Fr. Mike Schmitz

I remember one of my favorite classes in moral theology and seminary, our professor, Dr. Thompson, He was a layman, and at one point we were talking about this. We were talking about the responsibility of priests not only to give witness to the Lord with their teaching, give witness to truth with their teaching, but also to give witness to the Lord with their lives.

And he said, gentlemen, he says, if... If any of you want to teach something that's contrary to Jesus, contrary to the church, I have one word for you. And that word is millstones. And he said, gentlemen, if you're not willing to be as holy as you possibly can be with God's grace and give a witness to Jesus and his holiness by your holy lives, I have one word for you, millstones.

And he said, gentlemen, he says, if... If any of you want to teach something that's contrary to Jesus, contrary to the church, I have one word for you. And that word is millstones. And he said, gentlemen, if you're not willing to be as holy as you possibly can be with God's grace and give a witness to Jesus and his holiness by your holy lives, I have one word for you, millstones.

And he said, gentlemen, he says, if... If any of you want to teach something that's contrary to Jesus, contrary to the church, I have one word for you. And that word is millstones. And he said, gentlemen, if you're not willing to be as holy as you possibly can be with God's grace and give a witness to Jesus and his holiness by your holy lives, I have one word for you, millstones.

And it was just this dramatic, like very, very clear kind of getting called out, called higher by this incredible husband and father and teacher of Jesus.

And it was just this dramatic, like very, very clear kind of getting called out, called higher by this incredible husband and father and teacher of Jesus.

And it was just this dramatic, like very, very clear kind of getting called out, called higher by this incredible husband and father and teacher of Jesus.

god's word and just so so good at the seminary it was remarkable and i've never forgotten that you know the responsibility teachers have and in my case the responsibility priests have to not only teach accurately teach the truth but also to as best we can in my brokenness to live the truth with god's grace moving on jesus you know he says if your hand causes you to sin cut it off better for you to enter life maimed with them with two hands to go to hell

god's word and just so so good at the seminary it was remarkable and i've never forgotten that you know the responsibility teachers have and in my case the responsibility priests have to not only teach accurately teach the truth but also to as best we can in my brokenness to live the truth with god's grace moving on jesus you know he says if your hand causes you to sin cut it off better for you to enter life maimed with them with two hands to go to hell

god's word and just so so good at the seminary it was remarkable and i've never forgotten that you know the responsibility teachers have and in my case the responsibility priests have to not only teach accurately teach the truth but also to as best we can in my brokenness to live the truth with god's grace moving on jesus you know he says if your hand causes you to sin cut it off better for you to enter life maimed with them with two hands to go to hell

Two things. One is, you know, Jesus talks more about the reality of hell than almost anyone. Actually, sorry, let me rephrase that. Jesus talks more about the reality of hell than anyone else in the Bible. That there's no one even close who talks about the reality of hell more than Jesus Christ.

Two things. One is, you know, Jesus talks more about the reality of hell than almost anyone. Actually, sorry, let me rephrase that. Jesus talks more about the reality of hell than anyone else in the Bible. That there's no one even close who talks about the reality of hell more than Jesus Christ.

Two things. One is, you know, Jesus talks more about the reality of hell than almost anyone. Actually, sorry, let me rephrase that. Jesus talks more about the reality of hell than anyone else in the Bible. That there's no one even close who talks about the reality of hell more than Jesus Christ.

And so we have to, again, remember this whole project, 365 days of reading the Bible, listening to God's word is to give ourselves a biblical worldview and Jesus teaching so powerfully and teaching so clearly about on the reality that it is possible for us to choose hell. It is possible for us to say, I'd rather not have heaven, and I actually want eternity without God.

And so we have to, again, remember this whole project, 365 days of reading the Bible, listening to God's word is to give ourselves a biblical worldview and Jesus teaching so powerfully and teaching so clearly about on the reality that it is possible for us to choose hell. It is possible for us to say, I'd rather not have heaven, and I actually want eternity without God.

And so we have to, again, remember this whole project, 365 days of reading the Bible, listening to God's word is to give ourselves a biblical worldview and Jesus teaching so powerfully and teaching so clearly about on the reality that it is possible for us to choose hell. It is possible for us to say, I'd rather not have heaven, and I actually want eternity without God.

That is so important, and we can't get away from that. We can't rework what Jesus says. We can't squirm underneath it. We have to actually acknowledge the reality that Jesus, the God of mercy, the Prince of Peace, that he teaches more about the reality that we can choose hell than any other single person in the Bible. Basically, so if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.

That is so important, and we can't get away from that. We can't rework what Jesus says. We can't squirm underneath it. We have to actually acknowledge the reality that Jesus, the God of mercy, the Prince of Peace, that he teaches more about the reality that we can choose hell than any other single person in the Bible. Basically, so if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.

That is so important, and we can't get away from that. We can't rework what Jesus says. We can't squirm underneath it. We have to actually acknowledge the reality that Jesus, the God of mercy, the Prince of Peace, that he teaches more about the reality that we can choose hell than any other single person in the Bible. Basically, so if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.

Foot causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. Now, Jesus is speaking in hyperbole here. He's not telling us to actually maim ourselves, but he is saying what it is that's causing you to sin, get rid of it. Whatever it is that's causing you to sin, get rid of it and do it now. And I've heard it being said so many times and I've repeated it so many times.