Put their instruction into practice and keep to it

Listen politely, but treat it as optional

Refuse their instruction because their lives are flawed

Copy their habits because they are leaders

Their words and their behavior do not match

Their teaching is mainly about private matters

Their authority comes from visible success

Receive the teaching, but do not copy the inconsistent behavior

Reject the teaching because the messenger is imperfect

Imitate the behavior to avoid being critical

Wait for a flawless person before listening

If you would like to receive Jesus, pray this with me: Lord Jesus, I admit that I have sinned and have not lived in truth. I need your mercy and your saving grace. I believe you died for my sins and rose again. I turn from my sin and confess you as Lord. Come into my life and make me new. Amen.

Trust Jesus in Truth

Lord, revive your Church and heal the gap between our words and our lives. Free us from hypocrisy, make us teachable, and give us courage to practice what is true. Let our obedience match our confession, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Make Your Church Whole

Father, help me receive good instruction with humility and follow it with steady obedience. Keep me from using another person's failure as an excuse, and teach me to practice what is right, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Help Me Live What Is Right

Name one place where your speech and actions do not line up. Ask God to show you the next honest step, and ask for grace to carry it out today.

Pray for Consistency

Bring to God: any habit of saying more than you live, the temptation to value appearances over obedience, and a willingness to be corrected before him.

Bringing Hypocrisy to God

Father, bless those who teach, lead, and mentor others. Give them humility to live what they say, and give listeners wisdom to receive what is true and reject what is false, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

For Teachers and Listeners

πάντα{PAN-da###PAHN-dah###all things} οὖν{OON###OON###therefore} ὅσα{HO-sa###HOH-sah###whatever} ⸀ἐὰν{e-AN###eh-AHN###if} εἴπωσιν{EE-po-sin###EE-poh-sin###they may say} ὑμῖν{hee-MEEN###hee-MEEN###to you} ⸂ποιήσατε{pee-EE-sa-te###pee-EE-sah-teh###do} καὶ{KE###KEH###and} τηρεῖτε⸃,{tee-REE-te###tee-REE-teh###keep} κατὰ{ka-TA###kah-TAH###according to} δὲ{DE###DEH###but} τὰ{TA###TAH###the} ἔργα{ER-ga###EHR-gah###works} αὐτῶν{af-TON###ahf-TOHN###their} μὴ{MEE###MEE###not} ποιεῖτε,{pee-EE-te###pee-EE-teh###do} λέγουσιν{LE-goo-sin###LEH-goo-sin###they say} γὰρ{GAR###GAHR###for} καὶ{KE###KEH###and} οὐ{OO###OO###not} ποιοῦσιν.{pee-OO-sin###pee-OO-sin###they do}

Matthew 23:3 — FormalTAB

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