Matthew 21

The parables that Jesus tells in this chapter should have rocked the hearers at the time and the Jewish readers of Matthew's account. They are such a direct message to their apathy and lack of sight in what Jesus was there to do. We need to hear it too!

Matthew 20

The first shall be last.

Jesus goes on to demonstrate this so powerfully on the cross

Matthew 20

Our Chrstian walk is service to the Lord Jesus because ...

"the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

We serve Christ through serving others.

Matthew 19

...come, follow me...

Is all Jesus asks.

To be like a child and accept the authority of Jesus, the God Man.

Not to follow blindly, but follow because we love Him as a response to the Salvation he brings.

Matthew 18

This chapter really spoke to me about forgiveness.

That even though there is an orderly way to deal faults, we are to approach with an attitude of forgiveness.

We must be quick to forgive!

Matthew 19

What hit me was the verse:
"Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
I've literally just read this with the girls. Our children are precious to the Lord & TO THEM belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 17

I got a real sense of the frustration that Jesus felt (yet still did not sin) when his disciples - the closest to him - STILL did not understand why he was there and what he would do.

"... For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

Praise the Lord

Matthew 16

Oh, that we would hear the voice of the Lord when He speaks through His Word and His people, and our hearts would not be hardened against it.

Matthew 18

We need to forgive others before we can receive God's forgiveness.

Matthew 17

Just believe.

"if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 16

We all need a personal revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus says that Peter's declaration of Jesus as "..the Christ, the Son of the living God"

was revealed to him by his Heavenly Father.

We do need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and His ways.

Peter later rebukes Jesus for what He says about how He will die. So Jesus rebukes Peter for "not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Matthew 15

True faith works from the inside out.

Jesus challenges the Jews not to rely on what they do and the faith of the Canaanite woman goeson to prove this.

Matthew 15

Verses 8 & 9 are challenging. Do we ever place tradition above God's Word?

Matthew 14

The impression i have of Jesus in this chapter is a man of compassion; authority and of great purpose. He knows when to minister to others; when to draw away; when to draw close and when to encourage & reassure.