In Luke 12:1–12, Jesus reminds us that God sees everything, and yet still loves us. Hypocrisy hides nothing from him. Fear of people can’t compare to trusting the One who knows the number of hairs on our head. Even sparrows matter to God—and we matter so much more. The Spirit convicts, forgives, and gives us words when we don’t know what to say. So if you feel conviction today, don’t run from it—that’s God at work in you. Lean into his Spirit, rest in his love, and walk in his forgiveness.

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Well, good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Monday. I hope you’re doing well and that you had a great weekend. We had a good one in the Stoddard family. Saturday we were down at Southern Miss to watch the Fighting Clarinets march, and they put on a great halftime show—Broadway hits. They even had Lin-Manuel Miranda up on the big screen talking about Hamilton. That was pretty cool.

Then Sunday at church was just… wonderful. And I know God is doing great things everywhere, but y’all—I believe God really turned on the “extra special” at St. Matthew’s yesterday. We welcomed 12 folks—eight adults and four children. One of those kids is going to be confirmed in a few weeks. We also dedicated our newly renovated prayer room. We prayed, consecrated the space, and opened it up for folks to use. It was a powerful, humbling day, and I’m just so thankful for God’s goodness.

Today we’re in Luke 12, reading verses 1 through 12:

Luke 12:1–12 (NRSV)
Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

“When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”

Now, there’s a lot going on in this passage, but at the center of it all is the Holy Spirit. Everything here—fear, forgiveness, boldness—it all comes back to the Spirit.

Let’s start with that tricky part about blasphemy. Over the years I’ve had a lot of people come up to me, worried, saying, “Preacher, I think I’ve blasphemed. I think I’m in trouble.” And I’ll always ask, “Do you feel bad about it? Do you feel convicted?” If the answer is yes, I’ll say, “Well then you haven’t done it.”

Here’s why: the reason blasphemy against the Spirit is unforgivable is because the Spirit is the one who convicts and leads us to repentance. If you cut yourself off from the Spirit, you won’t feel conviction. And if you don’t feel conviction, you won’t repent. That’s what makes it unforgivable—not that God doesn’t want to forgive, but that the heart won’t ask. So if you feel conviction over sin—good! That means the Spirit’s working in your life. That means God hasn’t given up on you.

Then Jesus talks about sparrows. Sparrows weren’t worth much in that world—five of them sold for two pennies. Nobody cared about sparrows. But God does. Not one falls without him knowing. And if he cares that much about sparrows, how much more does he care for you? He even knows the number of hairs on your head. You are deeply, fully known and loved.

Jesus also warns about hypocrisy. He says, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees.” Their public life didn’t match their private life. They acted holy on the outside, but inside they were plotting evil. And that’s the danger of hypocrisy—it’s not the sin itself, it’s pretending we don’t need grace. Every one of us needs Jesus. Every one of us needs repentance. So the call is to let your public life and your private life line up—not perfect, but honest.

And here’s the good news: God sees it all. That might sound scary at first—he knows everything, even what’s hidden. But I think it’s hopeful. Because he sees everything, and he still loves us. He knows our failures, and he still sent Jesus. He knows our sins, and he still offers forgiveness.

So today, if you feel conviction—don’t run from it. Let the Spirit work. Repent. Turn back to Jesus. And then rest in the mercy, grace, and love of God. Because there is nothing better than forgiveness.

Thanks for being with me today. Tomorrow we’ll keep on in Luke 12. Have a great day, and I’ll see you then.