Tag: Jesus Christ

Money Is the Root of All Evil

This post is part of the Twisted Scriptures series, where we look at familiar Bible verses in their original context and consider what they truly mean. Series started May 3, 2026.

You have probably heard someone say, “Money is the root of all evil.”

It sounds biblical, but that is not what the Bible actually says.

First Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Paul did not say money itself is evil. He warned about what happens when money becomes an object of love, trust, and pursuit.

Money is a tool. It can be used to feed a family, help someone in need, support ministry, create opportunities, or provide stability. The same money can also be used selfishly, dishonestly, or carelessly. The problem is not the existence of money. The problem is the place it holds in the heart.

The Greek word translated “love of money” is philargyria, pronounced fil-ar-goo-REE-ah, and written φιλαργυρία. It describes an affection for money, greediness, or the desire to possess more. Paul was not warning against earning, saving, planning, or having resources. He was warning against a heart that becomes attached to wealth.

The wording of the verse also matters. Paul said the love of money is “a root of all kinds of evil,” not the single root behind every evil action. Pride, jealousy, lust, bitterness, hatred, and many other sins can grow from different desires. Still, the love of money has produced an enormous amount of harm.

People have lied for it, betrayed friends for it, neglected their families for it, and compromised their faith for it. Some have gained more than they ever expected and still discovered that it was not enough.

That is because greed rarely announces itself as greed.

It often sounds responsible at first. We tell ourselves we are only trying to get ahead, build security, or provide a better life. Those can be good goals, but they become dangerous when money begins to control our choices, determine our worth, or replace our dependence on God.

Paul’s warning came in a larger discussion about contentment. He wrote that godliness with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into this world, and we will carry nothing out of it. When our basic needs are met, we should learn to recognize God’s provision instead of allowing desire to grow without limit.

Contentment does not mean laziness or a lack of ambition. It means money is no longer allowed to decide whether we have peace.

A person can have very little money and still love it. Another person can have great wealth and hold it with an open hand. The condition of the heart cannot be measured by the size of a bank account alone.

Jesus taught that where our treasure is, our heart will be also. What we value will eventually shape our attention, decisions, and priorities. Money becomes dangerous when it promises what only God can provide: security, identity, peace, and lasting satisfaction.

Scripture does not teach that poverty makes someone holy or that wealth makes someone sinful. It teaches us to be faithful with whatever God has placed in our hands.

Money should serve the purposes of God. It should never take the place of God.

Bible Promise

Matthew 6:33

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

When God’s kingdom comes first, you can trust Him to provide what you truly need.

Reflection Questions

  1. Has money become too closely connected to your sense of security, success, or personal worth?
  2. Is there a financial decision you need to bring under God’s authority instead of allowing fear or greed to guide it?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for every provision and resource You have placed in my hands. Help me use money wisely without allowing it to control my heart. Keep me from greed, fear, dishonesty, and the constant desire for more. Teach me to be content without becoming careless and generous without seeking recognition. Let my security rest in You instead of what I own, and help every financial decision reflect Your wisdom and priorities.

I give You all honor, all the glory, and all of the praise. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen & Amen.

Judge Not

This post is part of the Twisted Scriptures series, where we look at familiar Bible verses in their original context and consider what they truly mean. Series started May 3, 2026.

Matthew 7:1 may be one of the most quoted verses whenever someone feels corrected.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

The verse is often used to shut down any conversation about sin, choices, or accountability. The idea is that Christians should never question another person’s behavior because Jesus told us not to judge. But Jesus was not forbidding all moral discernment.

In the verses that follow, He warns against trying to remove a speck from someone else’s eye while ignoring the plank in our own. His concern was hypocritical judgment. He was confronting people who were quick to expose the faults of others while refusing to deal honestly with their own sin.

The Greek word translated “judge” is krinō, pronounced KREE-noh, and written κρίνω. It can mean to judge, evaluate, distinguish, or reach a decision. The word itself is not always negative. The context determines whether the judgment is wise and righteous or proud and condemning.

Jesus did not say that the speck should remain in the other person’s eye. He said to remove the plank from your own eye first, and then you will see clearly to help your brother. That means self-examination must come before correction.

