Neither Do I Condemn You
When you picture Jesus looking at you in your worst moment, do you see eyes of condemnation or of mercy?
Speaker: Pastor Zach Dillon
Date: July 5, 2026
Pastor Zach shares the story of the woman caught in adultery, reminding us that encountering Jesus in our guilt isn't just for the "worst" sinners—it's for all of us. It's through His grace that we truly see the Gospel and are transformed.
Here's a 5-day devotional guide based on this sermon:
Day 1: Reading the Familiar Story Differently
John 8:2–6 | Psalm 139:23–24
Most of us have heard this story so many times we can read it without letting it connect to our hearts. That comfort is actually what the religious spirit sounds like. This week, before you read anything else, ask God to show you where you placed yourself in the crowd. Were you with the disciples? The woman? The Pharisees? Psalm 139 invites God to search us and expose what we would rather leave unexamined. Start there.
Day 2: The Religious Spirit in All of Us
Mark 8:15 | Matthew 23:25–28
Jesus warned His disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees, the subtle influence of a spirit that redirects worship from God onto performance and appearance. It is sneaky because it attaches itself to genuinely good things: Scripture, holiness, theology. The sign of it is not that we are doing bad things. It is that we have stopped coming to God in honesty about what is really in our hearts. Where is the religious spirit quietly at work in yours?
Day 3: Standing Honestly Before God
Romans 3:23 | 1 John 1:8–9
Every person in that crowd had sin in their hearts. Jesus' one sentence exposed it, and they all walked away. None of us would have stayed either. The honest truth is that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. That is not to shame us. It is to bring us to the place where we stop pretending we do not need what only Jesus can give. First John says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. The confession is the door.
Day 4: Neither Do I Condemn You
John 8:10–11 | Romans 8:1
When everyone else had left, the only One qualified to condemn looked at her and said He would not. That is the gospel. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Not because sin does not matter, but because the penalty was paid by someone else. This is not a license to keep sinning. It is the love that actually makes change possible. Spend time today receiving this—not just believing it theologically, but letting it reach the parts of your heart that still expect God to be angry with you.
Day 5: Mercy Empowers Obedience
Luke 7:47 | Ephesians 2:4–5
Jesus said the one who is forgiven much loves much. The measure of our love for God is directly connected to how deeply we have understood His mercy. Religion produces obedience out of fear of what happens when we fail. The gospel produces obedience out of gratitude for a love we did not earn and cannot lose. God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead. That is the love that changes us from the inside out. Let it.