TL:DR - Adam Smith “Left Unread” 5.17.26

Devotional

Day 1: Library of Divine Voices

Jesus stood in synagogues reading scrolls of prophets and psalms. His listeners heard ancient words come alive through His voice. The Bible’s 66 books span poetry, history, and letters—like a library with genres demanding different readings. A psalm’s “rivers clap hands” isn’t science, but worship. John’s Revelation uses coded symbols to encourage persecuted believers, not predict stock markets. [18:35]

God inspired diverse authors across centuries to show His unchanging heart. David’s raw laments teach prayer. Paul’s letters guide fledgling churches. When we force apocalyptic visions into modern headlines or read parables as history, we miss their purpose. Each book reveals God’s character through its unique lens.

How often do you approach Scripture expecting a rulebook instead of a conversation? This week, notice the genre you’re reading. Is it prophecy? Law? Poetry? Ask: Does this passage invite worship, correction, or hope? What if your confusion stems from misreading a poem as a manual?

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
(2 Timothy 3:16, NLT)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to awaken fresh curiosity for Scripture’s varied voices.
Challenge: Read Psalm 23 aloud, noting emotional truths rather than factual claims.

Day 2: Someone Else’s Mail

The Pharisees quoted Deuteronomy to condemn hungry disciples picking grain. Jesus countered with David eating temple bread—proving isolated verses mislead without context. Scripture’s letters were first read by specific people: exiles rebuilding Jerusalem, Corinthians navigating pagan culture. [25:35]

God’s Word transcends its original audience but demands we honor their story. Promises to Abraham about land mattered to his nomadic descendants. When we claim them for modern politics, we steal mail. Yet through Abraham, God blesses all nations—including us. Every text has two contexts: theirs and ours.

You’ve likely heard “God has plans to prosper you” claimed for career goals. But Jeremiah wrote to exiles facing 70 years of displacement. What if God’s “prosperity” includes sustaining you in hardship? When have you borrowed promises meant for others?

“These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.”
(1 Corinthians 10:11, NLT)

Prayer: Confess times you’ve weaponized verses without studying their roots.
Challenge: Research one Bible story’s historical context using a study Bible or app.

Day 3: Grain Fields and Sacred Loaves

Sweat dripped down the disciples’ faces as they plucked grain. Pharisees glared, citing Sabbath laws. Jesus defended them with David’s story: hunger justifies breaking religious rules. He declared Himself “Lord of the Sabbath,” prioritizing human need over rigid interpretations. [34:33]

Jesus treated Scripture as a unified story leading to Him. The Sabbath was made for rest, not starvation. He exposed how the religious elite cherry-picked verses to control others. Truth isn’t found in isolated commands but in the arc of God’s redemptive love.

How often do you use the Bible to judge others rather than serve them? When have you prioritized “being right” over feeding the hungry? What broken system might Jesus ask you to challenge today?

“One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples were hungry…‘Look, your disciples are breaking the law!’…‘Haven’t you read what David did…?’”
(Matthew 12:1-3, NLT)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for valuing mercy over sacrifice.
Challenge: Identify one area where tradition conflicts with compassion—act on love.

Day 4: The Filter of Flesh and Blood

Religious leaders memorized Scripture but missed its climax—God standing before them. Jesus told them, “The Scriptures point to me!” He fulfilled Isaiah’s suffering servant, not the warrior-king they expected. The Word became flesh, redefining power as a towel and basin. [32:54]

Every prophet, psalm, and law whispers Jesus’ name. The Old Testament’s blood sacrifices find meaning in His cross. The New Testament letters unpack His resurrection’s impact. Without Jesus, the Bible becomes a disjointed anthology. With Him, it’s a love letter.

Do you read Scripture seeking rules or a relationship? How would your Bible study change if you asked, “Where is Jesus in this passage?”

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!”
(John 5:39, NLT)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal Himself in familiar and confusing texts alike.
Challenge: Read John 1:1-14, noting connections between Word and Christ.

Day 5: Love’s Litmus Test

Jesus redefined authority at a Sabbath showdown. He healed a shriveled hand, asking, “Should I save a sheep or a man?” He distilled all Scripture to this: love God and neighbor. The early church tested teachings against Christ’s example—if it didn’t produce love, they rejected it. [43:36]

Paul called love the “most excellent way.” James said faith without works is dead. Jesus measured truth by its fruit: did it heal, feed, or free? The Bible’s hardest passages bow to His command to love enemies and forgive endlessly.

