Jeremy Hoover

This audio devotional, 2nd in a 3-part series and approximately 3 minutes long, looks at Hannah (mother of Samuel), how she remained faithful to God despite the negativity of her husband, and how the antidote to negativity and naysaying is commitment to God's mission.

In Mark 12:28-34, Jesus taught a teacher of the law that the greatest commandment is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. After several interactions with religious "leaders" who were not leading the people, Jesus finally broke out some teaching about the teachers of the law--they're hypocrites who neither love God nor love their neighbor.

They don't love God because they love themselves and their self-importance more. They don't love their neighbor because they'd rather abuse widows than serve them.

In contrast to them, in Mark 12:41-44, is, of all people, a widow! This widow loves God with all her heart, soul, strength, and mind. She gave a tiny fraction of what the rich were giving, but Jesus says she gave MORE THAN they gave.

How could she? Because she gave sacrificially, from her heart. It wasn't about the money. It's never about the money. She gave a gift of her heart because of her love for God.

We avoid hypocrisy by focusing on our love for God, seeing where that love leads us, and then loving him.

Sermon: How to Love God Without Hypocrisy (Mark 12:38-44)

In this audio, I look at John 15:1-2 and what Jesus means when he talks about being pruned by God.