“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
— Matthew 7:15–16 NASB1995
🧠 Discernment in Disguise
Jesus warns us: not everyone who looks like a teacher of truth is speaking for God. Some wear a sheep’s cloak but carry a wolf’s hunger. How do we know? Their fruit—what their life produces. Not charm, credentials, or charisma, but character.
Don’t just test teachings—test lifestyles. Does it lead to pride or humility? Control or love? Does it bear the fruit of the Spirit, or the works of the flesh?
🕊 Ante-Nicene Insight:
The early Church was deeply discerning. They weighed all teaching against Scripture and the life of Christ, refusing to follow anyone who led away from holiness or obedience.
💭 Reflect:
Am I more drawn to someone’s words or their fruit?
Do I test what I hear against God’s Word and character?
✨ Prayer:
Lord, give me eyes to see and a heart to discern. Help me not be swayed by appearances but grounded in truth. Amen.
You hold the Bible in your hands. Sixty-six books. One Author. One Spirit. One unfolding story of redemption. And yet, for many, it’s a confusing book—wrapped in mystery, buried under layers of tradition, or filtered through man-made systems. But that was never God’s design.
The earliest Christians didn’t read the Bible through denominational creeds or theological filters. They read it with open hearts, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and in the context of their Jewish and first-century world. They tested everything by the written Word—and followed it with their lives.
It’s time to return to their way.
Scripture Focus:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105, NASB1995
Reading with the Author, Not Just About Him
The Bible is not a dead text. It is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) because it is breathed out by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Without the Spirit, Scripture becomes information. With Him, it becomes transformation.
The Bereans didn’t rely on theological systems or traditions to interpret the Word. They relied on the Spirit and the Scriptures themselves. Their example calls us to read with reverence, discernment, and dependence—not on man, but on God.
The Early Church Read the Word as One Unified Story
They saw the Old and New Testaments not as opposites but as one unfolding plan of God. They understood the Jewish idioms and culture behind the text. They read the Word in its historical context, through Hebraic lenses, and with spiritual hunger.
They didn’t force Scripture to fit their beliefs. They submitted their beliefs to the Word.
Principles for Spirit-Led, Scripture-Faithful Reading
Context Is King Who wrote it? To whom? What is happening? What covenant are they under? Read what’s there, not what tradition has imposed.
Culture and Language Matter Jesus spoke as a Jew to Jews. Many truths are deeply rooted in Hebrew idioms and first-century thought. Misreading the cultural setting leads to misapplying truth.
Scripture Interprets Scripture Isaiah 28:10 and 1 Corinthians 2:13 remind us: truth is confirmed in multiple witnesses across God’s Word. Don’t hang doctrines on isolated verses.
Avoid Allegory Unless the Text Demands It The early Church read Scripture literally unless it clearly indicated symbolism (such as in visions or parables). They let the Spirit—not philosophy—determine meaning.
Reject Traditions That Override Scripture Jesus warned about this (Matthew 15:9). When tradition silences the Word or redefines its meaning, we must return to the text and the Spirit.
Walking as the Early Church Walked
To read the Bible rightly, we must return to how it was written: in context, by the Spirit, and for the Church. The Bereans searched the Scriptures daily to test everything. The Ante-Nicene believers treasured the Word, often at the cost of their lives.
They didn’t read to affirm a system. They read to know and follow Christ.
Return to the Word. Return to the Spirit.
The Bible is not meant to be interpreted by the wisdom of men, but by the One who wrote it. The Holy Spirit still teaches, still convicts, still opens eyes. You don’t need a new method—you need the old path.
Read with prayer. Read with surrender. Read with the Spirit. And you will find Christ in every page.
“Beware of the false prophets… you will know them by their fruits.”
— Matthew 7:15–16 NASB1995
🍇 Teaching Discernment to Our Children
As mothers raising older children, we must teach them how to discern truth from deception. The world is full of voices—but not all lead to Christ. Jesus calls us to examine fruit, not follow feelings.
We model discernment by asking, “Does this teaching match God’s Word?” and “Does this person walk in humility, love, and obedience?”
🗣 Family Conversation:
How can we tell if someone is teaching truth?
What fruit should we look for in ourselves and others?
👣 Kingdom Practice:
Practice testing messages or social media content together. Look at the message and the messenger.
🙏 Prayer:
Lord, protect our family from deception. Help us love truth and walk in it. Let our lives produce good fruit that honors You. Amen.
From the series “The Commands of Christ — Love in Action”
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:39, NASB 1995
This is not a peripheral command—it is the second greatest, according to Christ Himself. Everything written in the Law and the Prophets hangs on it. And yet it may be the most quoted, least obeyed words in the Church today.
Loving your neighbor is not a theory. It is not a metaphor. It is a command.
Not to admire others from afar. Not to tolerate them from behind a smile. But to love them—genuinely, practically, sacrificially.
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” — Matthew 22:40
The first command is to love God with all your heart. The second is the evidence that the first is true.
