3 Day Bible Reading Plan - Perform for Your Audience of One
So you’re doing the right thing? Good for you! But why are you doing the right thing? Are you doing the right thing because people are watching, or so that you can post about it on Facebook later? Are you using this as a means to make yourself look better, to get people to like you? Beware of doing the right thing in front of other people in order to be seen by them, because if that’s why you’re doing it, don’t expect any brownie points from your Father in Heaven. - Pastor Jacob Hawley, 3/23/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Matthew 6:1-6 - “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
How does the call to perform righteous acts in secret challenge our modern tendencies to seek validation through public displays of faith or charity?
What does this passage reveal about the nature of God’s relationship with us, particularly in how He sees and responds to our hidden acts of devotion?
How might the hypocrisy Jesus critiques in the Pharisees manifest in contemporary religious communities, and what practices could guard against it?
“The closet is the true sanctuary, where the soul meets God alone, and no trumpet of man’s praise can drown the still small voice of divine approval.” - Alexander Maclaren
“True religion consists not in outward show, but in the secret workings of the heart before God, who searches the reins and tries the spirits of men.” - Jonathan Edwards
Day 2
Featured Verse: Matthew 6:16-18 - “They have received their reward.”
In what ways can the act of fasting, when done privately, deepen our dependence on God rather than on external validation or physical sustenance?
What are some modern equivalents to the "disfigured faces" of the hypocrites, and how can we guard against subtle forms of spiritual pride in our own practices?
How does this passage inform our view of God’s character, particularly His attentiveness to our hidden struggles and devotion?
“When you fast, let not your countenance preach your piety, nor your voice proclaim your sacrifice; God, who sees the heart, needs no such heralds.” - Charles Spurgeon
“Fasting is a means to an end, not an end in itself; let it be done with a heart turned to God, not a face turned to men for their applause.” - John Wesley
Day 3
Featured Verse: 1 Samuel 16:7 - “The Lord looks on the heart.”
How does God’s ability to see the heart rather than outward appearances challenge our human tendencies to judge others based on what we can see?
In what ways might the "heart" that God examines encompass more than just emotions—such as motives, faith, or integrity—and how should this shape our spiritual priorities?
If God looks at the heart, how does this influence our approach to repentance, humility, and authenticity in our relationship with Him?
“God’s eye pierces through the veil of flesh to the hidden man of the heart, where true beauty or deformity lies, unseen by mortal sight.” - Jonathan Edwards
“A man may have a name for piety, and a face of devotion, and yet God, who looks within, may see nothing but a hollow shell—a form without life.” - J.C. Ryle
“The Lord looks not on the stature of the body, nor the beauty of the countenance, but on the humility and faith of the heart—herein lies true greatness.” - George Whitefield
