January 19, 2020
FOUR HEART CONDITIONS In Jesus’ parable of the sower, He described four heart conditions that determined their receptivity to the gospel. Jesus explained the meaning of the parable to His disciples. He explained that the “seed” is the gospel, the “sower” is the one who preaches the gospel, and the four types of “soil” are
January 17, 2020
THE GENTLE KING WHO WON A BETTER VICTORY The Spirit inspired Matthew to quote the Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 42:3 as being fulfilled in Jesus. For the type of justice and victory that Christ would bring was not as worldly kings would. For Christ’s kingdom did not come with violence and destruction. King Jesus was
January 13, 2020
Will you answer the prayer to be a gospel laborer? Jesus told His disciples that multitudes of people were ready to be led into the Kingdom, but there weren’t enough workers to lead them. He instructed them to pray to the Lord that more workers would answer the call. I have prayed this prayer continuously
January 11, 2020
ARE YOU FOCUSED ON THE STORM OR THE SAVIOR? At first the disciples were afraid of the storm outside the boat, then they feared the One inside the boat. “Who can this be?” They wondered. He demonstrates authority over both the seen and the unseen creation. For both storms and evil spirits obey Him. Who
January 10, 2020
WILL YOU SIT DOWN WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB? A Roman centurion came to Jesus at Capernaum asking for healing for his servant. Jesus offered to come and heal the servant. But the centurion replied that he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus under his roof. Instead, he said that he believed that Jesus need only
January 6, 2020
LIVING GENEROUSLY In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He taught that citizens of His Kingdom should respond generously to those who ask for help. Of course we might think of many reasons why the one doing the asking might be undeserving, but that shouldn’t be our first thought. Our first inclination as followers of Jesus
January 4, 2020
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM? The apostle Matthew recorded that Jesus’ ministry in Galilee was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, saying that the people of Galilee who “sat in darkness have seen a great light” (Matt. 10:16 quoting Isa. 9:1-2). He also reported that Jesus went all about Galilee preaching “the gospel of
December 8, 2019 | Matthew 2:1-12 |
Our wishes, our longings, are really a kind of worship. Because that’s what worship is. Worship is seeing something or someone that we count worthy of our affection and longing, our love, and then, recognizing that worthiness, we seek to give them what they’re worth.
In the book of Matthew the story of the birth of Jesus was told within the political backdrop of the times. Jesus was the one prophesied to be King, but He came in the most unexpected way. And from the beginning there was a battle between His Kingdom and the false king that usurped His Throne. The challenge for us is to remove our worship from the false king and to put our worship on the true King, Jesus Christ. After all, it’s His birthday we’re celebrating. Not ours.
November 24, 2019 | Matthew 16:24 |
Our flesh, our sin nature, constantly desires the easy way, the short cut, it wants its own way. But the way of discipleship, the way of following Jesus begins with a decision to “deny ourselves.” In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus described what it meant to answer the call to come after Him and be one of His disciples. We can answer the call to be a disciple of Jesus.
February 12, 2019
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH JESUS? The Roman Governor Pilate asked the crowd to answer this question for him. He sought to avoid making a decision about Jesus, but his plan backfired. The crowd’s surprising support of the criminal Barabbas left Pilate still responsible to answer the question of what to do with Jesus. Pilate