Today’s Podcast

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1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
2. The man walking across the street toward his Harley with the wild looking beard, is wearing leather pants and jacket with metal studs. He has black boots and a red, white and blue rag wrapped around his head. He looks a little rumpled and dirty like he just climbed out from a trash heap. He’s wearing dark wrap around glasses so you can’t see his eyes. What’s your first reaction?
3. Scripture
   1. John 7:21-24
   2. Jesus:  Listen, all it took was for Me to do one thing, heal a crippled man, and you all were astonished.  Don’t you remember how Moses passed down circumcision as a tradition of our ancestors? When you pick up a knife to circumcise on the Sabbath, isn’t that work?  If a male is circumcised on the Sabbath to keep the law of Moses intact, how can making one man whole on the Sabbath be a cause for your violent rage?  You should not judge by outward appearance. When you judge, search for what is right and just.
4. Devotional
   1. The man I described earlier is a friend of mine. He’s a pastor and the scene comes from a picture one of the members of his Christian motorcyclist club took of him when they stopped for a break on a cross country trip one day. They travelled a lot of dusty roads that day and with twenty or so bikes churning up the dust on those back roads, everyone looked like they just came out of a trash heap.
      1. Great time riding
      2. Worshiping
      3. Fellowshipping
   2. We have a tendency to stereotype
      1. Part of our DNA
      2. Quick judgments originally to protect us
      3. Lion or rock
      4. Friend or foe
      5. Welcomed or attacked
   3. Carried those early survival requirements into modern society
      1. Clothes
      2. Hair and makeup
      3. Color of skin
      4. Religion
      5. Nationality
      6. Political views
      7. Whatever is different causes us to mark others as enemies and resort to fight or flight because of Satan’s lies
   4. Jesus warns, “You should not judge by outward appearance. When you judge, search for what is right and just.”
      1. How do we do that?
      2. First, ask for discernment
      3. Second, recognize God made us all
      4. Third, recognize Satan has blinded most and they will not judge according to God’s rules but by the world’s
      5. Fourth, don’t let others judgment and attitudes keep you from demonstrating God’s love and grace toward them
5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.