There is a difference between discernment and condemnation. Discernment recognizes what is true and responds according to God’s Word. Condemnation looks down on someone, assumes the worst, and treats their failure as proof of our superiority.

There is also an important difference between judging those inside the church and those outside it. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:12–13, “Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges.” We should not expect unbelievers to live as though they are already submitted to Christ or accountable to the church.

That does not mean God’s Word has nothing to say to them. The gospel is for unbelievers, and Scripture can expose sin and point a person toward Christ. However, spiritual truth is not understood apart from the work of God in the heart.

Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural person does not receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned. In 2 Corinthians 3:16, he wrote that when someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Jesus also opened the understanding of His disciples so they could comprehend the Scriptures.

Our first responsibility toward unbelievers is not to treat them as though they are already under Christian discipline. It is to share the gospel, show them Christ, and pray that God opens their eyes to the truth.

The situation is different when someone claims to follow Jesus. Scripture teaches that believers are accountable to one another. Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, “You will know them by their fruits.” That does not give us permission to condemn people, gossip about them, or assume we know everything happening in their hearts. It does mean we are allowed to examine whether a person’s life agrees with the profession they are making.

Fruit matters.

A person can say the right words, use Christian language, and appear spiritual in public. Over time, however, the fruit of a life reveals what is being cultivated within. Jesus did not tell us to ignore fruit. He told us to pay attention to it.

Christians are called to speak truth, but we are not called to enjoy catching people in the wrong. We should never correct someone from a place of pride or act as though we are beyond the need for grace. At the same time, refusing to call anything wrong is not love.

The question is not whether we will make judgments. We make them every day. The question is whether our judgment is shaped by Scripture, humility, patience, and love.

Before confronting someone else, we should ask God to examine our motives. Are we trying to restore them or embarrass them? Are we grieving over sin or enjoying the opportunity to point it out? Are we willing to receive the same honesty we are offering?

Truth without humility becomes harsh, while humility without truth becomes avoidance. Jesus calls us to speak truth without condemnation and exercise discernment without pride.

Bible Promise

Matthew 7:5

“First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

God can give you the clarity to help others when you first allow Him to deal honestly with your own heart.

Reflection Questions

  1. Are you more likely to excuse the fruit of someone who claims to follow Christ, or judge an unbeliever as though they are already accountable to the church?
  2. Is there a situation where you need to exercise biblical discernment without slipping into pride or condemnation?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for showing me both truth and mercy. Help me examine my own heart before I correct anyone else. Keep me from pride, hypocrisy, and the desire to condemn. Give me wisdom to recognize the difference between an unbeliever who needs the gospel and a believer who needs accountability. Help me judge fruit according to Your Word without assuming I know everything in another person’s heart. Give me courage to speak when necessary, humility to listen when I am corrected, and love in everything I do.

I give You all honor, all the glory, and all of the praise. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen & Amen.

Ask Anything In My Name

This post is part of the Twisted Scriptures series, where we look at familiar Bible verses in their original context and consider what they truly mean. Series started May 3, 2026.

John 14:13–14 contains one of the strongest promises Jesus made about prayer.

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

At first glance, the promise can sound unlimited. Ask for anything, add the name of Jesus to the prayer, and expect God to provide it. Some people have even treated the phrase “in Jesus’ name” almost like a spiritual guarantee that God must answer a prayer exactly as requested.

However, praying in the name of Jesus means more than saying the right words at the end of a prayer.

The Greek word translated “name” is onoma, pronounced ON-oh-mah, and written ὄνομα. It can refer to a name, but it can also carry the idea of a person’s character, reputation, or authority. To ask in the name of Jesus is to approach the Father under Christ’s authority and in a way that agrees with who Jesus is.

Jesus was speaking to His disciples shortly before His crucifixion. He was preparing them to continue His work after He returned to the Father. The promise was connected to their calling to represent Him, carry His message, and bring glory to God.

That last part of the verse matters. Jesus said He would answer “that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The purpose of prayer is not simply to make our lives easier or give us everything we desire. Prayer invites God to accomplish His will in a way that displays His goodness and brings Him glory.

This does not mean we should be afraid to ask God for specific things. Scripture encourages us to bring our needs, desires, fears, and burdens before Him. We can pray for healing, provision, direction, restored relationships, open doors, and situations that appear impossible.

