10-19-2026 PART 3: When Religious Pride Divides, God Calls Us Back to Love and Unity

Section 1

Dr. Dave begins with a devotional titled “A Religious Spirit,” written by his dear friend Pastor Ray Bentley and featured in This Day. Drawing from Luke 18:9–14, the devotional examines the Pharisee who congratulated himself for being more righteous than other people. Pastor Ray warns that a religious spirit can appear spiritual while blocking the flow of God’s love. Pride, superiority, and judgmental attitudes push people away from the very gospel Christians are called to share. Romans 3:23 reminds us that everyone has sinned, while Romans 5:8 declares that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Instead of withholding compassion until people change, believers should imitate the Good Shepherd, who lovingly pursues the lost.

Section 2

Turning to Genesis 25, Dr. Dave revisits Isaac and Rebekah, whose prayers for children were finally answered after nearly twenty years. When the twins struggled within her womb, Rebekah asked why this was happening and wisely inquired of the Lord. God revealed that two nations and two peoples were within her, with the older destined to serve the younger. Dr. Dave strongly emphasizes that God identifies the unborn children as people and condemns abortion as the taking of human life. When the boys arrived, Esau was red and unusually hairy, while Jacob emerged grasping his brother’s heel. Their contrasting beginnings set the stage for a much deeper family problem.

Section 3

As the brothers grew, Esau became a hunter and Jacob preferred staying home. Isaac favored Esau, while Rebekah favored Jacob, creating a destructive division between husband and wife. Dr. Dave explains that marriage is designed for unity, not competing loyalties that children can exploit. Parents should present a united commitment, address disagreements privately, and seek forgiveness and help from God when that unity breaks down. He points to the biblical call for a wife’s willing submission to the Lord and a husband’s sacrificial love modeled after Christ’s love for the church. Their first allegiance must be to Jesus, from whom genuine unity flows. A family becomes stronger when husband and wife stand together under the lordship of Jesus Christ, choosing sacrificial love over favoritism and division.