"And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria... Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word." Have you ever watched a farmer plant his field? He doesn't carefully place each seed in a perfect little pot. No, he scatters those seeds all across the field, sometimes in what look...  Read More

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit." Every farmer knows an incredible truth that most people never think about: before you can have a harvest, something has to die. That beautiful corn in the field? It started with a seed that completely disappeared into the ground. The apple tree producing fruit...  Read More

"And the tenants took his servants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another." Picture a farmer who leases his land to tenants. When harvest time approaches, he sends his most trusted workers to remind the tenants of their agreement. But instead of welcoming these messengers, the tenants get angry. "Who are these people to tell us what to do with 'our' land?" So they beat up the first m...  Read More

"And the tenants took his servants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they treated them the same way." Imagine you own a beautiful farm and decide to lease it to tenants. You provide everything they need - rich soil, protective fencing, all the equipment, even workers to help them. The only agreement is simple: when harvest ...  Read More

"When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit." Have you ever watched a farmer during harvest season? There's incredible urgency in that moment. After months of watering, weeding, and waiting, the farmer knows exactly what he's looking for. He doesn't accept wilted plants or rotten produce - he wants quality fruit that reflects all the care he invested....  Read More

"Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants and went to another country." Picture this: A master farmer doesn't just throw seeds randomly in a field and hope for the best. No, he carefully prepares the soil, plants each seed with purpose, builds protective fences, and prov...  Read More

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." If this week's journey through Jesus' teaching on heart purity has left you feeling convicted, you're not alone. The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, called himself the "chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). King David, described as "a ...  Read More

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." The ancient Jewish concept of "building a fence around the Torah" offers profound wisdom for modern believers. Rabbis would create additional rules—not because God's commands were insufficient, but because human nature is weak. If the Torah prohibited work on...  Read More

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell." Jesus employs shocking hyperbole that would have made His first-centu...  Read More

"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." The ancient Greek word for "lured" (exelko) was a fishing term—describing how a fish is drawn out from its safe place by attractive bait. James uses hunting imagery too: "enticed" (deleazo) referred to trapping animals...  Read More

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” In first-century Judaism, the religious leaders had mastered the art of external compliance. They could recite the commandments, follow the rituals, and maintain their reputation in the community. Yet Jesus...  Read More

"So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." This week we've walked through the deadly progression: bitterness ➡️ wrath ➡️ anger ➡️ clamor ➡️ slander ➡️ malice. It's a dark path that leads to destruction. But Jesus...  Read More