And Hopefully, How It Ends. It begins in Matthew 18:15. This verse opens up with, “If your brother or sister sins…” After reading those words, you may be assuming that this is going to be a finger-pointing post. Perhaps, you’ve already thought to yourself, “Here we go. Another pastor writing an article of forced conviction.“ I assure you, this is…
Changing the Way We Read Matthew 18. I did a bit of Googling last week. You see, our church is going through a series in the Gospel of Matthew. This past Sunday, we hit Matthew 18. So I did what any good pastor would do; I Googled! I Googled “Matthew 18“. First off, I found…
10 Questions for Reflection From Mt. 17 The Transfiguration: Matthew 17:1-9 This week, we’ve been working through a post-series on Matthew 17:1-9. Today, we end this series with some questions for personal or group reflection. Scroll to the bottom of this post to read previous posts. 10 Questions for Reflection 1. What were your initial thoughts, after…
The Mountaintop Descent (Mt. 17:7-9) This week, we’ve been working through a post-series on Matthew 17:1-9. Which mountaintop is Christ calling us to climb? Despite the fear and anxiety, is the view from the mountaintop worth it? Are we ready for the experience He’s prepared for us? “Don’t be afraid.” (17:7) After experiencing the transfiguration at the…
The Mountaintop Experience: (Mt. 17:2-6) Yesterday, I introduced this week’s post-series on Matthew 17:1-9. Which mountaintop is Christ calling us to climb? Despite the fear and anxiety, is the view from the mountaintop worth it? Are we ready for the experience He’s prepared for us? Click HERE to read “Part 1 – The Ascent“. “…he…
“I’ve been to the mountaintop!“ “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may…
The Keys found in Matthew 16. This has been our Scriptural focus throughout this week. The following is a list of study questions for personal or small group study, based on this week’s posts. Click HERE to read Matthew 16:13-23. Scroll to the bottom of this post, to read the associated posts. 10 Study Questions…
3 Keys of Application Taken From the Keys of the Kingdom This week, we’ve been talking about keys. In particular, “the keys to the kingdom of heaven” from Matthew 16. If you’re just checking in, click HERE to read “Would You Share the Keys to Your Kingdom?“ or click HERE to read “Exploring the Keys to…
3 Important Truths: This week, we’re discussing this Biblical concept. What did it mean for the disciple, Peter? What did it mean for the rest of the disciples? And what does it mean for us? To begin, I suggest reading through Matthew 16. After you’ve read the passage, we’ll start by getting a little context on…
Take a look at your keys. As you look at each key, think about what each of those keys locks or unlocks. Why do you have each of those keys? Why are they important to you? Do you have plain key ring or a novelty key chain? What does your set of keys say about…
Requests of Submission Humility & Faith. Found in Matthew 15:21-28, there was a Canaanite woman full of submission, humility and faith. (Click HERE to read the previous post, unpacking her story.) Moving forward with application, there are so many questions: What did the disciples learn? What should we learn? How does her story impact our…
There once was a Canaanite woman. This woman makes a request of Christ that is filled with an incredible amount of submission, humility and faith. This is her story: “Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy…