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N dreams of a tree, but the interpretation is that God will punish him with temporary insanity. Daniel is tactful again, “If only this were a message for your enemies…” and though probably afraid is still willing to tell the king the truth. Acknowledging God is necessary for N's recovery. Daniel calls on him to renounce his sin by doing what is right, and renounce wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. The antidote to a sick heart is good action. Attitude can be cured by action. N recovers and praises God. Possible application points: do you have to hit rock bottom to call out to God? (incl. CR testimony?) What sin do you need to renounce? What good action do you need to engage in to change your attitude towards the oppressed? Who are the oppressed around us?
King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a statue of himself that everyone should worship but Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse and are thrown into the fiery furnace. A fourth person is seen walking around with them in the furnace and they emerge unharmed, with no smell of fire on them. N turns and worships God saying this is the true God. Possible application points: what are we tempted to worship other than God? How do we resist this pressure to conform? How can we strengthen our faith so, like SMA, we can say “Our God is able to rescue us, but even if he does not, we will not bow down!” God preserves those who remain faithful to him, even if they die (Bonhoeffer). The goal is “to have no smell of fire” (compromise) on us.
Nebuchadnezzar's dream as interpreted by Daniel reveals that they are about to enter a time of serious geopolitical uncertainty. Kingdoms will rise and fall, but God will set up an unbreakable kingdom which will endure forever. As Daniel interprets this dream correctly, the king gives honor to Daniel and his god. Daniel uses his position to promote other godly men.
We are living in a physical world that nonetheless has a spiritual reality to it (represented by God-given dreams in this instance). The astrologers and magicians are told to tell the king not only what the dream means, but what the dream was: and getting it wrong is the death penalty: high stakes! But only God can reveal ultimate truth. Application: How do we keep the spiritual in mind in such a pressing physical world? How do we avail ourselves of God's truth. How can we cultivate a life of intelligence/wisdom/prayer/gratitude?
Daniel is brought into a culture hostile and alien to him. He enters a 3 year training program. He chooses not to defile himself in the alien culture, which has traps and dangers. We are living away from home (we are citizens of heaven). The culture has traps and dangers for us. How do we live in such a way that we do not get defiled? How do we stand apart and live different so that people can see the difference?
One could argue that Jesus' greatest test was not on the Cross but in the Garden. For the Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus “began to be sorrowful and troubled.” And only here does Jesus tells his dearest friends that “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.” An honest look at Jesus' very human emotions invites multiple questions – of Jesus and ourselves.
Are you a sheep, or a goat?? Jesus calls us to treat others as we would treat him in that situation. Who are 'the least of these' in our context? What should move us to action and how?
While the Disciples are impressed by the Temple, Jesus wants their trust and admiration to go elsewhere. He - Jesus himself - is the true and trustworthy Temple. And only Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth.And because Jesus is our temple – the only focus of our worship – we are invited to a)trust his full authority, b)move through life with his calling to disciple, baptize and teach, and c)be assured of his constant presence with us.
"Practice what you preach!" In this chapter, Jesus scathingly rebukes the clergy for their false religion. And his words were recorded and written so that WE would hear them -- so Matthew no doubt intends those words for THE CHURCH. So, how do we tame the "pharisee" that is inside each one of us?
Let's talk about Life after death... so much of our efforts deny resurrection (like the Saduccees) or leaving resurrection unexplored (like the Pharisees). Jesus does neither, and we are blest if we follow his lead.
Jesus clears the Temple on Palm Sunday. His anger and rebuke of those who sold and bought in the temple is a model for our call to "be angry but do not sin" (Eph 4:26). Not all anger is sin, and sometimes NOT getting angry indicates a heart not fully committed to God (Note: I will be referring to the parallel passage of John 2:14-16). What makes you angry? What should make you angry (but doesn't)?
God's generosity baffles us. When we truly understand it, we are offended (not fair to me!) or grateful (for me?!) - but we are always surprised!
Every human has an innate desire to find lasting meaning and purpose. All humans long for a legacy that lasts. The ‘Righteous/Rich/Young/Ruler' knows all indications are that Jesus is the one with the answers he longs for. But will he follow? Will we? What holds us back? And how can we live with lasting meaning and purpose?
One of the most difficult things a Christian is asked to do is to forgive -- truly forgive. We will explore what forgiveness means (and doesn't mean), and how God wants us to forgive when we don't think we can.
Once again, we examine the Church. The Transfiguration story tells us the shape of the Church (Christ preeminent, with the Law(Moses) and the Prophets(Elijah)), the power of the Church (Christ in Glory), and the weakness of the Church (human mistakes like Peter's happen LOTS!)
We'll focus on Jesus' commission to Peter - and how the Church destroys the gates of hell.
recounts a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees, where they criticize His disciples for not following traditional hand-washing rituals. Jesus responds by teaching that true defilement comes from the heart, not external practices, emphasizing that evil thoughts and actions are what truly make someone unclean.As Christians, this passage encourages us to focus on inner purity and spiritual integrity rather than merely following external rituals, reminding us that our hearts and motives are what matter most to God.
