We are free first and foremost because Jesus took our punishment. He took the burden to save us from hell, freeing us from the grasp of sin and death. And it's easy to consider ourselves free from spending eternity in hell, but why aren't we living in this freedom in the present? Read: 2 Corinthians 3:17 Notes: Some translations use the word liberty instead o[...]
As believers, we've been taught the promise of freedom in Christ. But true freedom is easier said than done, right? So for the next 2 weeks, we're going to dive into some scripture about the freedom that Jesus gives to us. Notes: Free // ἐλεύθερος eleutherosDefinition // unbound, free to realize one's destiny in ChristWebster Definition //[...]
The teaching is repeated multiple times in several ways. Jesus was trying to get the point across. The point about heaven being the ultimate prize. Read: Matthew 13:45-46 Notes: Pearls were highly prized in ancient times.The prize of heaven is high and Jesus was trying to prove his point of the worth of getting there, no matter the high cost. Discuss with[...]
Treasure is mentioned a lot in scripture. Where we are supposed to hide our treasures, what should be considered treasure. Treasure was obviously an important thing in the days of Jesus. Well treasures are still important. We each have our own treasures and there's also those adventuring treasure hunters of the world. Read: Matthew 13:44 Notes: The ultimate[...]
Who doesn't love some fresh bread? Jesus is the bread of life, right? Ya know, not the kale of life. Anyway, this one little verse packs a punch of a parable. A lot of the time the leaven is referred to as an influence that would be negative. Jesus is changing the analogy though. Read: Matthew 13:33 Notes: Leaven is yeastSometimes leaven is referring to corru[...]
Don't start listening to some people who argue about seed sizes. That's truly not the point of this parable. Focus on the whole picture. Again Jesus is using agricultural terminology so that the people would have the ability to grasp what he's talking about. It's a simple analogy but an affective one. Read: Matthew 13:31-32 Notes: Smallest seed to the larges[...]
Wheat is a prominent crop throughout scripture. Nehemiah's family worked in the wheat field. Boaz and Ruth found each other in the wheat. The major and minor prophets discuss wheat. So Jesus wasn't going to not use it as a lesson. He's again using what the people around him would know so that they could understand his message. Read: Matthew 13:24-30 Notes:[...]