Category: Bible Study

How to Be Great!

Matt 23 pic

Matthew 23

15 Seconds of Fame. All eyes on you. Receiving an applaud. Taking a bow. If we’re being honest, it is easy to seek recognition in life’s little & big moments. In Matthew 23, while speaking to his disciples and to the crowds, Jesus warns against acts of hypocrisy & the seeking of self-glorification. Moreover, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were setting a poor example in their daily lives for they did not practice what they preached.

 

Matthew 23:4 states, “they (referring to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law) tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”

 

The teachers of the law & the Pharisees acted on a daily basis for all the wrong reasons. As it is said in verse 5 that “everything they do is done for people to see.” They craved high status. What do you think this may look like today? Maybe you have helped in a service activity with the sole intent of posting about it later on Social Media. Maybe you did the right thing just to impress someone. Maybe your worship service has lost the factor of authenticity and has become more of a production than anything. To this day, there are several ways that we may resemble the actions of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, even if we are doing so unknowingly.

 

I love this passage because Jesus paints a clear picture of how one can be great and it is not found in status. Matthew 23:11-12 states “for the greatest among will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

 

This verse reminds me of a prayer that I have come to like. “God, hollow me of anything that would get in your way… Hollow me of any pride, insecurity, and doubt. Make me hollow enough that You can breathe something through me that would turn people’s eyes to You. Make me a hollow enough vessel that You can breathe something that is literally beyond me.” –Toby Mac

 

According to Mac, this has become his heartfelt prayer- one that he prays right before he composes a new song of worship. Even in the midst of fame, Mac knows that God is the one worthy of praise.

 

Are you willing to do what is good even if you are not glorified by the world? Are you willing to get your hands dirty with your teammates, classmates, co-workers, employees, peers, (etc.) to complete a task? Are you willing to humble yourself? We are vessels, equipped with the ability to turn eyes to the Lord above. Vessels who can shine a glimmer of light into an all too often dark world.

 

Finally, consider Matthew 6:1-2 as you go about your days. “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full” (Matthew 6:1-2).

-Kayla Tullis

 

 

RSVP!

It’s a Wedding Banquet You Won’t Want to Miss!

Matt 22 2

Matthew 22 – Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Day by day, I am continually reminded that this life is ever short and ever precious. The saying “you never know what you have until it’s gone” has seemed to be a very frequent, very loud, and very clear message to me as I have gone about this year and have witnessed several loved ones finding themselves face to face with the most trying of situations. Though we walk through many trials in this life, comfort can be found in the eternal hope of the coming Kingdom of God.

 

Today, you have read through Matthew Chapter 22. In verses 1-14, Jesus uses a parable to compare the Kingdom of Heaven to a Royal Wedding Banquet.

 

As listed below, there are several points that can be taken away from this parable.

 

  1. “I have prepared my dinner. . . Come to the banquet” (Matt. 22:4).

This banquet wasn’t thrown together quickly. Rather, preparation took place to make sure that everything was just right. In the same way, our Father too is preparing His coming kingdom.

 

  1. Some of those invited “paid no attention and went off- one to his field, another to his business” (Matt. 22:5).

How many times have you heard the message of the Kingdom of Heaven yet ignored it? Maybe life has been “too busy” for you to RSVP to this wedding banquet event. Maybe your mindset is “I’ll look into it tomorrow.” What if tomorrow never comes? Are you actively preparing for the wedding banquet? Or in other words, are you seeking The Kingdom on a daily basis?

 

  1. “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come” (Matt. 22:8).

Do you feel unworthy of your invitation? That’s okay, I do too. It is true! None of us are deserving of the sacrifice that has been made on our behalf, such a sacrifice that bridged the gap between our sinful nature to a pure and holy God as we were washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.

 

  1. “Go into the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find” (Matt. 22:9).

Anyone is invited. We have the ability to spread the news of this coming Kingdom.

 

  1. The king noticed a man at the wedding banquet who was not wearing wedding clothes. He was thrown into the darkness. “Many are invited to this banquet, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22: 11-14)

Many are invited, but few are chosen. Let’s not waste our invitation to be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven. Rather, let’s live a life pleasing to God.

In doing so, may we hold true to Matthew 22:37-39.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

Your invitation is ready. Do you accept?

 

-Kayla Tullis

 

Hello everyone.  My name is Kayla Tullis and I am very excited to spend this week digging deep into the FUEL Bible Devotions with you all. I am nineteen years old and I attend North Hills Church of God in Ohio. I am currently studying at Edison State CC with the pursuit of becoming an educator one day. In addition to attending school full time, I play basketball at the collegiate level and work in childcare at the Kids Learning Place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bearing Fruit

Matt 21 43

Matthew 21

After Jesus radically cleansed the Jerusalem Temple by driving out the thieves that were there, he came to a fig tree because he was hungry. Unfortunately, the fig tree was not producing any figs at this point in time. In a bizarre twist in the story, Jesus condemns the barren tree and it begins to wither. What is even more confusing about this story is that Jesus never explains it.

