Matthew 28:16-20, The Great Commission

The Great Commission... It is one of the most important things you can do to
enhance the kingdom of heaven. To make disciples (simply to share about who
Jesus is and what He has done for you) in the world around you. You can
draw from people in your small, medium or large circles. Your small circle
is those around you on a daily basis, your closest friends or family
members. You medium circle are your peers at school that you see often but
seldomly interact with. And your large circle is the general public, the
bank teller, the cash register at the grocery store, the mail man etc. So
find someone in any of those circles and make a disciple. This is a
commandment of Jesus' not a suggestion. It is one of the very last things
He said before leaving this earth and it is how you and I know about the
gospel of salvation today, because those men Jesus gave the GREAT COMMISSION
too that day shared about HIM and spread it to us! Go therefore and make
disciples!

Luke 24:13-53, The Road to Emmaus

Jesus is walking right next to you

Luke 24:13-53 describes Jesus appearing to two men on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus after His resurrection. The men don’t realize that it is Jesus walking with them on the seven mile trip as they are focused on trying to figure out their disappointments.

This story causes me to ask the question, What are the “things” in our lives that distract us from realizing that Jesus is walking right next to us through life?
Even in our hardest, lowest times in life Jesus is right beside us the whole way. But many times, because of our focus on our disappointments, frustrations, challenges, distractions etc., we forget that Jesus is right there with us. Jesus desires to guide us through life especially through our hard times. So my challenge to you is to evaluate your life and ask God to show you the areas of your life that are causing you to forget that Jesus is our focus. Hebrews 12:2 says; Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and protector of our faith.

Let’s take our focus off the “things” of our life and set them on Jesus!

-joey

John 20:24-31, Jesus appears to a doubting Thomas

It wasn't till after Jesus' resurrection that pieces started to come together for the disciples. Jesus is going to appear suddenly to Thomas who is still unconvinced that his master is alive. His picture of Jesus is about to change dramatically.

Luke 22:39-46, Jesus in the Garden

Jesus wrestled in anguish with what was soon to become of him. It was thursday night as he prayed to God a prayer that went unanswered. "If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." But God's plan was to push through the pain for a far greater purpose that would be accomplished. Sometimes we forget that Jesus was 100% human. That he felt the depths of pain just as we do. We talk so much about Jesus being God that we often forget he was also human JUST LIKE US. yes, just like us. In perhaps his weakest hour, Jesus was all alone. His closest friends couldn't even stay awake with him that night. His prayer to God did not come true. And the next thing he knew, he was betrayed with a kiss, arrested, and saw his disciples run away scared.

But Jesus knew the pains of Friday would be worth the purposes that were accomplished on Sunday! And so it is the same in our own lives. Jesus knows your pain better than you think he does. But what is amazing is that just as jesus walked through the pain for a greater purpose, so it must happen in our own lives. God could have chosen not to put Jesus through the pain of the cross. God can also choose to remove pain from our lives if he so desires. But often times it is through great pain that great purposes are accomplished.

Jesus prepares to leave, John 13-17

No one saw it coming. His disciples had not picked up on the hints. Jesus was preparing to go away. The cross was before him but no one but him anticipated it. If you keep your mind in the first century you would have never anticipated it either. What is Jesus supposed to say? what are the right words when you are preparing to leave quite unexpectedly?

Immediatley following the washing of the disciples feet, Jesus begins to explain his departure. He encourages the disciples to love each other, to know that he is going off to prepare a place for them and will return, and that he is going to send another Counselor in his absence. Yet, the disciples are numb. They cannot understand what this all means. Where could Jesus possibly be going where they could not follow?

Slip on the sandals of the disciples this week and wrestle with this question, "why did Jesus have to leave?". Read these 5 chapters in John over the course of the week and consider how you would've felt. It simply doesn't make sense that Jesus is going to leave. And it will soon take the disciples by surprise.

John 13, The Greatest Extent of His Love

The tides are about to change. Jesus' ministry is quickly building towards something very unprecedented. Join us this week as we journey into the life of Jesus as he prepares to give his life in a way that none of his disciples would have ever imagined.

the little boy who gave

The Greatest Commandment, Matthew 22:37-38

If you summed it all up, pressed it all down, simplified it at best, and put it into the tightest package possible....there are 2 Great things to get right...

Jesus Calms the Storm, Matthew 8:23

Do you have faith in the storms of your life?

Mathew 8:23-27 tells of the time when Jesus and His disciples were on a boat
in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and a huge storm erupts. The disciples
thought they were going to die so they woke up Jesus calmed the wind and
waves, but before he calmed the storm Jesus called out the disciples on
their little faith.

When storms erupt in your life do you run straight to Jesus? Or do you try
and fix/stop the storm by your own strength?

This story in Mathew shows us that when are life feels like its been rocked
by a storm that God will take care of everything if we lean on Him.

-joey

Eating With the Tax Collectors, Matthew 9:9-13

Would you dine with the dishonest?

Luke 10, The Good Samaritan

An expert in the law asks Jesus, "How do I inherit eternal life?" Jesus then responds by asking him how he would answer the question. He says, "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself."

Jesus sees this as a great response....

But the man had something else he was itching to ask. "Who is really my neighbor?" he asks.

And so Jesus tells a story. (Read Lk 10:30-35)

One thing we have learned about Jesus is that he always gets to the heart of the matter. The man probably wasn't a fan of Jesus making a Samaritan the hero of a story. In fact, he couldn't even bring himself to say..the samaritan. he simply said, "the one who had mercy on him". You can feel the tension in his own heart. The one...that one man...is the one he hoped he didn't have to include as his neighbor.

The story of the Good Samaritan needs to be retitled. Because it's a story about loving people you hate. We don't have any Samaritans around us today. In fact, the title "Good Samaritan" is a very pleasant thought in our society today. if jesus were telling the story today i imagine he would replace the Samaritan with an illegal immigrant. or perhaps an Arab Muslim. or maybe your brother or your parents. maybe even a friend that has stabbed you in the back. Why would it be titled that way?

Because the point of the story is to point out the hatred in our own hearts. So retitle the story in your own mind.

The Good _______________