God made the Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath. Showing mercy is a more reliable sign of a righteous life than giving up things.

Carrying weight, we aren’t asked to carry and fighting a fight that has already been won, we become exhausted. Jesus invites us to lay down that burden and come to Him for rest.

God seems to delight in defying our expectations, and Jesus and John certainly did that in their generation. Their vindication- and ours- is not meeting people's expectations, but in bearing good fruit for God and satisfying Him!

"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." When we serve others, we are living out the heart of Jesus. How can we serve each other in this local body?

Since his conception, Jesus has defied expectations. When he doesn't work in our lives the way we expect him to, it can lead us to doubt who we know Him to be. When we hold on to the confident trust we have in the Lord, blessings abound.

What do we do when the gospel comes home in a real way, and like a sword, divides families? Can this be the will of God? How will God replace what has been lost?

Jesus does not mince words when He describes the situation into which He is sending His disciples. What motivates us to answer the call? Is it the clear call of Jesus or our own sense of heroism?

We all begin our faith following Jesus, but Jesus is going to push us even further. Just as He empowered and sent out his first Apostles, He also empowers us and sends us out. What should we expect as we go for Him?

Resurrection is the basis of our entire faith, our hope, and our salvation, yet many Christians do not believe that God raises the dead. Jesus has a cure for our unbelief, and a resurrection for every broken spirit that puts their trust in Him.

Jesus has called us to take up our crosses and follow Him. Instead, we often seek out comforts to keep us from trials rather than the Comforter to be with us in our trials. Will we lay down the idol of comfort and lift Jesus up as worthy of ultimate sacrifice?