Truth — Week 2 – Thursday
TODAY’S VERSE
John 8:45–47
“But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (ESV)
We live in the golden age of the algorithm. Whether it’s social media, Spotify playlists, or Netflix recommendations, everything is curated to fit your habits and tastes. If you don’t like something, you skip it; if you don’t like what’s said, you unsubscribe. There’s a constant opportunity for us to be conditioned to believe that “Truth” is whatever feels right to us in the moment. Sometimes this works out well so that we can eliminate things that are distractions or negatively affecting our relationships. But this also puts us in a position where we are fed only opinions that align with what we listen to, and that shapes our perspective and worldview.
On Sunday, we learned that we also try to apply curation to Jesus. We take the parts of His teaching we like… the grace, the love, the “social justice”, the counterculturalism… and we curate out the parts that challenge our pride, wallet, or desires. Scott pointed out that commonly curated counterfeits of Jesus are Progressive (a Christ without a cross or a need for repentance) and Prosperity (Jesus exists to primarily give us a “blessed” middle-class life).
Today’s scripture from John 8 shows us Jesus telling the crowd something offensive: they don’t believe Him because He tells the truth. They didn’t want the Truth. They preferred their version of God that affirmed the lifestyle, rules, and routines they were living. When Jesus showed up talking about sin and the spiritual slavery they willingly lived in, they were ready to convict and throw stones.
We just finished the Reset Challenge together, and the goal was simple: eliminate the voices that aren’t helping us discern Jesus’ voice. The goal was to reset our habits and algorithms by choosing something better. Finishing a challenge like this creates an opportunity (and choice): Go back to the same “algorithm” that you created and made you comfortable, or adapt your routine to keep finding ways to challenge your understanding of Jesus’ voice. If the version of Jesus you recognize in your life doesn’t make you uncomfortable or never asks you to carry a cross that feels heavy, you might be following a platitude instead of a Person. The real Jesus doesn’t neatly fit into our comfortable algorithms; He breaks them.
APPLICATION
The Reset Challenge isn’t over just because the initial timeline has ended. The challenge remains: eliminate voices that lead you away from the real voice of Jesus, and draw closer to His true voice. Didn’t start or know about the Reset Challenge? Jump in and set a challenge for yourself. Take the challenge already? Tell us your story.
PRAYER
Lord, protect me from the version of You that I try to create in my own image. I don’t want a curated version, I want the real one. Give me the courage to listen and learn Your words even when they challenge my comfort.
