Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s awesome to be here with you today.

Today is June 18.

Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.

Let’s begin.

Slow Down

You are stepping into a sacred space with Jesus.

Set aside the distractions of your day.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, You see through my excuses.” 
As you exhale, pray: “Let Your word shape my obedience.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”(Mark 7:9–13, NLT)

Notice

What stands out to you in this passage?

Is there a word or phrase that catches your attention?

Hold it in your heart for a moment.

Reread

Hear these words again — and notice how Jesus exposes the way religious tradition had been used to justify disobedience to a clear command of God.

Meditate

Jesus goes deeper into His critique of the religious leaders — and He uses a very specific example. God’s command is clear: honor your father and mother. Anyone who curses their parents faces serious consequences. The command is not ambiguous.
But the religious leaders had developed a workaround. If a person declared their money or resources Corban — that is, dedicated to God — they could effectively withhold support from aging parents while maintaining an air of religious devotion. The tradition gave them a spiritual-sounding reason to avoid a costly obligation.
Jesus calls it exactly what it is: you are setting aside the command of God in order to maintain your tradition. You are using religion to avoid obedience.
This is a subtle and persistent danger. It is possible to be very active in religious life — devoted to tradition, fluent in the language of faith, generous in visible ways — and simultaneously to be using that religious activity as cover for avoiding something God has clearly asked of us.
The question Jesus is pressing is not whether we know the commands of God. It is whether we are actually obeying them — or whether we have found sophisticated ways to look devoted while doing something else entirely.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
Is there a clear command of God — to honor someone, to forgive, to give, to reconcile — that I have been finding religious-sounding reasons to avoid?

Respond

Jesus, You see through the sophisticated excuses — including mine. Where I have been using busyness, tradition, or spiritual-sounding reasons to avoid something You have clearly asked of me, expose it. I don’t want to set aside Your commands for the sake of my comfort. Show me what I have been avoiding — and give me the grace to obey it.

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: Closing The Gap

Today’s habit is a direct response to this passage: identify one thing God has clearly asked of you — something specific, something you already know — that you have been finding reasons to delay or avoid, and take one concrete step of obedience today.

Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Don’t look for another reason to delay. The religious leaders in this passage were very good at looking devoted while avoiding obedience. Choose differently today.
Before you act, pray: “Lord, I know what You have asked. I have been finding ways around it. Today I close that gap — one step. Give me the courage and the grace to do what I already know to do.”
I have one ask of you before you go, would you please consider supporting this podcast? Click the support the podcast link and give a simple gift.
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