Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s an honor to be here with you today.
Today is July 23.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down

Jesus is here.
He’s sitting in your favorite spot, waiting for you to join Him.
You have a million things on your mind that need your attention, but right now it’s time to be with Jesus.
Set those things aside, relax, and calm your body.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, I am not without sin.”
As you exhale, pray: “Thank you for your grace.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home.
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
(John 7:53–8:11, NLT)

Notice

What hits you in this passage?
Is there a word or phrase that makes you stop in your tracks?
Ponder it for a moment.

Reread

Hear this story again — and pay close attention to what Jesus does when the Pharisees bring this woman before him.

Meditate

Jesus's mercy exposes our own judgment.
Picture the scene: The Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery. They throw her in front of the crowd—exposed, ashamed, condemned. And they present Jesus with a test: "The law says to stone her. What do you say?"
It's a trap. If Jesus says to stone her, He's rejecting mercy. If He says to let her go, He's rejecting the law. Either way, they think they have Him.
But Jesus does something unexpected. He stoops down and writes in the dust.
We don't know what He wrote. The Scripture doesn't tell us. Some have speculated He wrote the sins of the accusers. Some think He wrote the law. Some think He was simply giving Himself a moment to respond with wisdom instead of reaction. But whatever He wrote, it was an act of profound mercy.
When they keep demanding an answer, Jesus stands up and says: "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone."
And then He stoops down again and writes in the dust.
What happens next is remarkable. One by one, the accusers slip away. Beginning with the oldest—the ones who should know better, the ones who have lived long enough to know their own sin. They leave. All of them. Until only Jesus is left with the woman.
Jesus doesn't condemn her. He releases her. "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."
But notice what Jesus does: He doesn't excuse her sin. He doesn't pretend it didn't happen. He says, "Go and sin no more." He's calling her to transformation, not just forgiveness.
Here's what's happening in this story: Jesus is showing us the difference between judgment and mercy. The Pharisees are holding stones. They're ready to execute judgment. But Jesus invites them to look at themselves first. And when they do, when they really see their own sin, they can't throw the stone.
The same is true for you. When you're holding a stone against someone—when you're judging them, condemning them, holding their sin against them—Jesus is inviting you to look at yourself first. To see your own sin. To recognize your own need for grace.
And when you really see it, you can't throw the stone. You drop it. Because you realize you're just as guilty. You're just as broken. You're just as much in need of mercy.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
What would it look like to drop my stone and extend the same mercy I've received?

Respond

Jesus, help me to extend the same mercy to others that You've extended to me. And help me to call others to transformation, not just condemnation.

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: Dropping Your Stone
Today's habit is an act of radical mercy: identify one person you're holding a stone against—one person you're judging, condemning, or holding a grudge against.
Write down their name. Write down what they did. Write down how it hurt you. Be honest about the stone you're carrying.
Then ask yourself: What is my own sin that I'm overlooking? Where have I done something similar? Where do I need grace?
Now, hold this person before Jesus and pray: "Jesus, I've been holding a stone against . But I see my own sin now. I see my own need for grace. I'm choosing to drop my stone. I'm choosing to extend mercy. Not because what they did was okay, but because I've been shown mercy. Help me to release them. Help me to forgive. Help me to call them to transformation, not condemnation."
Drop your stone today. And watch what happens when you extend mercy instead of judgment.

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.