Disciples are more than people who have prayed to accept Christ. That is really just the beginning. Once the ‘Amen’ is said, there needs to be learning, living and sharing to become a disciple....

As I delve into the details of Jesus' suffering on the cross, I am struck by the sheer scale of his sacrifice. The depth of his love, which fueled his endurance of such a barbaric ordeal, is truly inspiring. It's truly astounding to consider how someone who is fully God and fully human, the King of Kings, Lord of lords, and King of the universe, could willingly endure such immense suffering and sh...

This passage draws a striking contrast between Jesus' innocence and the sin of everyone else. Judas declared Jesus innocent. Pilate recognized the accusations against Jesus were unfounded and motivated by envy....

Jesus’ trial is just another story about how the powerful and the liars win. Position and influence are more important than truth. The “powers that be” in this account are fueled by self-righteousness, anger, and hatred....

Failing can sometimes be a good thing because it reminds us that we need help and we don’t have it all together, were not perfect and we need God. Peter thought he had it together and he thought he could do a great work for God by himself, in the flesh (his own physical power) as did all the other disciples....

Jesus used the bread and the cup at the Passover meal as symbols of his death in order to show that he was fulfilling a number of OT passages and events. ...

It is interesting that the decision point for entry to heaven is how we live, not the mere fact of us “knowing Jesus as Savior.”...

Jesus has expectations of us to manage well everything we are entrusted with. He does not force us. We have free will. But one day we will answer for our stewardship....

This chapter begins with a discussion between Jesus and his disciples about the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus prophesied that the temple would be destroyed. The disciples followed up with a question about the timing of Jesus’ return and the end of the age; the time of God’s final judgment....

It is possible to be orthodox in our beliefs about God and be diligently engaged in religious practices, spiritual disciplines, and moral behaviors without being a true Christian....

The Triumphal Entry has taken place. Jesus has been in the Temple in Jerusalem teaching and healing people. The Sadducees and the Pharisees are doing their best to test Jesus with their questions. ...

If you realize people are trying to force you into a tight predicament by asking a question that they are not interested in the real answer, we need to be slow to give an answer, sometimes praying and being mindful of how we say things can make a world of difference....

The reading for today consists mainly of two parables of Jesus. They are both directed at the Pharisees and Chief Priests. The first parable compares the actions of two sons. The first son expressed an unwillingness to obey his father initially but he changed his mind and obeyed the father’s instructions, but never followed through obedient actions....

MATTHEW 21:18-27SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS: Vs 22 - And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Vs 27 - So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. OBSERVATIONS:Jesus was hungry and went over to a fig tree, found no fruit on it and then pronounced a curse on it and the tree died. This is a curious ...

The first 11 verses of Matthew 21 are called The Triumphal Entry. This event of the life of Christ is one of the few events that are found in all 4 Gospels. So we can conclude that this is a significant event not only to the people who were there but to us today as well. ...

All those invited to God's kingdom receive equal blessings according to God's grace and will. Therefore, we should revere God's grace and will and lead our actions and attitudes with trust and obedience. ...

Who gets into the kingdom of heaven? This passage has a contrast between children who are welcomed and blessed by Jesus and a young man who goes away disappointed....

The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus by having Him choose sides in a theological argument about divorce. The two schools of thought which represented two opposing views of divorce. ...

We are to be persistent when seeking reconciliation; if our first private attempt fails, we should include 2-3 fellow Christian to get the facts straight. If that fails, we should involve the church....

Paul challenges us to take on the humility of Christ in Philippians 2:3-11....