the priority! God not only loves, He is love, and when we love, the Bible says we are a child of God and know God. “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NLT).

Love is the essence of genuine faith.  Real faith isn’t about rules as much as it is about relationships.  Religion emphasizes rules.  Christianity emphasizes love.  Imagine the pressure of living up to all those rules!  You’ll either live life under pressure or by your priorities. And the priority of our lives should be love – loving God and loving others. The Jesus Way is to live life putting God first, loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving others as ourselves. Love is not a feeling. Love is an action. You can feel loving feelings for someone, but it's not love until you act in love toward them. Jesus said that we demonstrate our love for Him when we obey His way because we love and trust Him. You’re loving Jesus right now by spending time with Him and growing closer to Him.

Ask Jesus to show you how you can love the people in your life in practical ways today. Remember that even small acts of love can make a big difference in people’s lives. Serving in a ministry at church can make an eternal impact. Whether it’s greeting people as they walk in or serving children in Embrace (our special needs ministry) – unselfishly loving others always blesses you even more than it blesses them.

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To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit https://kerryshook.org/blog.

Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.