Here is a recap of our message from this weekend...
EMPOWERED: PHARISEE FAITH
In Week 1 of the "Empowered" series, Pastor Jared introduces us to the Grace & Truth Matrix that helps us find an empowered culture of faith in every area of our life (DOWNLOAD BELOW).
In this message, we confront a sobering reality: faith that holds truth without grace doesn't reflect Jesus—it repels people from Him. Titled "Pharisee Faith," this message explores how legalistic faith leads to burnout, brokenness, and manipulation. Jesus calls us to embody both grace and truth—to be empowered, not exhausted.
Weekly Bible Study List
- John 1:14 (NIV) – “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us... full of grace and truth.”
- Romans 2:4 (NLT) – “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?... Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”
- Matthew 23:4 (NIV) – “They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”
- Matthew 23:27 (NLT) – “You are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.”
- Hosea 6:6 (NLT) – “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”
- 2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV) – “...the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
The Sunday Outline & Notes
The message begins with a bold and sobering observation: The most dangerous version of Christianity isn’t the one that abandons truth—but the one that knows truth and doesn’t look like Jesus. It’s a version of faith that quotes Scripture but lacks compassion. It’s loud in belief, but quiet in love.
Jesus: The Model of Healthiness
John 1:14 tells us that Jesus came “full of grace and truth.” Not half-and-half. Not situationally balanced. Fully both. This is the model for how our faith should operate—not swinging between extremes, but anchored in the complete character of Christ.
The “Grace and Truth Matrix” is introduced, placing our faith in one of four quadrants:
- Empowered Faith (Grace + Truth)
- Burned Out Faith (Truth – Grace)
- Entitled Faith (Grace – Truth)
- Stagnant Faith (Neither)
This week’s focus was on a Burned out faith—truth without grace.
Truth Without Grace Weighs People Down
Rules without relationship hurt people. Just like an unsupportive boss who cares more about policy than people, Christians who enforce truth without grace turn the gospel into a grading system. But the gospel isn’t about performance—it’s about transformation. As Paul writes in Romans 2:4, it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.
Truth Without Grace Leaves You Broken Inside
When we prioritize external righteousness over internal healing, we become like the Pharisees Jesus rebukes in Matthew 23:27—clean on the outside, dead on the inside. Many Christians today are exhausted—not because they’re lacking truth, but because they’ve never been supported by grace. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 3:6 that the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Truth Without Grace Tries to Control People
Legalism doesn’t lead people to discipleship—it manipulates them. As Jesus says in Matthew 23:4, the Pharisees place heavy burdens on others but offer no help. In relationships, work, and church, if we only challenge without supporting, we’re not helping people grow—we're trying to control them.
From Sermon to Action
Pastor Jared gives a clear way forward by pursing these 3 practical steps this week:
- Confess the Imbalance - Reflect and repent where you've favored truth over grace. Ask the Holy Spirit: “Where have I cared more about being right than being Christlike?”
- Start Every Day at the Cross - Begin each day rooted in grace, not performance. Let the cross be your starting line.
- Expand Grace in One Relationship - Ask someone in your life, “What would it look like for me to support you more?”
Worship Setlist
- Yahweh We Love You
- O Come to the Altar
- Holy Spirit
Quotes Worth Reposting on Social Media
- “The most dangerous version of Christianity isn’t the one that walks away from truth—it’s the one that knows the truth but never looks like Jesus.”
- “Jesus didn’t die to create spiritual perfectionists—He died to create surrendered disciples even in their imperfection.”
- “Rules without relationship will crush people with expectations they were never empowered to carry.”
- “Truth without grace creates a stage, not a sanctuary.”
- “Grace is your starting line—not your finish line.”
- “When you live in truth without grace, you learn to perform—but you never learn to heal.”
- “Legalism doesn’t disciple people. It manipulates them.”
- “God is not impressed by how well you follow His rules if you haven’t learned to follow His heart.”
- “Challenge will expose your weaknesses, but support will call you to a higher strength.”
- “Kindness is what leads us to repentance—not shame.”
0 comments