Matthew 19:13-15

April 21, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.” (Mt 19:13-15)

I’m not certain what the disciples were thinking here. I suspect they were trying to protect Jesus’ time and energy. That may sound strange to people who have never been involved in public ministry. Working with people can be draining in so many ways, and it is tempting to find ways to avoid people.

That may sound counterintuitive, but I am aware of a megastar pastor who intentionally designed his new church building to provide a protected entrance to the pulpit, so that he didn’t “have to be around those people.“ I have seen staff pastors fill their hands with documents so they can pretend to read in order to avoid people as they move through a crowd on Sunday morning. These pastors have lost sight of their claimed call to gospel ministry. Gospel ministry involves people. That’s true for pastors and lay people alike.

Jesus’ response to the disciples was instructive for all of us. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them.” While his specific point of not excluding children is not lost on me, I think this was Jesus’ message about people, in general. We should not hinder people, any people, from coming to Jesus. I am reminded of the story of the blind men at Jericho who the crowds tried to silence as they cried out to Jesus for help (Mt 20). Jesus’ response in that situation was to call those blind men to himself.

This gives me much to consider in how I selectively encourage or discourage various people related to coming to Jesus. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Mark 14:10 says Jesus was indignant about the disciples trying to prevent children from coming to him.

Father, please help me not to be selective in who I encourage or allow to come to Jesus. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, heart matters, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament

Matthew 10:14-15

April 12, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.” (Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭15‬)

Here, Jesus is sending his disciples out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (6), proclaiming “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (7). Today’s verses are a) Jesus’ instructions for how to symbolically reject anyone who is not receptive to the disciples or their message, and b) the judgment that awaits those who reject the disciples and their message.

First, the disciples are to shake the dust from their feet as they leave the rejecting home. Luke (9:5) adds that this is a testimony against them. Paul and Barnabas repeated this practice in Pisidian Antioch (13:51). It seems this practice is a means of visibly saying, “I have done what I can. I bear no responsibility for you.”

Second, the judgment that awaits those who reject is ominous. Jesus clearly indicates that a) there will be a day of judgment, and b) that real judgment will be applied to those who reject the disciples’ message.

Unfortunately, there is a growing effort, even among evangelicals, in our day to minimize or reduce the severity of this judgment. Jesus’ warning is not hyperbolic or exaggerated. Even though Mark and Luke do not include the warning of Sodom and Gomorrah in their retelling of Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples, Peter references the destruction of the twin cities in his epistle: “if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;” (‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬). So did Jude: “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” (‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬)

Today’s verses should give me pause. I need to reconsider how I think about the lost. Do I share the concern of Jesus, Peter, and Jude? Or, do I dismiss the judgment to come as hyperbole or as “their problem, not mine”?

Father, help me to share Jesus’ heart for the lost. Help me to be more burdened for those who are walking (even running!) toward judgment. Please forgive me for my apathy. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Evangelism, Gospels, heart matters, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 6:1

April 8, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬)

The key words here are “in order to.” These words address motive. In this case, the motive is to be seen by men. Those who practice righteousness before men, in order to” be recognized by those people will not be rewarded by the Father. Wow!

This is not a warning to forgo righteousness before people. It is a warning about motives. I don’t know if the challenge is greater today than it was then. But in our age of social media and instant gratification, this is a tough challenge.

The desire to be recognized for our good deeds and clean living is strong. One YouTube genre I really enjoy features people surprising someone who’s fallen on hard times with a kind and generous gesture. While those videos often cause me to tear up, I’m conflicted because the person is filming themselves performing the kindness, then uploading the video for people to see.

If asked, I’m sure the person would say they post the video to encourage others to follow their example of kindness, not to get the applause of men. I know that I want my kids to see my faith in action as a way of passing it on to them. But do I want them to see how faith works in the real world more than I want them to think I’m a good Christian? At times, I’m afraid I want their recognition more than anything. That’s tough to discern.

Ultimately, we should express our faith before men, not for their applause but for the approval of our Father in heaven.

Father, please help me to shape my heart so that when I live a godly life in front of others, I do that for your glory, not mine. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, heart matters, Hope this Helps, humility, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

John 21:19

April 2, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” (John‬ ‭21‬:‭19‬)

Two things stand out to me in this verse. First, Those who follow Christ closely may experience martyrdom. Since Peter walked closely with Jesus, his denials notwithstanding, many may expect that Peter would be exempt from experiencing bad things in life. Among many others, this verse demonstrates the error of such thinking.