We should ask boldly, but bold prayer is not the same as demanding our preferred outcome.

When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are placing our request beneath His authority. We are saying that we want His wisdom more than our own understanding and His purpose more than our preferred plan. We are trusting Him not only with what we ask, but also with how He answers.

There will be times when God answers exactly as we hoped. There will also be times when His answer is different, delayed, or difficult to understand. That does not mean the name of Jesus failed. It means prayer is a relationship of trust, not a formula used to control God.

The words “in Jesus’ name” should never become an empty phrase that we say without thought. They are a confession that our confidence is in Christ and that our requests belong under His authority.

We can ask with faith because Jesus has given us access to the Father. We can also surrender with faith because the One hearing our prayers sees what we cannot.

Bible Promise

John 14:13–14

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

Jesus invites you to pray boldly under His authority and trust Him with the answer.

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever treated the words “in Jesus’ name” as a guarantee that God would give you the outcome you wanted?
  2. Is there a request you need to bring boldly before God while also surrendering the answer to His wisdom?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving me access to You through Jesus Christ. Teach me to pray boldly without becoming demanding and to surrender without losing faith. Help me understand that praying in Jesus’ name means placing my requests under His authority and trusting His wisdom. Purify my motives, shape my desires, and let my prayers agree with Your character and bring glory to You. When Your answer is different from what I hoped, help me continue trusting that You are good.

I give You all honor, all the glory, and all of the praise. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen & Amen.

Where Two or Three Are Gathered

This post is part of the Twisted Scriptures series, where we look at familiar Bible verses in their original context and consider what they truly mean. Series started May 3, 2026.

Matthew 18:20 is often quoted when believers come together to pray.

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

It is a comforting verse, and there is nothing wrong with remembering Christ’s presence when praying with someone in a small group, beside a hospital bed, or over the phone. Jesus is not limited by location, distance, or the number of people gathered.

At the same time, that is not the main subject of the passage.

Matthew 18:20 comes at the end of Jesus’ instructions about what to do when a believer sins against another believer. Jesus taught His followers to begin with a private conversation. If the person would not listen, one or two others were to become involved. If the matter still could not be resolved, it was to be brought before the church.

The Greek word connected with “gathered” is synagō, pronounced soon-AH-go, and written συνάγω. It means to gather, assemble, or bring together. In this passage, Jesus is speaking about believers coming together in His name and under His authority to deal faithfully with a difficult situation.

The purpose was not punishment or embarrassment. The goal was restoration.

Jesus was assuring His followers that when they carried out this responsibility according to His instructions, they were not acting alone. He would be present among them as they sought truth, reconciliation, and obedience.

That gives the verse more weight than we sometimes realize. Christ is present not only in the comforting moments of prayer, but also in the difficult moments when truth must be spoken, sin must be addressed, and damaged relationships must be handled carefully.

Biblical correction should never be driven by pride, anger, revenge, or the desire to embarrass someone. The goal is not to win an argument. The goal is to win a brother or sister back.

These conversations are rarely easy. It takes humility to speak honestly without becoming harsh, and it takes humility to receive correction without becoming defensive. Jesus promises to be present when His people approach these moments according to His Word.

So when believers gather in His name, whether they are praying together or working through a serious conflict, they can be confident that Jesus is not distant. His presence is both a comfort and a responsibility.

When we gather under His authority, we should seek His heart, follow His instructions, and desire restoration more than being proven right.

Bible Promise

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Jesus is present when His people gather in His name and submit themselves to His authority.

Reflection Questions

  1. When has the promise of Christ’s presence encouraged you while praying with another person?
  2. Is there a difficult conversation or damaged relationship that needs to be approached with truth, humility, and love?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the promise of Your presence when believers come together in the name of Jesus. Help me remember that Your presence is both a comfort and a responsibility. Give me wisdom and humility when truth needs to be spoken. Keep me from using correction as a weapon or allowing pride to control my words. Teach me to receive correction with humility and to offer it with love. Let restoration, obedience, and the good of others be more important to me than proving that I am right.

I give You all honor, all the glory, and all of the praise. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen & Amen.