This is what most people today believe happened with this tree: Jesus was condemning the current Jerusalem for producing the fruit of righteousness that God desired. The story has basically nothing to do with the tree itself; it was a prophetic condemnation on Israel for not doing what God wanted them to do. They were simply going through the motions of their religious practice, and lacked what they truly needed: a love for their God, and a love for the people around them.

We do not want to be condemned by Jesus for not “bearing fruit”. We need to make sure that we are producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our lives, and “being Jesus” to the rest of the world. We need to act as faithful stewards of the grace that has been given to us. We need to be “good trees”, producing fruit that God would be proud of.

-Talon Paul

It’s Not Fair! But It’s a Great Gift!

matt 20 13 15

Matthew 20

In Matthew 20, Jesus gives a parable about a man who went to hire servants to work in his vineyard. He hired one worker at 9:00am, another around noon, a third at about 3:00pm, and a final servant around 5:00pm. At the end of the day, he gave them all the wages that he had promised to them. However, the first worker was very upset that the last worker got the same amount of money that he had gotten (I’m sure we would react the same way).

The point that Jesus is trying to make in this parable is that, no matter how long you have been following Christ, you will all get the same reward in the end. Now, that may be troubling for some, but it is important to remember that none of us deserve the gift of immortal life (Romans 6:23). We need to be appreciative of the fact that we will inherit immortal life because of Christ, and not be mad that somebody else didn’t “put as much work into it” as we have. Anyone at any time can accept Christ before he comes back, and have the same reward.

The challenge today for you is to offer this gift to somebody else that has not accepted Christ as their Savior. Don’t allow them to say, “It’s too late for me”; it does not matter when you believe the gospel. The most important thing is that you just believe. Offer the gift of salvation to someone today; you just may save their life.

-Talon Paul

Followers Rewarded

matt 19 30

Matthew 19

We often wonder about what sort of rewards are waiting for us when we start a task. If we offer to mow the lawn for our parents, we usually expect some form of reward for that, or if we want to start a job, our first thought is, “How much money will I get from this?” In Matthew 19:27, Peter asks this very question of Jesus. He says, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you; what then will there be for us?”

Don’t you often wonder what will be your reward for following Jesus? This is simply in our human nature to want some form of reward for taking on any task, especially one as demanding as following Jesus. Jesus tells Peter this: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name’s sake, will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life.” Isn’t that a glorious promise from our Savior? Not only will we have to wait for him to come back to inherit immortal life; we can receive some reward now while we wait. This does not mean that we will get rich by any means, but it does mean that you will be given something great in this life for your service to Christ.

What has God given you through Christ? Have you ever had to leave something behind in order to follow him? Today’s challenge is to focus on the good things that God has given you, instead of the negatives that come with following His Son. And remember to always look forward to Christ’s return, where we will inherit immortal life in a perfect world, without sin, sorrow, or pain.

-Talon Paul

Forgiven to Forgive

Matt 18 33

Matthew 18

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus gives his disciples a parable that is related to forgiveness. In the parable, a man is presented before a king to pay back the debt that he owes. Unfortunately for the man, the debt that he owes is extremely high and impossible to pay back. The king is shown to be compassionate, and forgives the man for the debt. The story then takes a turn for the worst; the man does not forgive a slave for the debt that he owes, even though the debt owed to him was absurdly smaller than the debt he owed to the king. He faced great punishment when the king found out.

The principle of this parable is this; forgiveness is crucial to being accepted by God. We have been forgiven our debt of sin before God, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, which is a debt that can never be repaid. We need to have an attitude of forgiveness because of this fact. Nothing that anyone else has done to us can even compare to what Jesus had to go through for us, so we need to be ready to forgive, just as we were forgiven.

Have you forgiven others this week for wronging you? Is there something that you need to let go of? Do you have an attitude of forgiveness today?

-Talon Paul

The Driving Force of Faith

Matt 17 20

Matthew 17

After Jesus’ disciples failed to drive out a demon in Matthew 17, Jesus comes along and takes care of it for them. The obvious question they have is, “Why could we not drive it out?” Then Jesus tells them something very powerful: “Because of the littleness of your faith…” We see here that faith is supposed to be the driving force behind everything that we do as Christians; unfortunately, if Jesus were here today, he would probably say the same thing to the majority of us.

What exactly is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” There are a lot of things that we cannot currently see: God, Jesus, the kingdom of God, the dead rising, sin being wiped out, etc. However, if we have faith that those things are real, or will be made real in the future, then we can accomplish almost anything for the sake of Christ. We need to have unwavering faith that Jesus died for our sins and is coming back again to establish the kingdom of God. Without this hope, what is keeping us going in this life?

