October 26, 2025 -God Talk in a Bar

MARK 12:28-34

MATTHEW 22:34-40

MARK 12:35-37

MATTHEW 22:41-46

LUKE 20:41-44

MARK 12:38-40

MATTHEW 23:1-12

LUKE 20:45-47

MATTHEW 23:13-39

MARK 12:41-44

LUKE 21:1-4

Chronological Bible Readings

Matthew 23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Just last night I had a pretty long and intensive conversation with a guy in a bar about being a Christian. Humility was a big topic for him. I believe that putting others ahead of yourself is an important aspect of humility. We know that the Jewish leaders did not do that. This guy talked about emptying oneself and being filled with the Spirit which was a great thing for me to hear. That is a great way of seeing surrender to God's will. He said over and over again that he was so glad that we ran into each other. He never expected to find someone who has the same beliefs as he does and it gives him hope. I am grateful that my husband on an impulse decided to stop in there. I am grateful that God often puts me in a place to talk about Him in the most unexpected places with the most unexpected people. And I am grateful that the Spirit helps me to put those people and conversations first. Even though my husband was playing guitar and there were people there that I knew and hadn't seen in a long time. He gave me the ability to humble myself and put the needs of this stranger ahead of my own interests in singing with my husband and talking to old friends.

Matthew 23:25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

I love that it happens in places like a bar. Not going into a bar because of what people might think or how it looks on the outside is like cleaning the outside of the cup and dish. If your inside is clean and surrendered to God then you can be in the dirtiest and most dismal places, and the light of Jesus will shine through. It has nothing to do with what we do on the outside it is all about the heart. We talked about that last night. How David was a man after God's heart even though he sinned and did some terrible things. But God knew his heart.

Mark 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

We also talked about generosity. This is one of the hardest things for people to do. To be like the widow you need to give everything you have trusting God to provide for you. The more money we have the more secure we feel and our giving becomes a meaningless action. If we only give what we can afford or what we think is right, then we are no better than the rich people Jesus talks about here. Giving sacrificially like the woman is a true act of faith. A faith that many of us to not have.