We cannot love God and hate people. We cannot worship Christ and despise His image-bearers. We cannot call ourselves faithful disciples while walking past the wounded, the poor, the lonely, or the inconvenient.
The command to love our neighbor is not based on their worthiness, but on God’s worthiness—on what He has done in us and what He now wants to do through us.
“For the entire Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” — Galatians 5:14
This is love that walks across the street. Love that listens when it would rather speak. Love that gives when no one is watching. Love that welcomes the stranger, feeds the hungry, prays for the broken, and seeks peace when offended.
The early Church did not love in theory. They loved in deed and truth.
The Epistle to Diognetus (2nd century): “They share their table with all, but not their bed. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They repay hatred with kindness… and do good to those who harm them.” — Chapter 5–6
Clement of Rome (c. AD 96): “Let us be kind to one another according to the compassion and gentleness of Christ… let the strong care for the weak, and the rich provide for the poor, without boasting.” — 1 Clement, Ch. 38
Their faith was visible. Their love was active. And their neighbors knew it.
Loving your neighbor means loving the people God has placed near you. Not just your friends. Not just the ones who think like you. But the ones who inconvenience you. The ones who have nothing to give you in return. The ones who test your patience, hurt your pride, or sit in silence right next to you.
And yes, it includes the stranger. Because you were once a stranger to God. And He welcomed you.
Love your neighbor. Not with mere sentiment, but with sacrificial mercy. Not for recognition, but for Christ’s glory. Not only in the easy moments, but especially in the hard ones.
This is the love that fulfills the Law. This is the love that reflects our King.
📚 Sources & References
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Scripture (NASB 1995):
Matthew 22:39–40 – “You shall love your neighbor as yourself…”
Galatians 5:14 – “The whole Law is fulfilled in one word…”
Ante-Nicene Sources:
The Epistle to Diognetus, Chapters 5–6. “They love all men, and are persecuted by all… repay hatred with kindness.” [Available at: EarlyChristianWritings.com/diognetus.html]
Clement of Rome, 1 Clement, Chapter 38. “Let us be kind… let the strong care for the weak…” [Available at: NewAdvent.org/fathers/1010.htm]
“For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life…”
— Matthew 7:13–14 NASB1995
🚧 Preparing Our Children for the Narrow Path
As mothers guiding older children, we are equipping them for a lifetime of choices. Jesus calls His followers to a constricted, narrow path—a way that isn’t always easy or popular, but one that leads to life.
In a world of options, we help them discern the road that honors Christ. We model perseverance, not popularity. Conviction, not convenience.
🗣 Family Conversation:
What does the narrow way look like in our home decisions?
How can we support each other when walking it feels lonely?
👣 Kingdom Practice:
Share examples from your life when the narrow way was hard—but right. Ask your children what narrow choices they’re facing.
🙏 Prayer:
Lord, help our family walk the road that leads to life. May we not fear being few, as long as we walk with You. Amen.
Everyone wants to belong, to go with the flow—but Jesus flips the script. The easy road isn’t the right one. The narrow gate means making choices that may cost you—friends, attention, status. But it leads to life.
It’s okay to be different if it means being right with God. Don’t be afraid to walk the unpopular road when you know Jesus is ahead of you.
🔎 Real Talk:
Are there ways you’ve been tempted to take the easy road?
What does the narrow gate look like in your school or online life?
🙏 Prayer:
Jesus, give me courage to take the narrow way. Help me live for what lasts, not what’s loud. Amen.
“The road that leads to life is narrow, but the wide road leads to trouble.”
— Matthew 7:13–14 (Paraphrased)
🛣 Two Roads
Jesus tells us there are two roads: a big, busy one that lots of people take—but it leads to trouble. Then there’s a smaller road, harder to find, but it leads to life!
🎈 Kingdom Tip:
The right way isn’t always the popular one. Following Jesus means sometimes saying no to what everyone else is doing.
💬 Think About It:
Have you ever had to choose the right thing when it was hard?
What helps you follow Jesus even when others don’t?
✨ Let’s Pray:
Jesus, help me choose the narrow road. I want to follow You, even when it’s tough. Amen.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
— Matthew 7:13–14 NASB1995
🚪 The Narrow Way
Jesus doesn’t paint a rosy picture here. He describes a difficult, unpopular path—constricted and narrow. But it’s the way to life. That narrowness isn’t legalism. It’s loyalty. It’s letting go of our way to follow His.
Culture invites us to the wide path: comfort, compromise, crowd-pleasing. But the narrow way presses us to walk by faith—not sight, not approval, not ease.
🕊 Ante-Nicene Insight:
The early believers understood the narrow way. Their lives, choices, and even their deaths testified to a path that cost much—but gained Christ.
💭 Reflect:
Am I trying to widen God’s road to fit my lifestyle?
What must I leave behind to walk through the narrow gate?
✨ Prayer:
Lord, lead me on Your narrow path. Even if it’s lonely, help me walk in truth, eyes fixed on You. Amen.
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