August 12, 2022“On the way, Jesus told them, ‘Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, God will strike the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.’” – Matthew 26:31-32 You can probably imagine Jesus reclining at the table with the twelve disciples in the Upper Room— br...  Read More

August 11, 2022“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” – Romans 10:9-10 How does God the Father reveal to us who God the Son is? The same way He reveals the truth in our hearts and mind...  Read More

August 10, 2022“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” When Jesus asked Peter the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter gave his confession and said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Some translations read, “You are the Christ.” Peter used the Greek word Christos, which is translated as Christ or Messiah, which are synonymous. When you say J...  Read More

August 9, 2022“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” – Psalm 37:4 As we have looked at the last couple of days, idols can be found in all shapes and sizes. We worship idols related to success, money, possessions, and stuff. We can find them in our personal identity and physical fitness. But no matter what you call it, if you have put it before God, He calls it idola...  Read More

August 8, 2022“You must not have any other god before me.” – Exodus 20:3 Yesterday, we talked about the things that we give our firsts to. Your firsts can be in the form of time, money, or attention. But the truth is if you are giving your first and giving your best to something other than God, that thing is an idol. What does modern-day idolatry look like? I like how John Piper put it. He said, “...  Read More

August 7, 2022“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ ‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ Then He asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’” – Matthew 16:13-15 Not only did Jesus love using visual aids, as we’ve discussed the last few days. J...  Read More

August 6, 2022“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” – Matthew 9:36 Over the last three days, we have looked at biblical stories Jesus told using visual aids to make His point. Today, we look at one more from Matthew 9:36. Jesus was specifically talking about the need for workers as He traveled from town to town a...  Read More

August 5, 2022“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing… But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” – John 15:5, 7-8 In John 15, Jesus ...  Read More

August 4, 2022“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” – Matthew 6:26-27 During His time on earth, Jesus loved to use visual aids to communicate His message. This is one of the things that made Jesus such a great teacher....  Read More

August 3, 2022“In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, He was hungry, and He noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any bigs, but there were only leaves. Then He said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ And immediately the fig tree withered up.” – Matthew 21:18-19 In Matthew 21, Jesus uses an illustration of a fig tree as He came upon one. What you ...  Read More

August 2, 2022“Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’” – Mark 2:5 Mark 2 shows us a story of four friends willing to do whatever it took to get their friend in front of Jesus. But did it pay off?  Mark 2:5 says, “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’” Then in verse 11, Jesus said to the man, “Stand...  Read More

August 1, 2022“Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his man, right down in front of Jesus.” – Mark 2:3-4 Yesterday, we discussed what four men were willing to do for their friend to get to Jesus. These men carried their paralyzed friend on a mat, an...  Read More