Pastor Frog says...

There are plenty of opinions about Jesus, and that’s nothing new. Even while he was traveling and teaching around the region of Galilee, some people clamored to see him and others despised him. They all heard the same teaching and saw the same miracles, but they reacted very differently.

When you think about the things Jesus said and did, what is your reaction?

What comes to mind when you think of Easter? Colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, kids dressed in pastels? But this holiday is more than candy and delicious food and pastel colors. It’s a victory celebration. The Enemy did everything to try to wipe out the the bloodline of David and to stop any chance of a messiah gaining a foothold in the world. But Jesus surprised everybody by not fighting. Instead of trying to gain political and military might, he surrendered his life to death. And then he surprised everyone even more by coming back from the dead three days later.

It’s an amazing story, and these events shoo up the whole world. So how does it impact you?

Palm Sunday celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but it wasn’t long before he was assassinated. It looked like the enemy had won. But Jesus surprised everybody by gaining victory through humility and self sacrifice.

Do you have any struggles?  It seems like just about everybody does.  Some struggles we choose—like getting in shape or learning a new language.  Some we don’t have any choice in—like dealing with cancer or the loss of a loved one.

Jesus struggled against suffering and death by choice.  He entered into a broken and hurting world in order to bring healing and new life to us.  Matthew tells us a story of how Jesus came close to people in their brokenness to demonstrate the kind of transformation God wants to bring to the lives of all people.

The Tax Man

What comes to mind when you hear the word “church”?

Do you picture a happy place or a somber gathering?  Do you see steeples and stained glass or modern architecture?  Maybe you think of classic hymns sung by a choir or you hear eclectic guitars and drums.  Churches can look, sound, and feel very different whether you’re comparing them from around the world or even from different places in the same town.  We love our habits and traditions and personal style. Sometimes we even let them define who we are.

But what does Jesus see when he looks at the people who make up the church? The answer to that might be found in an encounter that Jesus had with a certain tax collector.

How do you feel about authority? Lots of people have lots of opinions—and they can be very different depending on your experience with various kinds of authority. Some people fear it. Some respect it. And Some rebel against it.

Matthew tells us about how Jesus handled authority in a way that surprised everybody.

“What kind of man is this?”

A lot of people ask that question about Jesus–including his disciples. After following him around for years and watching him teach and interact with with people and the environment, Matthew recounts one of his memories of Jesus to answer that question. It was a crazy experience that included stormy seas and swimming swine.

What does it mean to “follow” Jesus!

Do you have faith?I’ll bet you do.

If you could ask Jesus to do one thing for you, what would it be?