Called. Equipped. Sent out…Betrayed?? 'Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas,… Continue reading My 15 Minutes: Matthew 10:1-4: Judas, the World’s Most Notorious Hypocite, Part 1
Are there any passages of Scripture you come across that slay you? Shread your heart and leave you bare? That so grieve you they propel you to action. Not out of guilt, but out of love. Passion. Urgency. For me, it’s Matthew 7:21. Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the… Continue reading My 15 Minutes: Matthew 3:1-12: Religion vs Relationship
We had some of the strangest weather yesterday. It started out with a constant misty-drizzle, everything was drippy and dreary. Then a few hours later, the sun came out displaying one of my favorite things: sunshine glittering off raindrops still clinging to the grass and trees. Everything looked bright and exciting, fresh and clean, holding… Continue reading My 15 Minutes: Matthew 7:24-27: Sunshine and Thunderheads
Do you ever read Scripture and have more questions than answers? Sometimes, ideally, the answers you seek are found in other parts of Scripture. Other times, if you’re lucky, a Biblical scholar may have spent months going through dusty old tomes of historical and cultural documents and written about what he’s/she’s learned. Then there are… Continue reading My 15 Minutes: Matthew 2:1-12: Out of Town Guests
Have you ever wondered what your epitaph would be? I’m not being morbid. I’m honestly curious. Up until a few months ago, I didn’t give it much thought either. What changed? One of my heroes crossed the finish line into Heaven. Okay, so that you know, I have not become preoccupied with death. I’ve become… Continue reading My 15 Minutes: Matthew 1:18-19: Epitaphs, Legacy, and Joseph
Sometimes the Bible is hard to read—I don’t mean difficult, I mean boring. Some sections are just not as exciting as others. To be honest, some passages used to make me groan every time I came to them. Logically, I knew God included those sections for a reason, but I was hard-pressed to figure out… Continue reading My 15 Minutes: Matthew 1:1-17: Geneaologies, Our Heritage, and Women
Matthew was from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of priests. But he didn’t serve the Jews as a God-fearing priest; he stole for them as a self-serving tax collector. Then one day Jesus walked to his desk and said, “Follow me and be my disciple.” So Matthew got up and followed him. (Mt. 9:9).… Continue reading My 15 Minutes: Who Was Matthew and Why Did He Write?
