Matthew 28

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

What a beautiful promise! The Lord is with us when we're at our highest points-and at our lowest. He's with us regardless of what our fickle emotions and feelings tell us. These two verses are definitely worthy of memorization. Our power is in the word of God. When we're able to stand on scripture in our time of need, we snatch all power from the enemy. This weekend, think of ways that you can fulfill The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). Share with someone about The Lord's unconditional love for you. Share your testimony to lead others to Him. 

I pray that you enjoyed the study of Matthew as much as I did! 

Happy Friday! :) 

Matthew 27

Seriously, who doesn't love a Beyonce reference remixed for Jesus? :)

"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open..." Matthew 27:50-52 

When the temple curtain was torn, it was a visual representation of the new covenant. The temple veil was sacred and represented how sin separated man from God. With the veil torn, and Jesus' sacrifice, we can have a personal relationship with God. We're able to pray to him, repent to him, worship him, live for him. He gave his life for YOU! That's the definition of true love and commitment! Today, reflect on what Jesus' death and resurrection mean to you. Are you living as though Christ lives inside of you? Happy Thursday! 

Matthew 26

Matthew 26 is the story of Jesus' betrayal and arrest. Honestly, I get slightly annoyed every time I read it. Could you imagine KNOWING someone was going to stab you in the back but not acting on it? Jesus knew that some of his "ride or die" friends (Matthew 26:35) would not be there for him when things got rough. Regardless of the prophesies, Jesus still chose to love Peter and Judas. 

Life application: People are bound to hurt and mistreat you because of our sinful, carnal nature. The power comes in your response. Christ followers are called to stand out and love those who are hard to love- because you're hard to love sometimes too (Romans 12:9-21). Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) when someone hurts you. Next time someone doesn't treat you right (according to your standards), I challenge you to begin to pray for them. Not just, "Bless their heart," but a genuine prayer like for a family member or your best friend. Romans 12:14 says to bless, not curse those who hurt you. You'll deepen your faith and mature as a result. Happy Wednesday! 

Matthew 25

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

What are you doing with the material things that God has blessed you with? Are you sowing into good ground by tithing to your church? Are you blessing others financially as God leads you? Are you harboring your spiritual gifts for yourself? Are others being brought to the knowledge of Christ through your words and actions? God doesn't want us to be afraid and bury our blessings (Matthew 25:24-30). Don't allow fear hold you back from growing in Christ. Happy Tuesday!

Matthew 24

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Matthew 24:44 

This chapter describes the second coming of Christ. If you've ever seen or read the Left Behind series, it's a pretty accurate depiction. We must have a sense of urgency. We don't know when Jesus will return. We don't have time to "get our life together" in our own strength and in our own time. We have to take a continuously look at our heart. What are we spending our time doing? Kingdom building or things of this world? (See Matthew 24:45-51). Get busy about God's work and have a happy Monday :)

Matthew 21

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22

We love to loosely quote verse 22. It's another great verse about how amazing God is. However, we have to remember that God isn't a genie in a bottle. He's not a magician who gives us everything that we ask for regardless of his will. Yes, when we give our hearts to God, and live for him, we do have the Holy Spirit within us. We do have authority to lay hands and call out the name of Jesus. But let's not look at this verse for selfish desires. Let's seek God and listen to the Holy Spirit's guidance about what and who to pray for. When we pray in accordance to God's will and have faith THEN we will receive what we ask for. 

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

Matthew 20

Matthew 20:1-16 is the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The vineyard owner hired different workers at various times in the day, but paid them equally. Of course those who worked all day were annoyed because others only worked for an hour. Have you ever felt like that? You've been working and sacrificing diligently only to get the same pay or recognition as someone who hasn't done nearly as much? It's natural to have a Kanye reaction... lol

Kanye made it known that he's been working at his clothing line significantly longer than Sway. In his mind, Sway should have no opinion of the topic. 

So, it's natural to want to go off on someone and prove your credibility, but then again, it's also natural to sin. You have to tell our flesh to shut up! Your labor is not in vain. God sees you and hasn't forgotten about you!

"From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind" Psalm 33:13

*This is a judgement free zone, but this interview cracks me up every time. It's so outrageous! Let's conduct ourselves as calmly as Sway does in times of adversity :)