Well, if you lift your hands in church during musical worship, are you just showing off,

acting all extra spiritual for others to take notice, doing the exact thing Jesus told us not to do?

Maybe. Maybe.

Maybe not.

This week we read Matthew 6, and I know it's a chapter that stands out to you, Pastor John, as we discern the heart motives of why we do religious things.

So important, such an important text.

And so this is a very relevant and timely question today from Ryan.

Dear Pastor John, thank you for this podcast.

I'm writing because in Matthew 6.1, Jesus warns us not to practice our righteousness

to be seen by others.

He then applies this to prayer and to giving, saying that when we do these things publicly for human praise,

we've already received our reward in full.

I understand the danger of hypocrisy and seeking man's approval in our spiritual practices,

but I wonder how far this principle extends into other areas of the Christian life.

For example, how does this teaching apply to gathered worship?

Should Christians ever be concerned that lifting hands, closing eyes, or expressing emotion

in worship might cross the line into practicing our righteousness before others?

Or does worship fall into a different category?

What about praying before meals and restaurants, wearing crosses, sharing our testimony online, or even posting scripture on social media?

When does public faithfulness become public performance?

I love this section of scripture, Matthew 6, 1 to 18.

There aren't many other passages that have driven me more deeply into a sense of God's

...