Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s amazing to be here with you today.
Today is April 19.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down

Jesus is glad you’re here. He longs to spend time with you. He loves you deeply and wants to be in your presence.
Take a moment to pause, quiet your mind, and turn your attention toward Him.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, show me my own heart.”
As you exhale, pray: “Give me eyes of grace for others.”
Do this three times, then rest in silence.

Read

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.  (Matthew 7:1–6, NLT)

Notice

What hits you most?
Is there a phrase that jumps out to you?
Hold that phrase gently before the Lord.

Reread

Hear these words again, not as a blanket ban on discernment, but as a searching invitation to deal honestly with your own heart before turning a critical eye on someone else’s.

Meditate

The image Jesus uses is almost comical — a person with a log sticking out of their eye, squinting to locate the tiny speck in someone else’s. It’s absurd. And yet, if we’re honest, most of us have been that person.
It is so much easier to see the faults in others than to acknowledge our own. Judgment often masquerades as concern — we tell ourselves we’re just being honest, just trying to help — but beneath it is frequently a desire to feel better about ourselves by focusing on someone else’s failures.
Jesus doesn’t say never address someone else’s issues. He says: start with yourself. Do the hard, humbling work of examining your own heart first. When you do that honestly — when you’ve sat with your own logs and let God work on them — you’ll be far better equipped to help others gently and effectively. And far less inclined to do so harshly.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
Is there someone I’ve been judging — and what might that judgment be revealing about my own unexamined heart?

Respond

Jesus, it’s so much easier to see what’s wrong with others than to face what’s wrong in me. Forgive me for the judgment I’ve carried — for the ways I’ve used others’ failures to avoid looking at my own. Give me the humility to start with myself, and the grace to see others the way You see them.

Exercise

The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Self-Examination
— Before Criticizing Someone Today, Ask: What Does This Reveal About Me?
Today’s habit is a simple but searching one: the next time you catch yourself judging or criticizing someone — out loud or just in your head — stop and ask yourself: What might this be revealing about me?
Sometimes our sharpest judgments point directly to our own unresolved struggles. The things that irritate us most in others are often the things we haven’t dealt with in ourselves. Not always — but often enough to make the question worth asking.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just pause. Ask the question honestly. Bring it to God: “Lord, before I focus on them — what do You want to show me about myself?”
This one habit, practiced consistently, can quietly transform the way you see yourself, others, and God.

That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard… share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.