Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:26b-28 ESV
Being a disciple is more than just being a student. Being a disciple is modeling your life after your teacher.
Jesus modeled for us what it meant to serve, giving up his own life — not just preaching and healing and multiplying bread — but being a servant even to the point of death.
If you’re like me, it’s hard to get your husband a glass of water from the kitchen. If you’re like me, it’s hard to clean up after your kids. If you’re like me, it’s hard to put down Facebook and to pick up the phone and make a real live call to a needy friend.
But … I do it even though it’s hard, because I want others to be able to model their lives after mine, as I model my life after my Master’s.
My children are watching me. My sisters are watching me. Those who don’t know Christ yet are watching me. You are watching me.
Am I the real deal? I want to be.
Am I perfect? No, I’m not. Only God is perfect. But I’m not who I was…. And I pray that my changed life is evidence of Christ in me and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
I am no longer my own. I’ve been bought with a price and Christ has changed me from the inside out. I want to be a walking billboard that says, “I’M A NEW CREATION! CHRIST HAS MADE ME NEW! THE OLD IS GONE! BEHOLD THE NEW HAS COME!”
Heavenly Father, make us more like your son. Help us to die to ourselves and live for You. Help us to remember that Jesus died for us and that we have the power through the Holy Spirit to overwhelmingly conquer! Teach us to be servants – Servants of Christ and Servants of our neighbor. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Perfect Master and Teacher and King. Amen.
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:13-16 ESV
How would you answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” It’s the most important question you’ll ever have to answer … And someday you will have to answer it.
Jesus never really lived. The whole Christian religion is all hype, made up by his followers.
Jesus was a good man who showed people how to live a moral life, but he never claimed to be God.
Jesus was a great teacher who lived in Israel in the first century. People should read the Bible to learn more about Him and so they can live better lives.
Jesus was the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. He was the promised Messiah, the Savior of all who trust in Him. Jesus lived a sinless life and died on a cross to pay the punishment that our sins deserve. Only those who trust in Him will be saved from God’s holy wrath.
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father, Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to earth, to teach and live and die and be raised to life as the all-sufficient atoning sacrifice. He is that long-awaited Messiah, the Savior, that Your people had been waiting for. I pray for all those descendants of Abraham who missed Him and pray that You would draw them to Your side today. I pray for all those people who will warm seats in churches this Easter Sunday but whose hearts are still cold toward the gospel. Please ignite a fire in their hearts and open their eyes to the truth of Your Word. I pray for all those across our nation and around the world who have never heard a clear explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and ask You to send people to talk with them. Make us Your willing ambassadors today! In the holy name of Christ Jesus I pray, Amen.
This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
Matthew 15:8 ESV
According to Merriam-Websters dictionary, lip service is a noun, “an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds.”
This Easter season is a perfect time to really evaluate if your belief in Jesus is just “lip service.”
Does your heart truly belong to Jesus Christ?
Do your daily deeds match the faith you profess?
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, Give me clean hands and a pure heart. Let me worship You in Spirit and truth each and every day. Keep me from the sins of hypocrisy and pride. May my heart be true and my life be authentic and Your praise be on my lips. In the name of Christ Jesus I pray, Amen
… Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
Matthew 14:27-29 ESV
I have no words. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, please encourage our hearts today. Help us to take heart, to be strong and courageous, to get out of the safety of the boat and to walk on the water into Your waiting arms. There is so much rampant wickedness all around us. The world and the weather seem out of control. Father, remind us that You are in control. You are still on Your throne. Your eye is still on the sparrow and You are still watching over us. May our eyes be fixed on Jesus, so that we are not terrified by the winds and the storms. By Your grace and by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:47-50
From beginning to end of Matthew 13, Jesus was faithful to tell the whole truth, not just half the truth, for half the truth isn’t really the truth. If you only say “When you die the angels will come and take you to heaven,” but you don’t also explain that all the evil people (that’s me apart from my faith in Christ!) will be thrown into the fiery furnace, you are not really telling the truth.
Friends, please know that I’m writing these words to myself, because I need to hear them, but I hope they will encourage you as well. I want so desperately for people to be saved, that sometimes I only want to tell them the “Happy News about Eternal Life” … but the truth is that no one can fully appreciate the good news of the gospel until they’ve understood that every single one of us are sinners who deserve hell apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ.
So long as you think that you are a good person, and that you are going to heaven by your own merit, then, who needs Jesus?
May the words of Christ fall on fertile soil and bear much fruit! Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace in telling us the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Thank You for explaining to us that every one of us is a sinner deserving of hell. Thank You for the best news I’ve ever heard – that Jesus Christ paid the price for my sin by His death on the cross, and that by believing in Him I have been saved from the fiery furnace of hell and will live with You in heaven for all eternity. This is truly the most awesome, wonderful, fantastic, marvelous news I could ever hear! May we share this truth every day of the year, but especially this weekend as we remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray, Amen.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:34-39 ESV
What do I love more than Jesus? Sleep? Chocolate cake? My phone?
Who do I love more than Jesus? My mom and dad? My friends? My kids? My husband?
Who is on the throne of my heart? Who rules over my thoughts and my actions? Who am I living my life for?
It’s a lot to think about. Let’s pray
Lord, help me to love you more than anything, more than anyone. Make me willing to lose what I love for Your name. Show me today what that looks like. In the name of Jesus Christ, the only worthy One, Amen.