How is your faith today? Are you able to believe that the impossible is possible today in the name of Jesus, or are you skeptical of what can happen? “If you have faith as a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20

-Talon Paul

Who Makes the Rules?

Matt 16 13

Matthew 16

In Matthew 16:13-16, Jesus asks his disciples a very important question: “Who do you say that I am?” While others had been calling Jesus by different titles, Peter comes up with the correct answer. He says, “You are the Messiah (Christ), the Son of the living God.” This is a powerful statement that Peter makes here. He is declaring that Jesus is the King and the Savior of the whole world!

Now the same question needs to be asked of us each day; “Who do you say that I am?” Many people claim that Jesus was just a very good moral teacher. Others claim that he was a prophet of God, but not God’s Son. Who is Jesus to you? And how does that impact your spiritual life?

If Jesus truly is the promised ruler of God’s kingdom from 2 Samuel chapter 7 and Daniel chapter 7, then that means that Jesus “makes the rules” for our lives, not the other way around. Accepting Jesus as the Messiah does not simply mean we are forgiven of our sins; it means we have agreed to walk the path that he has set before us. Are you willing to follow Jesus? Even if it is difficult? Who is Jesus to you?

-Talon Paul

True Worship

matt 15 8

Matthew 15

In a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees over traditions that the Pharisees held to, Jesus quotes a passage from Isaiah 29: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matthew 15:8,9 NASB) This is critical for understanding what it truly means to worship God our Father. We cannot merely offer “lip-service” to our God, but need to be truly devoted to Him with our whole hearts.

How many times have we gone into church on Sunday morning, sang songs about God and Jesus, listened to a sermon, and then went home as if nothing has really happened? We have all done this at some point, and we pretend like we have truly been worshipping God by doing this; unfortunately, this is not what God desires. In Deuteronomy 6:4-5, we see what God truly wants: “Hear, O Israel! YHWH is our God, YHWH is one! You shall love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Jesus himself quoted this passage when someone asked him what the greatest commandment is in Mark 10:29-30. We can see that God does not just want us to say we love Him; He wants us to honestly have a deep relationship with Him as a father. The challenge for us this week is to not merely go to church because we are expected to go every week; let’s go to church because we honestly want to develop a deeper relationship with our God and His Son, Jesus.

-Talon Paul

Talon Paul is a pastor at the Maple Grove Community Church in Kokomo, IN. He is married to Rebbecca Massie from Ohio, and is originally from Oregon, IL. He has a deep love for God, his church, wrestling, and Pokemon Go.

Sinking in Our Circumstances

matt 14 27

Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

After sending his disciples into the boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and after dismissing the crowds, Jesus goes up onto the mountain alone to pray (vv. 22-23). The disciples were attempting to sail across the sea but were having trouble because they were facing a head wind and waves (v. 24). In the “fourth” watch, which corresponds to our 3-6am, Jesus came walking to the disciples on the water (v. 25). This is Roman reckoning of time as they divided the night (6pm-6am) into four watches while the Jews divided it into only three. As the scene is set, it is the middle of the night and the disciples are in the middle of the sea, and Jesus comes walking on water in the middle of the storm.

The terror of the disciples is immediately noted as they thought Jesus was a “ghost,” meaning an “apparition” (v. 26) The Master speaks calmly to them and reassures them that it is indeed he who they are seeing (v. 27). Peter, wanting to know if it truly was the Lord, requests that he be allowed to join Jesus upon the water (v. 28). Jesus’ simple response indicates the simplicity of the request: “Come” (v. 29). However, once outside the boat, Peter’s perception of the wind and the waves caused him to falter in his confidence and desperately cried out for the Lord to help him (v. 30). Jesus reached out his hand and picked Peter up, entered the boat, and calmed the storm (vv. 31-32).

What is surprising is that Jesus reached out his hand to help his sinking disciple rather than giving him verbal exhortation or encouragement. Jesus’ address to Peter comes in the form: “O you of little faith” (v. 31). What we see in this record is Peter allowing the surrounding circumstances to affect him and his focus upon the Lord. Peter exited the boat and began to walk toward Jesus. But when he looked around and saw the wind and the waves, his progress was impeded, for he began to sink.

I think that this illustration is quite comparable to what we encounter in our lives. We have our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and are serving him in the kingdom, but at times we look around and become more focused on what is happening around us and allow that to affect our perception of ourselves so that we begin to sink. We lack that confidence and assurance that we once had as we were walking toward the Lord. But the good news is that the Lord has not left us helpless and is not far from us. He will reach down and help us if we will but call out to him. Jesus isn’t looking for perfect disciples, but faithful followers. And faithfulness means a continued reliance and trust in the one who we call our Master.

-Jerry Weirwille