Jesus entered a spiritually dark region to deliver two men who were possessed by demons demonstrating the greater work He accomplished by coming into this sin darkened world to redeem a people for himself.

Christian, whether you're in a boat on the sea or just living your day to day life when the storm and torrents of trials suddenly come crashing down upon you- remember who it is who is with you, Jesus Christ, the God-Man. He can not only identify with you in the midst of your trouble bringing you peace, but He alone can deliver you from the storm and lead you to safety.

Though many people followed Jesus, not all were true followers. Even the true followers were challenged by Jesus to consider whether they truly understood what it means to follow Him.

When Jesus ministered the gift of healing to the sick and afflicted, He was pointing not only toward His greater work to be accomplished on the Cross -the healing of our sin-, but also toward His return again at the end of the age when all things would be made new.

Being born and raised in the covenant community of God's people doesn't guarantee that you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. In Matthew 8, an outsider's faith is commended by Jesus because it far exceeds the -faith- of the insiders.

Though we should be deliberate in having a regular dedicated time of prayer without distractions or time constraints, there are times when a quick, desperate prayer can be the most powerful and necessary prayer we can offer to the Lord.

With great compassion, Jesus ministers hope to a humble leper with great faith giving us not only an example of compassionate ministry to the needy- but also a vivid picture of the transforming touch the Gospel of hope can render in the life of an undeserving sinner.

Hearing the Gospel and simply saying we believe in Jesus without also sincerely believing in our hearts and doing God's will in our lives will leave us without security on the Day of Judgment.

False prophets and teachers abound today on the radio, on TV, in churches and in popular Christian books. Christians need to be more discerning in order to rightly judge the teaching they hear-read and the fruit it produces. To do this effectively they must be faithful to read, study, and meditate on the truth of God's Word, the Bible.

As Jesus begins to bring the Sermon on the Mount to a close He makes it clear that there are only two options in this life, two gates one can pass through- the wide gate opening to a broad but deceptive way that leads to destruction or the narrow gate opening to a difficult way but which ultimately leads to eternal life. The key question becomes - through which gate do YOU pass and on which way do YOU now travel-