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In Matthew 14, Jesus looks at a hungry crowd and sees more than a problem. He sees people. And His compassion moves Him to act. Jesus still works this way today. He invites you to see what He sees and join in what He’s doing. He isn’t looking for your ability. He’s looking for your availability. Your faith story starts with surrender, and it keeps going the same way. You bring the little you have. Jesus takes care of the miracle. Your part is simply to obey and trust Him with the outcome. And here’s the best news: before Jesus ever asked you to surrender anything, He surrendered His life for you. He is the Bread of Life, and in Him, you’ll find everything you need

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells 7 parables. In each parable, Jesus is calling us to respond to the Kingdom of Heaven. From sowing seeds of the Gospel to preparing for the final Judgment, Jesus is very clear that we should be investing our lives in the Kingdom of God. First of all, have you made a personal commitment to Jesus? Has there ever been a time you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins and be the Lord and Savior of your life? If not, then how about today? And if so, then are you sowing seeds of the Gospel? Are you investing your life in what really matters? Don’t become so familiar with Jesus that you miss who He is and what He is calling you to do.

Evil is real, but God still owns the field. In Matthew 13, Jesus shows us that the harvest is coming and that God has made a way for anyone to become wheat. Our call is to labor in our portion of the field, so the next generation grows strong among the weeds.

Which soil is your heart? Jesus said there are four types of soil, so every one of us today will fall into one of these four categories: hard path, rocky, thorny or fruitful. Have you ever personally accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, then receive the Word of God today and experience the joy of growing in Jesus. If you are a Christian, then grow deep roots and don’t get distracted by the things of this world. This is your time to bear fruit. This is our time together to impact those around us and the next generation for the glory of our God. As a church family, let’s commit to praying for 40 days about how God can use each of us to bear more fruit for Jesus.

Jesus brings a new kingdom, a new sign, and a new family. Through Jesus, the kingdom of God comes to earth as the Spirit of God is at work. Jesus is also the ultimate sign of God’s love, giving His life for us so we can have salvation. And through faith in Jesus, we become part of a new family, defined not by blood but by following Jesus and living according to God’s will.

Jesus came to heal and redeem people. Religion is about man trying to get to God. But Christianity is about God coming to man. Religion is about rules, but Jesus is about people. Jesus loves people, and He loves you. When we place our faith fully in Jesus, it changes everything in our lives. He overcomes our fears to bring healing and hope to our hearts. Jesus makes us whole. May we live our entire lives with our faith fully in Jesus and one day hear Him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Let’s choose faith over fear today.

Jesus came to show us the Father and to allow us, as sinners, to gain access to God. God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to us. Most Christians understand the Gospel intellectually. We know we are not perfect, and we are in need of a Savior. But few Christians actually live in the overwhelming grace and love of God every day. When we do, all fear is gone. We have complete faith and trust in the One who loves us even more than we love ourselves. Jesus’ heart beats for you. Choose faith over fear today because you are loved!

Jesus doesn’t always work according to our expectations, but He is always faithful to God’s plan. When doubts and questions come, bring them to Him and keep your faith rooted in who you are in Christ. Live with an open heart, reflecting Jesus in the way you live, and let His wisdom be evident through your actions.

Today we come to Matthew 10 in our study of the Gospel of Matthew. Up to this point, Jesus has been teaching His disciples the way of the Kingdom of God and doing all the ministry as they watched. Now, He will send them out to put into practice what they have been learning and seeing in Him. Jesus gives them a charge before they go to trust Him and to choose faith over fear in every situation. Just like the disciples back then, Jesus sends us out into the world today. We are called to choose faith over fear as we live out our faith and share Jesus with others.

In Matthew 9, we truly see Jesus’ heart. We have heard Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5-7, seen His miracles in Matthew 8, and now we see His heart. Jesus’ heart is filled with love and compassion. Jesus loves all people. He invites everyone to follow Him. Regardless of your religious background or the mistakes in your life. Jesus invites us on the journey of a lifetime. And, in the process, we grow to become like Him - people of love and compassion. Are you growing spiritually? And are you sharing your faith story with others? Choose faith over fear.

We live in a spiritual battle. There is an epic struggle between good vs. evil. We have an enemy that wars against us. Yet, as Christians, we have the Spirit of God in us, so our enemy cannot possess us, but he can tempt us. He can try to distract us from living for the things of God. But our God is greater! Jesus defeated our enemy on the cross and through His Resurrection, so our victory is secure. How will you respond to Jesus? Will you recognize Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and live with confidence in HIm? Jesus has all authority! Choose faith over fear.

Jesus invites us to follow Him. But following Jesus doesn’t mean life will always be easy. Even as Christians, we go through storms. Some storms are small - a worry, a fear - a passing moment, but other storms are big - relationships, sickness - a longer battle to fight. But we must never forget that Jesus is in the storm with us. Jesus is greater than anything we will ever face, and Jesus is Lord over all. It is in the storms where our faith grows the most. Therefore, will you put your eyes on Jesus and not simply on the storms? Let’s choose faith over fear today.

God calls us to live with faith over fear. Yet, we live in a world of fear. We are bombarded every day with worries, doubts and fears. And, every day we must decide if we are going to live with faith or fear. When we bring our fears to Jesus, He hears our heart and answers our prayers. And, when He does, we are called to respond with worship, gratitude and service. What fears do you have today? Fears of the future, fears of failure, fears for your family or friends. Let’s bring all our fears to Jesus and ask Him to grow our faith. He is willing and able today.

Jesus ends His longest sermon with an invitation. A call to those listening to respond. There are disciples and there is the crowd. How will you respond today? Jesus said there is a wide gate that leads to destruction or a narrow gate that leads to life. Will you enter through the narrow gate of Jesus today? Will you enter into an eternal relationship with the One who came to give His life for you? And, will you build your life on the Rock of Christ? How will you respond today?

Jesus invites us to approach God with confidence, continually asking, seeking, and knocking. Prayer is about trusting our good Father, who knows what we need, transforms us through every season, and calls us to share His goodness with others.