Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Thank you for joining me today and following us throughout Project 23. If you would like to learn more about this project, click the link to discover more and partner with us.

Our text today is Mark 12:28-34:

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. — Mark 12:28-34

In a moment filled with debates and trick questions, one man dares to ask something sincere: "What's the most important commandment?" That's the right question.

And Jesus doesn't hesitate. He quotes the Shema from Deuteronomy 6—words every Jewish boy and girl had memorized:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.

That's it. That's the whole law in two lines. Love vertically. Love horizontally.

The man nods. He gets it. He says it back to Jesus, and Jesus replies: "You are not far from the kingdom."

We complicate faith. Jesus simplifies it.

It's not about rules or rituals. Not about knowledge or appearances. It's about love—real love. Do you love God with your whole being? Do you love people as you love yourself? That's the measuring stick—not how much you know, but how well you love. And it's convicting, because most of us are pretty good at loving ourselves. We think about ourselves. Protect ourselves. Excuse ourselves.

But Jesus says: That same energy you give yourself? Give it to others. And more than that—give all of yourself to God. The love God wants is total. Not partial. Not occasional. Not reserved. All of it. This command doesn't leave room for compartmentalized faith. It pulls everything into the light: affections, thoughts, decisions, actions.

So live all in for him who lived all in for you.

#GreatestCommandment, #Mark12, #LoveGodLovePeople

ASK THIS:

1. Why does Jesus say these two commands summarize the whole law?
2. Which area of love is hardest for you—heart, soul, mind, or strength?
3. Who is someone God may be calling you to love more intentionally?
4. What does “not far from the kingdom” mean in your life?

DO THIS:

Ask God to show you where your love for Him has grown thin, and who around you needs the love you’ve been withholding.

PRAY THIS:

God, help me love you with all that I am—and love others the way you love me. Let my faith be full of real love, not empty religion. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“The Heart of Worship”

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Thank you for joining me today and following us throughout Project 23. If you would like to learn more about this project, click the link to discover more and partner with us.

Our text today is Mark 12:18-27:

And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” — Mark 12:18-27

Sometimes we don’t want the truth. We want control. And so, we try to outsmart God. That’s exactly what the Sadducees were doing here. They didn’t believe in the resurrection, so they built a cleverly absurd story to make it look foolish. Seven brothers. One woman. No kids. One question: Whose wife will she be in heaven?

To them, it was intellectual checkmate.

But Jesus didn’t flinch at their game.

“You’re wrong,” he said. “Because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

To Jesus, their issue was not a matter of theological debate—it was a matter of spiritual diagnosis. They didn’t want the truth. They tried to trap truth in their logic and reduce an infinite God to a human riddle.

But you don’t have to be a slippery Sadducee to try to outsmart God.

We act this way every time we twist Scripture to justify sin. Every time we argue around obedience. Every time we elevate our logic over God’s revelation. We’re not wrestling for clarity—we’re dodging surrender and trying to outsmart God.

Jesus reveals that faith doesn’t come from clever arguments—it comes from humble submission to God's will, as laid out in Scripture. It comes from knowing God’s Word and trusting God’s power, even when it doesn’t fit our mental grid.

So, stop debating with God like you’re his equal. You don’t need to outthink Him. You merely need to trust Him. Read his Word. Take him at his word. And act in faith. Because the real issue isn’t intelligence—it’s always surrender.

#Mark12, #TrustOverControl, #ObedientFaith

ASK THIS:

1. Why did Jesus say the Sadducees were “quite wrong”?
2. How do we sometimes use cleverness to avoid surrender?
3. What’s one truth you’ve been rationalizing instead of obeying?
4. What would it look like to trust God's power over your logic?

DO THIS:

What’s one area where you’ve been reasoning your way out of obedience? Confess it today—and take a simple step of surrender instead.

PRAY THIS:

God, I confess the ways I’ve tried to control you with logic. I don’t want to win arguments—I want to walk in obedience. Teach me to trust you again. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Reign Above It All”

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Thank you for joining me today and following us throughout Project 23. If you want to know more about this project click the link to learn more and partner with us.

Our text today is Mark 12:13-17:

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him. — Mark 12:13-17

It’s a trap disguised as a question. The Pharisees and Herodians, strange allies, join forces to corner Jesus. They ask about taxes. If he sides with Caesar, he looks like a sellout. If he sides against Caesar, they’ll turn him in.

But Jesus doesn’t flinch at their political trap. He asks for a coin, points to Caesar’s image, and delivers a mic-drop moment:

“Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s—and to God what is God’s.”

They came for a soundbite. What they got was a lesson on image, ownership, and ultimate allegiance. Because the coin may bear the emperor's image, but you bear God’s.

Jesus isn’t just being clever. He’s being confrontational. Caesar may own the coin, but God owns everything—including you.
You’re made in His image. That means every breath, every choice, every allegiance belongs to Him. That’s not a political dodge—it’s the deeper political tension. It's the political discussion most people won't have. God’s image is the greater political image. And no matter where your passport says you’re from, His image on your soul demands a higher allegiance.

So yes—pay your taxes. Be a good citizen. Honor the laws of the land. But don’t let politics become a spiritual escape. Don’t let national loyalty replace kingdom loyalty. Because you can’t truly render to Caesar what’s his unless you’ve already rendered to God what’s His: that's everything.

#GreaterAllegiance, #GodsImage, #Mark12

ASK THIS:

1. Why did Jesus ask about the image on the coin?
2. What does it mean to bear God’s image in daily life?
3. How are you tempted to give your energy to earthly kingdoms over God’s?
4. What would it look like to truly “render to God” what is His?

DO THIS:

Ask: Am I spending more energy defending Caesar’s image than reflecting God’s?

PRAY THIS:

Father, you made me in your image. I don’t want to give my loyalty to lesser kings. Help me live in a way that reflects your rule. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“No Other Name”