Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

Matthew 13. 10  The disciples came up and asked, “Why do you tell stories?” 11-15  He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it. I don’t want Isaiah’s forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don’t hear a thing.      Your eyes are awake but you don’t see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears      so they won’t have to listen; They screw their eyes shut      so they won’t...

Matthew 13. 13  1-3  At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. 3-8  “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. 9  “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” 18-19  “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer...

Matthew 12. 46-47  While he was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers showed up. They were outside trying to get a message to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are out here, wanting to speak with you.” 48-50  Jesus didn’t respond directly, but said, “Who do you think my mother and brothers are?” He then stretched out his hand toward his disciples. “Look closely. These are my mother and brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Psalm 34. 34  I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. 2  I live and breathe God ; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy: 3  Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out. 4  God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears. 5  Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. ...

Matthew 12. 38  Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees got on him. “Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evidence that God is in this. How about a miracle?” 39-40  Jesus said, “You’re looking for proof, but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. The only proof you’re going to get is what looks like the absence of proof: Jonah-evidence. Like Jonah, three days and nights in the fish’s belly, the Son of Man will be gone three days and nights in a deep grave. 41-42  “On Judgment Day, the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about ‘proofs.’ On Judgment Day, the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that will condemn this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of th...

Matthew 12. 33  “If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree. 34-37  “You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” Psalm 33. Psalm 33 The Message (MSG) 33  1-3  Good people, cheer God !      Right-living people sound best when praising. Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs!      Play his praise on a grand piano! Invent your ...

Matthew 12. 30  “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse. 31-32  “There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God’s Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you’re sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives. Psalm 32. 32  Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—      you get a fresh start,      your slate’s wiped clean. 2  Count yourself lucky—      God holds nothing against you      and you’re holding nothing back from him. 3  When I kept it all inside,    ...

Why I love Superbowl Sunday? My mom and dad loved being engaged with high school football with the Ladonia Rattlers and the Fannindel Falcons.  They supported all four of their kids being involved investing a great deal of time and money to participate with us. I learned from the years of watching my dad’s love for television sports what was important.  To rest and sleep on Sunday afternoon was important.  To watch the Cowboys was important, but family and friends and God were even more important.  This set of priorities served me well, but still our family has always loved football especially at the high school and Professional level. My wife and I met on the year of the beginning of the year of the first Superbowl some fifty years ago.   Our children and grandchildren have always enjoyed the game together when it was possible.   We are always on the phone if either of our teams, Dallas or Denver,   are involved.     ...

Matthew 12. 22-23  Next a poor demon-afflicted wretch, both blind and deaf, was set down before him. Jesus healed him, gave him his sight and hearing. The people who saw it were impressed—“This has to be the Son of David!” 24  But the Pharisees, when they heard the report, were cynical. “Black magic,” they said. “Some devil trick he’s pulled from his sleeve.” 25-27  Jesus confronted their slander. “A judge who gives opposite verdicts on the same person cancels himself out; a family that’s in a constant squabble disintegrates; if Satan banishes Satan, is there any Satan left? If you’re slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil kicking out devils, doesn’t the same mud stick to your own exorcists? 28-29  “But if it’s by God’s power that I am sending the evil spirits packing, then God’s kingdom is here for sure. How in the world do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man and walk off with his poss...