Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 17:13.

"Then Micah said, 'Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.'" — Judges 17:13

Micah's homemade religion is now complete. He's got a shrine, a priest, and a title. And now—he's got confidence. "Now I know," he says, "the Lord will prosper me."

But it's all fake.
Fake priest.
Fake faith.
Fake confidence.

Micah believes he's in God's favor simply because everything looks right. But this is the final stage of spiritual delusion: when you mistake comfort for confirmation. He assumes that because his setup feels spiritual, it must be spiritual.

That's what happens when religion becomes self-made—you start measuring faith by your feelings instead of His truth.

This is the heart of counterfeit Christianity today.
People claim assurance, quote Scripture out of context, or redefine sin, all while drifting further from God's Word. They've built a religion that feels peaceful because it never confronts them. And the more they say "God told me," the less they actually listen to what God already said.

Micah's confidence wasn't rooted in Scripture—it was rooted in self-deception. And that's what makes this so dangerous. You can be completely convinced you're right with God and still be miles from Him if your faith isn't built on truth.

We also see this in the church. Whole movements chase emotional experiences but ignore biblical obedience. Believers trust in positive feelings, prosperity, or political comfort instead of God's holiness. It's the American version of Micah's religion—comfort without conviction, blessing without obedience, and faith without truth.

False confidence always feels strong—right up until the truth tests it.

So here's the question I would present to you: Is your confidence based on God's Word—or your own worldview?

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you mistaking spiritual comfort for spiritual confirmation?
2. What beliefs or habits have you justified that don't line up with God's Word?
3. Have you built confidence on truth—or convenience?
4. How can you anchor your assurance in Scripture instead of emotion?

DO THIS:

• Take a truth inventory: what do you believe that's not clearly rooted in Scripture?
• Replace assumptions with alignment—submit your confidence to God's Word.
• Pray for humility to let God's truth confront your comfort.

PRAY THIS:

Father, I don't want false confidence. Expose any lie I've believed about You or about myself. Anchor my assurance in Your truth—not in feelings, comfort, or imitation faith. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Build My Life."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 17:12.

"And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah." — Judges 17:12

Micah finally finishes building his fake religion. He's got a shrine, a priest, and now an "ordination." It sounds holy—but it's hollow.

Micah "ordains" a Levite, believing that if he calls it spiritual, it becomes spiritual. He convinces himself it's from God simply because he said so. But that's not faith—that's fabrication.

This is what happens when people stop grounding their beliefs in Scripture. They start declaring things "from God" that God never said. They replace divine revelation with human imagination—and then call it holy. It's the birth of self-made religion.

Micah didn't reject God outright; he simply replaced God's authority with his own. And that's what makes false faith so deceptive—it looks spiritual while quietly dethroning God. When we start believing our feelings carry the same weight as God's Word, we've already started building our own religion.

We see it everywhere today.
People say, "God told me to be happy," or "God just wants me to live my truth," or "Love is love—so it must be holy." But if it contradicts Scripture, it's not revelation—it's rebellion. Calling something "anointed" doesn't make it approved.

Micah's fake ordination is a warning to every believer who wants spiritual authority without scriptural submission. God's blessing doesn't rest on what sounds right or feels right—it rests on what is true.

And here's the danger: when fake ordination goes unchecked, it breeds fake faith. Micah thought ordaining a Levite would make him holy, but both of them were lost—confident, religious, and completely wrong.

That's what happens when we build a faith not on the foundation of God's Word but on the echo of our opinions. It may look spiritual, but it leads people away from truth. And a lie repeated in God's name is still a lie.

True authority doesn't come from our declarations—it comes from God's revelation.
The moment we separate "God said" from what God wrote, we're not worshiping Him anymore—we're worshiping our own imagination.

ASK THIS:

1. Have you ever declared something "from God" that wasn't grounded in Scripture?
2. Where do you see culture redefining truth and calling it faith?
3. How can you better discern between human opinion and divine authority?
4. What step can you take today to anchor your faith more deeply in God's Word?

DO THIS:

• Test every "God idea" against Scripture before you believe or share it.
• Read 2 Timothy 4:3–4: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching… and will turn away from listening to the truth."

PRAY THIS:

Lord, keep me from creating a version of faith that fits my feelings. Anchor me in Your Word so deeply that I can spot false truth from a mile away. Teach me to follow revelation, not imagination. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Holy Spirit Come."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 17:10-11.

"And Micah said to him, 'Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.' And the Levite went in. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons." — Judges 17:10-11

Micah's religion has now become a business deal. He hires the Levite—ten pieces of silver a year, new clothes, free housing. It's faith on payroll. What began as borrowed faith has now turned into bought faith. Micah thinks that by hiring a holy man, he can buy holy favor.

It's spiritual consumerism—the idea that God's presence can be purchased if we just find the right people, say the right words, or make the right donation. But you can't buy what only grace can give.

Micah wanted divine legitimacy without surrendering to the divine. He didn't want to be changed; he wanted to feel covered. He didn't want the presence of God; he wanted the appearance of blessing. So he threw money at religion like it was a spiritual vending machine.

And before we judge Micah, we should ask—do we do the same?

We start thinking that giving more, serving harder, or knowing the right people will earn God's favor. We assume that being around "spiritual" people makes us spiritual too. But that's not faith—that's a transaction.

We see it everywhere: churches chasing charisma over conviction, money over mission, platforms over prayer. Believers often confuse activity with intimacy, assuming that attendance or effort earns them grace points with God.

But God's presence isn't for sale. His power isn't a product. His favor doesn't run on contract—it runs on covenant.

Micah missed that entirely. He thought hiring a priest made him holy, but all he did was build a payroll for pride. He tried to control what could only be received.

That's the trap of bought faith—it turns worship into work and relationship into ritual. It trades intimacy for image. It pays for what's already been purchased—by the blood of Jesus.

The gospel flips that thinking: you can't buy God's presence, but you can surrender to it. You can't earn grace, but you can receive it. So receive it today. And stop trying to earn it.

ASK THIS:

1. Where are you trying to earn what God already offers freely?
2. Have you ever mistaken spiritual activity for intimacy with God?
3. What do you rely on more—God's grace or your own performance?
4. How can you rest in the truth that grace is received, not achieved?

DO THIS:

• Take inventory of where you've been "performing" for God instead of walking with Him.
• Stop treating faith like a transaction—spend time with God without an agenda today.
• Thank God for his grace today.

PRAY THIS:

Father, thank You that grace can't be bought or earned. Forgive me for trying to perform my way into Your favor. Teach me to receive Your presence as a gift, not a payment. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Grace Alone."