Book: Matthew

Jesus had to take the cup of God’s wrath. He didn’t come to wield the sword but to step under it for us: It was the only way! True salvation is not something we can achieve, but something we must receive.

You can tell if you are Judas or Mary by how you respond when life disappoints you. How you respond to suffering & pain is the measure of your understanding & embrace of the gospel. Judas represents a “religious” approach to God: I serve God to get things from God, & I expect to be rewarded for my behavior. Mary understood the Gospel: I deserve nothing, God has given me everything. Christ is a treasure worth losing everything for.

God’s ability to clean things up is infinitely greater than our ability to mess things up.

A disciple is a person who (1) Is following Christ (head); (2) Is being changed by Christ (heart); & (3) Is committed to the mission of Christ (hands).

Christmas is coming to understand because of what I’ve done, I’ll never get to God. So, God came to me. He died on the cross and what He asked in return is all of me, complete ownership.

Today you will make a decision. Either I accept this, that my sin has been dealt with or I’m going to choose to go and handle my own life one way or another.

Worry is sin because it denies the wisdom of God; it says that He doesn’t know what He’s doing. It denies the love of God; it says He does not care. And it denies the power of God; it says that He isn’t able to deliver me from whatever is causing me to worry.

Being a Christian is not about following the law or a set of rules. It is about following a person—Jesus Christ. He is there to forgive you when you fail, He is there to pick you up when you fall, and He is there to strengthen you for the journey ahead. He is there to give you rest for your soul.

When we break away from God’s designs for our money—whether intentionally or unintentionally—we bring stress down on ourselves.