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Matthew 9:9 ESV
When you read that verse, Matthew 9:9, did you consider its author? This is Matthew’s own testimony. Matthew is saying, “This is me. I am that man. I am the one who was sitting at the tax booth. I am the one who Jesus called.”
The very next verse, Matthew 9:10 says that “Jesus reclined at table in the house,” but Matthew doesn’t tell you whose house it is. You have to read Luke 5:29 to discover that it was Matthew’s own house. Matthew has opened his own house and many tax collectors and sinners had come to eat and spend time with Jesus and his disciples.
How awesome is that! I wish that I had been quick to introduce my friends to Jesus. If you have someone in your life that you are discipling, or if you yourself are a new believer, please don’t wait until you have all the answers to invite your friends to meet Jesus.
But the Pharisees didn’t like it. They thought you needed to clean yourself up before coming to Jesus, but I’m here to tell you: You don’t!
Jesus says, “Come as you are… And leave new. I will make you new. I will change you. I am the one who heals and saves. I am the great physician of the body and the soul. Come to me! Today! Don’t wait!”
Heavenly Father, I pray for each one reading this, those who are new in their faith to share their faith today; for those who have been Christians for years, not to look down their nose at unbelievers and new believers who don’t know how to behave; and for those who don’t know you yet that they will come to you today and not delay. Your arms are open wide. Thank you. Thank you for calling Matthew while he was working in that text booth and thank you for calling me while I was running headlong away from You.
In Matthew 8 we read about Jesus healing the leper and the centurion’s servant and then Peter’s own mother-in-law, but when the disciples find themselves in about in the middle of a great storm, they struggle with fear and faith.
And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:25-27 ESV
On the one hand, the disciples showed faith because they did go to Jesus and ask him to save them. Let’s be real – if you and I were together in a boat that is sinking, I’m quite sure you would not come to me and say, “Save me, Kim, I’m perishing!”
And yet Jesus scolds them because they are so afraid. Jesus knows their thoughts. He knows their hearts. He knows they lack the full breadth and width and depth of faith that they need to live lives free of fear. They still have much to learn about the greatness of His power!
This is just what I needed to hear as my area has endured horrific acts of violence and countless tornadoes with more ever on the horizon. How about you? What storms are you facing today?
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father, help me not to be afraid about all the health stuff, weather stuff, and family stuff, the daily fears of my life. Help me to fully trust You to lead me, save me, and protect me. I know that You are able. I know that You have all authority in heaven and on earth. Anything that You allow into my life or send into my life, I trust is ultimately for Your glory, for the good of Your kingdom, and for my good.
If I die it’s for Your glory and for my good, because I get to be with You for all eternity. If I suffer, it’s for Your glory and for my good because I can know You more fully. If I am, richly blessed with every earthly blessing – honor and wealth and wisdom – that too is for Your glory and for my good that I may declare Your appraises and majesty and honor.
In the name of our Almighty King Jesus I pray, Amen
Lord Jesus, I pray that we would humble ourselves before You, recognizing our need and our poverty, and acknowledging Your strength and goodness. It is indeed good to be afflicted, that we might know You and Your power in our suffering. In the good and gracious name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:1
It struck me that it was the Spirit that led Jesus to go into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Why? Why would God want Jesus to be tempted? I found the answer in the Word, in Hebrews.
"Therefore [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:17-18 ESV
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV
Jesus experienced the very human experience of temptation, yet He resisted the devil by His will and by the Word, and so can we. Like 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1:13-15 ESV
So … What should we do when we face temptation?
Take every thought captive to obey Christ. (See 2 Corinthians 10:5) The battle against temptation is won and lost in your thoughts. If you want to resist temptation, you need to “think about what you’re thinking about!” As soon as you’re tempted, capture that thought and get rid of it. Then, replace it with the truth of God’s Word. After 40 days of fasting, I’m sure Jesus was so so so hungry! I know how I feel after fasting for 12 hours. Jesus overcame temptation with God’s Word, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes in the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 – Look at Deuteronomy 8:3 for it’s original use) The more of God’s Word you have stored in your heart, the more equipped you’ll be to replace those wrong thoughts with the right ones!
Resist the devil. Ask yourself this question, “Who am I resisting, God or the devil?” All too often we are resisting God and submitting to the devil. 😩 We’ve got it all wrong! And if we want to resist the devil, we have to keep our eyes open to his temptations and schemes. If you knew you were in the lion’s den, you’d keep alert for a lion, wouldn’t you? Listen carefully to the words of 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
Submit to God. In those tough moments, remember that God is your commanding officer. He has every right to give you your matching orders, and He expects you to obey them. Read what James has to say about this. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8a ESV) When you’re struggling with temptation, no matter what it is, turn to God and obey Him in faith. Trust that He is good and that His plans are for your good.
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, Each and every day the temptations that come our way are many. Some temptations are stronger than others, but all of them can be overcome by Your Spirit and Your Word. He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. Your Word is my sword by which I can resist the devil’s schemes. Please help me to resist the devil and submit to you. You are my commanding officer. I am no longer a slave to sin. I am no longer a slave to my flash. I am no longer a child of Satan and the world. I am a child of God, by the blood of Jesus. I am a soldier in the army of the Lord. I have been bought with a price and now I want to serve You with my body. I am a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You, my Lord and Captain and King. In the holy and almighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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