Bad Religion · Week 1 · Day 3: Look Inward First

Bad Religion · Judgment Without Grace · October 11, 2026

Read: Luke 6:36–42; Galatians 6:1–2

Jesus gives us an unforgettable picture: someone trying to remove a speck from another person’s eye while carrying a plank in their own. It would be funny if it weren’t so familiar. We can see another person’s failure with astonishing clarity while making excuses for our own.

In Luke 7, Simon notices the woman’s reputation but misses the condition of his own heart. Jesus draws attention to the love she has shown and the welcome Simon has withheld. Being respectable has not made Simon self-aware.

We can fall into that same pattern. We may have kept our lives looking fairly good while allowing resentment, pride, or indifference toward God to settle in. Following Jesus for years does not make us people who used to need grace. We still need it today.

Jesus tells us to deal with the plank first so we can see clearly enough to help. Honest self-examination changes our approach. We begin a hard conversation aware that we belong among the people who need mercy.

That is why the words we and us matter. We do not need to pretend we have committed someone else’s particular wrong. We can be truthful about our own weakness and our shared need for Jesus. Galatians calls us to restore gently, watch ourselves, and carry one another’s burdens. The aim is to help someone move toward God with humility and care.

Reflect: Before you correct someone else, what needs attention in your own heart? Are you willing to receive the kind of correction you want to give?

Practice: Ask God to show you one attitude you have excused. Confess it specifically. If you owe someone an apology, prepare a simple acknowledgment that takes responsibility without blaming them.

Prayer: Father, help us see ourselves clearly. Keep pride from shaping our words. Make us gentle, honest people who receive correction and help one another draw near to you. Amen.

Watch this week’s sermon: Judgment Without Grace