Matthew 8:18-34 We reveal how valuable something is by what we are willing to relinquish for it. Jesus has multiple people who claim to want to follow him, but he warns them about what that will cost them. If they follow Jesus, they are going to have to give up the comfort of a permanent residence and are even going to have to give up their families. Are they willing to sacrifice these things for ...  Read More

Matthew 8:1-17 How often do we just “go through the motions?” We can go to church every Sunday, give money away and back to God, read our Bibles, and be mostly nice to others. These are all good things, but they are also things we can take too much pride in—not one of those things buys us salvation. Being raised in a Christian home with parents who pray over you and take you to church every week i...  Read More

Matthew 7:15-29 What are you looking for? Some people are looking for a spouse, a new job, a package to arrive, or for a more stable financial situation. All of us are inevitably looking for something, but are we looking/watching for the right things? Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5- 7) by instructing us to "watch out." We are to externally watch out for those who are propagating lie...  Read More

Matthew 6:25-7:14 Worry is a chronic issue in most of our lives. We find ourselves filled with anxiety that does not seem to dissipate and struggle to experience the freedom and life which Christ has made available to us. Beautifully, Jesus gives us a way to live that can overcome worry. Jesus tells us not to feed our worry but to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” In seeking to motiv...  Read More

Matthew 6:1-24 What motivates you to live the way you do? Are you motivated by a desire to fit in, for material prosperity, for ease, or for God’s glory? As Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount, he wants us to consider what is motivating our actions and from whom we are seeking to receive praise. Jesus speaks multiple times to the temptation to live to be seen by others. This attitude creeps in...  Read More

Matthew 5:27-48Doctors can give you an assessment to determine your heart health. They can examine your history, an EKG result, and a number of other factors to determine your likelihood of having a cardiac event. Jesus in his sermon wants us to examine our heart health, not physically but spiritually. So, what is your spiritual heart health? Jesus first points out that the health of our heart is ...  Read More

Matthew 5:1-26 We live in accordance with the kingdom to which we belong. As citizen of America you pay taxes, follow laws, and can vote. So, what does it look like to live aligned with God’s kingdom? Jesus will develop the ethics and character of a citizen of the kingdom of heaven in the Sermon on the Mount (chapter 5-7). He will describe what the blessed life looks like and how we can live with ...  Read More

Matthew 4:12-25 At the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus’ public ministry began. The primary message which he communicated was about “the kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God.” The way into the kingdom is to repent of our allegiance to alternative kingdoms and embrace him. We are called to leave the darkness and enter the light. We are called to give up self-reliance and acknowledge our need for a sav...  Read More

Matthew 3:7-4:11 Jesus’ life in the Gospel of Matthew is filled with conflict. At birth he faced the opposition and murder attempt of Herod, and then he faced the tempting of the devil. If we are going to follow Jesus with our life, we should expect that similar opposition, difficulty, and temptation will come to us. Yet in the face of temptation, there is always a way out. The model of Jesus in o...  Read More

Matthew 2:13-3:6 We live in a messed-up world. A world filled with wickedness, war, and chaos, and we find these same things doing battle in our hearts. The Bible does does not gloss over the brokenness of the world: instead it shows us how we can have hope amid it. In Matthew’s gospel account we see the early life of Jesus mapped onto the story of the Exodus. The story of Israel becomes the story...  Read More

Matthew 1:1-2:12 A new year creates new opportunities. We can commit to new habits and new behaviors that will improve or destroy our lives. One of the best commitments we can make is to spend time with God. As we embark on a year of reading through the New Testament, we will discover the central place Christ is to play in our lives. Matthew’s gospel begins by looking back in history. He shows tha...  Read More

Revelation 19:1-22:21 The Bible ends where it began. We began in Genesis with a good creation and humanity enjoying relationship with God and we end with something similar. All who have placed their faith in Christ will enjoy God forever on a new earth untainted by sin or evil. Our lives will be filled for eternity with the joyous presence of God. So often our culture pictures eternity as people w...  Read More