Second, believers are required to keep tracking with the Lord if/when they experience hardship. The faulty belief that Christians should not experience hardship often causes people to walk away from Jesus when life gets tough. But, hardship does not offer us such a pass.

We were recently speaking with the mother of a child who had brain cancer in the 3rd or 4th grade. Although she has been declared cancer-free, the cancer and treatments caused a traumatic brain injury. This injury has affected her motor skills and information processing. Her life has been impacted significantly. Yet, her mother said, “She hasn’t lost her belief in God.”

Father, please help me remember that I am not better than Jesus, and I, too, may face difficult circumstances. Help me to remain faithful. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, heart matters, Jesus Said, John, New Testament, Suffering

Luke 19:10

March 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

What a beautiful purpose statement: to seek and save the lost. That’s what Jesus did for me.

The context of this statement is the story of Zacchaeus, the diminutive tax collector. The shock, possibly scandal of a tax collector being forgiven of his sins, precipitated this declaration.

I can imagine that onlookers had the spirit that tax collectors were beyond salvation. The reason I can imagine that is that it is what I still do. This hard spot in my heart is revealed at moments I don’t expect; just like it was last week. I was subbing in a class at a “difficult” school. When I entered, two boys were huddled on the floor near the Chromebook cabinet with their devices tethered to the charging cords.

These kids were dirty, had bad haircuts, dressed in tattered clothes, and were out of place. I consider myself pretty good at interacting with kids from all backgrounds, but God helped me see that there is still some work to be done in my heart.

As the day progressed, I had several interactions with one of the boys; the other was out of the class most of the day for behavioral counseling or academic help. I had repeatedly corrected my one friend who was struggling to stay on task. He kept talking with the kids near his new workstation. He kept switching tabs on his device to look at dragons. He couldn’t find the required paragraph to complete his assignment. It was one thing, then another.

Finally, enough was enough. I told him he had to return to his desk, which was in a pod with other kids. He didn’t want to be with them, and they didn’t want to be with him. He figured out a compromise, and the next thing I knew, he was sitting at a table with me.

Again, I think I am objectively good at interacting with kids from every economic, social, and ethnic background. But the critical spirit can hide undetected deep in the heart. After he sat down beside me, he seemed to lock in on his work. I noticed how unbelievably dirty he was. Head to toe. Finger tip to finger tip. I recalled about 10 minutes earlier when he sneezed a big blob of goo on his hand, then discreetly ate it. Even while having a pleasant conversation with him, my mind was making note of all the things “wrong” with him.

I stopped chatting with him because he was locked in on his work, and I wanted him to stay locked in. He couldn’t abide the silence, though, and started humming, then softly singing “Jesus loves me, He who died, / Heaven’s gate to open wide. / He will wash away my sin, / Let His little child come in.”

Admittedly (and to my shame!), I was surprised such a “troubled” kid would know that song. I asked, “Where do you know that song from?” He answered matter-of-factly, “church.” “You go to church?” I asked with shock, but carefully spoken so as not to reveal the judgmental spirit that had just surfaced from a dark spot in my heart.

He eventually told me he goes to Freeway Church, which is a ministry that I love, love, love! I have had several students from Freeway, and they were always among my best, most dedicated students. Freeway is a ministry for folks who have been incarcerated and/or struggle with addiction. And this kid, singing Jesus Loves Me, was a fruit of Freeway. Hallelujah!

In the very best way and with the greatest respect, I describe Freeway as a bit of an old-fashioned, hard-preaching, repent and be saved ministry. They offer tremendous community for walking through life post-incarceration and post-addiction or on the way to post-addiction. And they believe “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I must have been red-faced as I realized the judgmental spirit that I had toward that kid. I must have been like those folks around Zacchaeus, thinking he was too far gone.

Father, thank you for rescuing sinners, me included, regardless of the package they come in. Please forgive me for focusing so intently on the external package of this particular kid and for letting me hear those glorious words “Jesus Loves Me.” Thank you for this lesson. Please help me genuinely learn from it.

Filed Under: conversion, devotional thoughts, forgiveness, heart matters, humility, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Luke, New Testament
Next Page »