"You give them something to eat" - it's Jesus' command to ALL of his followers. Like his Disciples (or "ministers"), we have never been in the "miracle business" (trying to make something happen because of our own ingenuity, charisma or hard work -- instead, we are in the "distribution business" -- sharing what we've been given.
The four types of ground: path, rocky ground, thorns, and good soil: how can we cultivate our hearts to be sensitive to God, and fruitful in our obedience.
"Life without God is... Freedom? Self-sufficiency? Science...? " The answer from generations of philosophers (whether Christian or not) is instead "...despair and darkness." But, responding to that existential human condition, Is 9:1 tells us "Nevertheless..." Let's realize that – because of God coming to earth at Christmas – life's darkness (that we cannot by ourselves escape) has been seared open by a devastatingly brilliant light. Most important, this Light is not our doing – it is outside of us, and it comes from beyond us. This realization is the beginning of humility, and of openness to God's grace.
If we're not careful, we can let the sweetness and beauty of Christmas distract us from the power and sheer impossibility of Christmas. God has come to earth as a child…! “Immanuel” is – all at the same time – comforting (“God is near me, how nice!”), unsettling (“God sees everything I'm doing?!?”), and completely implausible.
"You shall bruise his heel, and he will crush your head." (Ge 3:15) The Bible doesn't make it more than two pages before it starts telling us what Jesus will do. The serpent will harm Jesus, but Jesus will destroy the serpent in return! Like a child before Christmas(!), God so wants to unwrap his gifts and show us what's coming.
Jesus calls those who are weary and burdened to come to him and receive rest. What are we burdened by? Guilt, shame, disappointment... we can bring it all to him and find forgiveness, grace, mercy. His yoke is easy and He is gentle with us. In him our souls find rest. (Augustine: Our souls are restless until they find their rest in Him)
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.Matthew 10:34Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me is not worthy of me, and who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.Matthew 10:37Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.Matthew 10:39
As Jesus comes down from the mountain (where he taught God's Law), he now applies that law by helping people. But not just "people"-- outsiders! No circumstance will keep you or me from worshiping, asking for, and receiving the grace of Jesus.
Jesus teaches that our acts of righteousness, such as giving to the needy, should be done with genuine humility rather than for public recognition. Verses 19-24 emphasize the importance of storing treasures in heaven instead of on earth, urging us to focus our hearts on what truly matters—our relationship with God & loving others well!
God calls and equips his followers for a purpose- to be living proof of a loving God. He qualifies the unqualified. It's as simple and difficult as following.
This first half of Matthew repeatedly asks a clear but crucial question - "Who is this person Jesus??" -- and in the baptism of Jesus, we hear the Father's answer. The Old Testament helps us here -- Jesus fulfills TWO great hopes -- he is the "beloved son" of Psalm 2 and the servant "with whom I am well pleased" of Isaiah 42. That Jesus would be BOTH Mighty King and Suffering Servant - this was unthinkable to his people then; and it still baffles us today.
To our surprise, Jesus' nature evokes both passionate love/acceptance AND violent rejection. And (also to our surprise) Jesus and those who follow him are not immune to the violence.
Welcome to a journey through the Gospel of Matthew! By both studying and journalling, we together will experience the full impact of this life of Jesus. But the life of Jesus begins long before his birth! God has been planning, working, and weaving together stories of triumph and tragedy in preparation for the fulfillment of humanity's hopes and dreams. In Jesus' arrival, God wants us to see that we are no mere accidents of random genetics -- we are (as he was) part of God's plan, fulfilled in Christ and by Christ.
Spiritual Health Assessment - A Person who is living proof of a loving God has...
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18Trinity's new Mission Statement (Living Proof of a Loving God) begins today! Trinity's mission is NOT new - it's exactly what Jesus said in Acts 1:8. It's the bedrock statement of our church's purpose. Together with a few other things (our values, our strategy, and our mission measures), it makes up our church's vision -- a clear and concise picture of Trinity's desired future.
God has dreams for us to flourish. The Israelites were in captivity, but God had better plans for them. We can be part of moving people from a place of desperation and hopelessness, to flourishing and LIFE.
God alone is worthy -- can we realize that? Once again we consider how we worship God. Worship allows us to see the majesty of God, even when the reality of our struggles and daily lives might occupy us.
There is more to "reality" than meets the unaided senses! As the Apostle John experienced, things are not as they seem (that is, not merely as they seem) in our lives. God is at work; God has a purpose; and the all-powerful King Jesus is with us always.
Worship is not our creation or even our idea -- it is an imitation of what has been done in heaven for eternity; and it is a reflection of what every living being is drawn by God to do. Using Isaiah's vision, we will consider how God's presence in worship inspires us, instructs us, and sends us into the world with a purpose.
Every prophet's vision had both dreams and nightmares. Also, the people of God live in a world where disappointment, suffering, pain and sin exist along with joy, the love of family and friends, and forgiveness. It is often a challenge to reconcile and thrive in a sinful and fallen world. We ask, how do we deal with God's greater dreams for us? God's Word helps us with our disappointments, bringing comfort.
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