From the Inside Out

Mark 7:1-23

This weeks text is rooted in last week's passage. Please begin this week's meditationally-focused study by reading from Mark Chapter 7.1 through 7.23.

By Jesus' day, much of Jewish faith practice had become a construct around rules and regulations that expanded on and far beyond at that, the Old Testament law of Moses. The rules in fact had come to trump many of the principles and the thus the external actions became the most important thing and not the Kingdom principles and direction at the heart of the Law.

Are there "external rules" you can identify in your life that has taken on a controlling role in your faith journey never intended by God? Create a list to consider them and their proper place in obeying and following Jesus.

Jesus' words in the passage are to bring conviction in our heart. He calls out the hypocrisy of God's people and the great temptation we all have to focus on externals while ignoring our internal motivations. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to both bring conviction and to lead us into all truth scripture teaches. Take extended time with God and mediate on his truth. Let him search your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of hypocrisy and any rules in your faith journey that may have taken an unintended life of their own and let the Spirit speak to you and how you should respond. After this meditative practice, some of you may need to share this with a spiritual partner and mentor. Invite them into your journey as a partner in the area(s) God would transform in you, so they can intercede for you in prayer and so you might be held accountable to what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you.

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