What toxic interpretation have you tolerated because “the Bible says so”? How would applying Jesus’ love filter change your view of a controversial verse?

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
(John 13:34-35, NLT)

Prayer: Confess areas where you’ve valued being right over being loving.
Challenge: Memorize John 13:34. Let it guide your next difficult conversation.

Sermon Summary

Scripture names the problem straight: too long, didn’t read. The text has never been easier to access or easier to ignore, and many church folks pretend they’ve read it or plow through without understanding. The Bible then reframes the issue: what it says isn’t as important as what it means. Meaning must be interpreted in context, not cherry‑picked. A string of strange scenes reminds listeners why context matters: a talking snake, a donkey, a flood, Solomon’s sword idea, and severe ancient laws. The tension is clear: without the right tools, people misread, misuse, and weaponize verses.

The Bible first identifies itself as a library, not a book. Sixty‑six interconnected works across genres demand readers play by each genre’s rules. Poetry tells truth without supplying lab‑coat facts. Apocalyptic literature, like Revelation, uses code and imagery to help persecuted believers live faithfully now, not to feed end‑times speculation later. Second, the Bible insists it was written for modern readers but not to them. Reading scripture is like opening someone else’s mail. Genesis’ creation song speaks as poetry to ex‑slaves about the one true God, not as a lab manual for today’s debates. Wise reading refuses to force ancient texts to answer modern questions they never intended to address.

Third, the Bible tells one overarching story, not isolated sound bites. Old‑covenant laws formed Israel in a particular time and place. Wisdom remains, but blanket application misses the plot. Most already live this way with cheeseburgers, blended fabrics, and Sabbath questions without realizing why. Finally, the whole Bible points to and defers to Jesus. Jesus says the Scriptures point to him, and then he re‑interprets them in real time. In the Sabbath grainfield scene, law experts are technically right, yet Jesus prioritizes mercy over sacrifice, names himself Lord of the Sabbath, and heals a suffering man. The narrative shows how Jesus, as God in the flesh, outranks rigid readings and centers human dignity.

Jesus then gives the filter: love each other as he has loved. The focus is love and the filter is Jesus. Any reading that doesn’t move the church to think, talk, live, and love more like Jesus is a misreading. So the path forward is simple and demanding: start with Jesus in the Gospels, and keep praying, “Jesus, help me to think like you and act in love.” When scripture is read this way, the fruit looks like Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Read the Bible as library Genres set the rules. Poetry isn’t a lab report, and apocalyptic isn’t a crystal ball. Truth shows up as image, symbol, story, and song, each asking to be read on its own terms. Misread the genre, and the point gets lost. [18:05]
2. Read others’ mail before yours Scripture was written for modern readers but not to them. Audience, moment, and purpose matter before application. Genesis sings to ex‑slaves about the one true God; it does not settle modern science class debates. [24:59]
3. Follow the story, not snippets The canon is a narrative arc, not a verse arsenal. Old‑covenant laws formed Israel then; wisdom remains, but context governs use now. Isolated proof‑texts ignore how the story moves toward fulfillment in Christ. [29:16]
4. Let Jesus overrule every reading Jesus claims Scripture points to him and then reorders it with mercy at the center. When rigid rules crush people, his authority lifts the person. If a reading contradicts Jesus’ words and ways, it’s the reading that yields. [38:38]
5. Make love the interpretive filter “Love one another as I have loved you” is the north star. Exegesis that doesn’t grow cruciform love has missed the Author. The test is fruit: increased mercy, generosity, and costly care for actual people. [44:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:15] - Baptism invitation and nudges
[02:44] - Summer plan: TLDR and John
[04:58] - Left Unread: why Scripture feels TLDR
[09:42] - Easier to access, easier to ignore
[12:42] - What it says vs what it means
[18:05] - The Bible is a library
[21:46] - How apocalyptic literature really works
[24:59] - Written for us, not to us
[29:16] - Story over sound bites
[31:48] - All Scripture points to Jesus
[34:12] - Sabbath controversy: mercy over sacrifice
[43:19] - The new commandment: love like Jesus
[47:26] - Start with the Gospels and a simple prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 12:1-14 (ESV)
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” 9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

John 13:34 (ESV)
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

Observation questions

In Matthew 12:7, Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” What specific actions did the Pharisees condemn, and how did Jesus reframe their interpretation of Sabbath laws?
How does Jesus use the example of David eating sacred bread (Matthew 12:3-4) and priests working on the Sabbath (12:5) to challenge rigid interpretations of Scripture?
The sermon emphasized reading the Bible as a “library” of genres rather than a single book. What example was given about apocalyptic literature (like Revelation) and its purpose for persecuted believers? [22:26]
According to John 13:34, what standard does Jesus set for love, and how does it differ from earlier teachings about loving others?

