Becoming Casual toward God
In Isaiah’s day, the people had started to treat the worship of God in a very casual way. But God does not want rote “worship,” rather, He wants our whole heart.
Guest (Male): Open the Bible with Colin Smith.
Colin Smith: In the years of King Uzziah, God's people enjoyed a remarkable period of prosperity. This generated a feeling of confidence and as their confidence grew, they became increasingly casual toward God. Vast crowds pressed into the temple, offering their sacrifices, observing the feasts and the festivals, but their religion made little difference to their lives.
The temple that was once filled with God's glory was reduced to a symbol of traditional values. And far from being pleased with all this religious activity, God saw it as an obnoxious trampling of my courts. Cease to do evil, God said, learn to do good, and then God says, come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be snow.
Guest (Male): Are you open to learning the Bible story? Well then come to openthebible.org.
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Everyone longs for hope. Everyone needs love. And everyone needs something—or someone—to believe in. The Christian life is marked by three enduring gifts—faith, hope, and love. In Grow in Love, you’ll spend 30 days exploring the transforming power of God’s love, learning to receive it fully and share it generously with others. This book can be read on its own or alongside Grow in Faith and Grow in Hope as part of a devotional journey through the enduring gifts of faith, hope, and love.
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Featured Offer
Everyone longs for hope. Everyone needs love. And everyone needs something—or someone—to believe in. The Christian life is marked by three enduring gifts—faith, hope, and love. In Grow in Love, you’ll spend 30 days exploring the transforming power of God’s love, learning to receive it fully and share it generously with others. This book can be read on its own or alongside Grow in Faith and Grow in Hope as part of a devotional journey through the enduring gifts of faith, hope, and love.
About Open the Bible Minute
About Colin Smith
Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and Founder and Teaching Pastor of Open the Bible.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, he trained at the London School of Theology where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Theology and Master of Philosophy. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as senior pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London.
He is the author of several books including Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes; Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross; Jonah: Navigating a God-Centered Life; The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional; 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible; The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life; as well as others. His preaching ministry is shared around the world through Open the Bible.
Colin and his wife Karen reside in Arlington Heights, Ill., and have two married sons and five granddaughters.
Contact Open the Bible Minute with Colin Smith
info@openthebible.org
https://openthebible.org/
Open the Bible
P.O. Box 3454
Barrington, IL 60011
1-877-OPEN-365