The great thing about the Bible is that there is so much in there. While many of the stories are inspiring and joyful, others are dark and horrifying. Some fill you with the excitement of the best action thriller movies you've ever seen while others are quieter, more introspective. But they all should help us fill in a picture of who God is and what he can do.

Today we take a break from our journey through Matthew's story about Jesus to spend a few minutes in a filed filled with death and hopelessness until the breath of God turns death into new life.

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Grace and peace to each of you.

If you're like most people, Jesus isn't the Messiah you want him to be.

You're not alone in that. There were plenty of people in his day who worked to stop him, to keep him from changing the world. They were willing to do whatever it took to make sure he didn't get a chance to do more than he already had.

Even among his own followers, questions had risen which they didn't like the answers to...

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Grace and peace to each of you. We hope you find these moments of study useful and thought-provoking. Go with God.

Have you ever wondered exactly what God wants you to do with your life?

Didn't you realize that there is no reason for you to wonder? 

Jesus laid out a simple, six-step plan for us to follow to be ready when he comes.

Six simple, as easy as you want them to be, as big as you want them to be, steps. Steps you NEED to follow.

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Grace and peace to you all this week!

That well-known 80's philosopher Blondie once described the Rapture by saying about a man from Mars: 

Now he's gone back up to space

Where he won't have a hassle with the human race

When Jesus teaches about the time when God's Kingdom will be fully realized, he uses some terms and ideas that some of his followers have taken to mean something VERY different than what had originally been intended. At no point does Jesus ever say that we're going to fly off to space to a special box seat where we'll get to watch the end of the world. But what he DID say is the sort of thing which should change our expectations and our actions. 

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Grace and peace to each of you.

Jesus said to get out.

They did.

Why?

Because they trusted his warning.

And the greatest slaughter in history got to happen without them.

Matthew 24 included a prophecy for the people of that time. What, if anything, can we take from it to make living in our time better?

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Grace and peace to you.

You remember that time when Jesus told people that religion was dragging them into hell?

Funny how that doesn't get preached on much, isn't it?

Or maybe it isn't so funny.

I wonder why religious leaders don't spend more time talking about the fact Jesus said that we shouldn't be religious leaders. And who it is he says we should follow instead.

Because when Jesus says that we're either a child of the Kingdom of God or a child of hell, that seems like something that would be really important for us to hear and understand, doesn't it?

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Grace and peace to you.

It's time to play everyone's favorite game: Q&A with Jesus!

Today we will see three challengers take on the champion, trying to stump him with their questions and so avoid having to respond to his. Will they be successful, or will Jesus complete the challenge to win at the game's highest level?

And what does any of that have to do with Four Children?

Find out in today's exciting episode of Matthew's Gospel!

This edition of Matthew's Gospel is brought to you by The Salvation Army's Grass Valley Corps, Captain Roger McCort presenting. If you have questions or comments, you can post them in the comments or email [email protected]. 

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Grace and peace to you all this week!

There's something weird about the confrontation between Jesus and the chief priests in the Temple.

The stories he tells are an indictment of the way they have been leading, but when you read them all as one piece, rather than picking them apart and teaching them one at a time, it doesn't sound so much like condemnation as it does like a plea for repentance. He's giving them a warning, not a reprimand. He's reaching out to them, not turning his back on them.

He's not telling them they've missed their opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God. He's warning them that they could.

Or at least, that's how I read it. I think it's how Matthew intended us to read it. What do you think? Join our conversation today!

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Want to know more about being a part of the Kingdom of God? Reach out to me and we can talk about it.

Grace and peace to you this week.

In his first three days in Jerusalem, Jesus acted out three living parables - three prophetic actions which point to the reign of God overcoming the rebellion of the world.

Here's the thing: In spite of the very public and dramatic nature of these events, the people witnessing them may not have even noticed they occurred.

Even though Jesus was declared king, initiated his reign, investigated and condemned corruption, showed the right way, and indicated that judgment was coming to bring justice and a new way of relating to God. 

For most, it all seemed kind of ordinary. We're going to pull back the curtain to catch a glimpse of what was really going on.

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Grace and peace to you this week!

Ignorance seeks leadership, power, and glory, says a modern commentator. A couple centuries back, Matthew Henry wrote that we are idiots when we ask for the glory of wearing a crown instead of for grace to bear a cross. Jesus said we need to forget about trying to be in charge and focus on being servants or, better, slaves, to others instead.

What do you think you rule over? Should you rethink that?

Questions, comments, and wild sputtering about the way I'm obviously misreading how Jesus said we should backstab our friends to get ahead in this life can be posted here or emailed to [email protected]

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Grace and peace to you all.