Interpretation questions

Why did Jesus prioritize mercy over strict adherence to Sabbath rules in this conflict? What does this reveal about God’s heart behind religious laws?
The sermon described reading Scripture as “opening someone else’s mail.” How might ignoring the original audience and context of Genesis 1 lead to misapplication in modern debates? [28:12]
Jesus claims authority over the Sabbath and reinterprets its purpose (Matthew 12:8). How does this redefine the relationship between ancient laws and Jesus’ mission?
How does the command to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34) act as a filter for interpreting difficult or confusing parts of Scripture?

Application questions

When have you encountered a Bible passage that felt confusing or contradictory? What steps could you take to understand its genre, context, and connection to Jesus’ teachings?
The sermon warned against using Scripture to condemn others without understanding their situation. Is there an area where you’ve been quick to judge someone else’s actions? How could Jesus’ example in Matthew 12 reshape your approach?
What practical habit could you adopt to prioritize reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) as the foundation for interpreting the rest of Scripture? [47:26]
How might praying, “Jesus, help me to think like you and act in love,” change your next difficult conversation or decision?
The Pharisees focused on rules; Jesus focused on people. Where do you need to shift from a “checklist” faith to a love-driven faith this week?
Are there modern issues or debates where you’ve tried to force the Bible to answer questions it wasn’t addressing? How could studying its original purpose bring clarity? [28:55]
What would it look like to evaluate your understanding of Scripture by the “fruit” test: Does it make you more merciful, generous, and willing to sacrificially care for others?

Sermon Clips

42s

“We are an individualistic culture, which means we think everything is for us. Everything is to us. Everything is individualized and about us. And this is not the case, including with scripture. One theologian says that reading scripture is like reading someone else's mail, which means things can go sideways. Imagine that, like, some random woman was walking through your neighborhood and went to your mailbox, and you were out of town, right, and you had written a love letter to your wife. And she goes to your mailbox, opens it up, pulls the letter out, and reads the love letter you wrote to your wife as if it is to her.”

47s

“there is no real hard data in the book of Genesis about when exactly dinosaurs lived or, whether or not, there's any credibility to microevolution or how old the earth is because scripture was written to other people about something god wanted them to know then, not to you about something you want to know now. And this is where we can get things twisted. It is unwise to expect a verse to answer questions it was never intended to address. To understand scripture, we have to know the context. The the third principle is this, that the Bible is an overarching story, not isolated sound bites.”

42s

“And what what you might find interesting is that none of these things are in the Bible. Like, none of these things the scripture speaks specifically to. Like, what I just read you are all people's interpretations, conclusions, and applications of passages that I I think are predominantly being taken out of context. But like so many people, so often are trying to validate their own opinions with verses from the Bible that oftentimes admitting that you are a Jesus follower who actually looks to scripture to guide their life can trigger assumptions that you think and believe things that you don't.”

41s

“if you have gotten little glimpses of the book of Revelation and you're, like, really afraid and you're you're sitting around waiting for a four headed dragon to swoop in and, you know, eat one of your kids because they go to Christian school, just take a deep breath. Okay? And let me know, and I'll get you a better commentary, and we'll help you understand what's really going on. And this does not mean that scripture is not valuable. In fact, every piece of scripture is incredibly valuable. The apostle Paul famously wrote to his protege about scripture in second Timothy chapter three verse 16 that all scripture is inspired by God and useful to teach us what is true and realize what is wrong in our lives.”

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TL:DR - Adam Smith “Left Unread” 5.17.26

Devotional

Day 1: Library of Divine Voices

Day 2: Someone Else’s Mail

Day 3: Grain Fields and Sacred Loaves

Day 4: The Filter of Flesh and Blood

Day 5: Love’s Litmus Test

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

TL:DR - Adam Smith “Left Unread” 5.17.26

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