Of all the couples throughout history, Adam and Eve had the best chance of getting it right. Perfect home, perfect job, no kids… and a daily walk with the Lord. What could possibly go wrong?

We’ve purposely selected this particular passage to close out our series on the commands of Christ. There’s a lot of confusion about how this whole human existence is to play out. At the end of Matthew Jesus makes it clear that we are to await his return. Let’s dig deeper to learn what this means.

Some of Jesus’s commands were directives – do this, go there. Others were warnings to withhold action. This one can be misconstrued in a number of different ways, and may just be the ticket to get someone off the hook from proclaiming the Gospel.

One of Peter’s last encounters with the Risen Savior was intense. In his love, Jesus confronted Peter’s sin, but didn’t allow that sin to define Peter. In the end there was a great commissioning that we all can champion.

There seems to be a theme in the life of Jesus, and that theme is forgiveness. Not only are there at least 7 times Jesus taught the concept, his entire life was a demonstration of God’s forgiveness for a rebellious creation.

Do you consider yourself a “little one?” You might be surprised to find that whereas Jesus loves children, Matthew 18:10 was not a reference to children, per se.

Americans are all about standing for their rights, and the church has been white knuckling the issue itself. In this new “cancel culture” the world is no longer hiding its animosity toward Christian churches, demanding that if you don’t acquiesce to the culture, you’ll face the consequences. It seems clear that “rendering to Caesar” applies beyond taxes. How do we know what hill to die on?

Psalm 11 might be short, but it's power-packed. We might find ourselves in the midst of turmoil, and yet, nothing escapes God's notice. He reigns supreme, and that should bring us great comfort.

It’s so fascinating that most of the commands of Jesus that we’ve been studying have been taken from the Gospel of Matthew, who was intent on showing the Jewish people that Jesus was the King – the Messiah – that they were waiting for. Kings often foisted heavy burdens on their subjects, a point not lost on the oppressed Roman world. Imagine then, Jesus calling everyone to willingly go under the yoke of another. Has he gone mad?

Yes, a layup will get you two points, and maybe draw a foul for two more, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about storing up wealth. Maybe talking about money is awkward, but that’s all the more reason to discuss it. Nothing is off limits to God, and Jesus made that perfectly clear.