Bob DeLong, Kid’s Hope and Houston reVision Mentor, Joy and Genesis Class member Matthew 13: 1-8 (NIV) That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did [...]

Steve Biegel Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV) 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Reflection: During a recent men’s study group session, our pastor made a distinction between [...]

Catherine Washington Matthew 12:1-8 (The Voice) The Sabbath came, and Jesus walked through a field. His disciples, who were hungry, began to pick some of the grain and eat it. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they reacted. Pharisees: Look! Your disciples are breaking the law of the Sabbath! Jesus: 3 Haven’t you read what David did? When he and his friends were hungry, 4 they went into God’s house and they ate the holy bread, even though neither David nor his friends, but only priests, were allowed that bread. 5 Indeed, have you not read that on the [...]

Jim Mayo Matthew 12:9-14 He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked them, "Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep? So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then He said to the man, "Stretch out [...]

Rachel Fisher Matthew 14:13-21 (NIV) 13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You [...]

Ted Weiss Matthew 4:12-17 (NRSV) Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:             “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,  and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began [...]