Week 2 day 3 gospel challenge

Ahhhh, I love Matt 23!

Jesus reserves judgment on people until he gets to the Pharisees and Sadducees. His condemnation doesn't fall on prostitutes, tax collecters or adulterers but on the legalistic, judgmental religious leaders of his time. His problem isn't so much with what they say but how they act. He says "listen to them but don't follow their example". Jesus calls them Blind guides , snakes , sons of vipers, white washed Tombs, hypocrites and filthy. Not very Christ like is it? ...

Hang on he is the Christ!

What I take from this is that, character or virtue is an important part of following Jesus. It is no good saying "this is what I am take it or leave it" . Jesus takes us as we are and while we were still sinners he died for us, that doesn't mean we have to stay that way!




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Week 2 Day 2 matt 16-19

Todays reading reminds us that Jesus calls us to become like children, to have humility (Matt 18:4). We seem to see leadership as an advantage as something to aspire to (just look at the recent events in Canberra).

The Kingdom that Jesus began with his life, Death and resurrection is an upside down kingdom where the meek inherit the earth where the children have the right answers and the leaders are servants. I wonder why so many Christians still work under this worlds way of doing Kingdom rather than Jesus' way of doing kingdom. Of course sin is the obvious response. Not sin in the impersonal "something that is out of my control which  I accidentally find myself in"style that we like to write off. But the sin where we still want to control our lives because handing over control to God is a sign of weakness. No wonder Jesus sets out a very clear conflict resolution guide to follow.

Lent Gospel challenge readings

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

Day

Text

M 20

-

M 27

12-15

M 5

Luke 1-4

M 12

22-24

M 19

17-20

M 26

5-8

M 2

7-10

T 21

-

T 28

16-19

T 6

5-8

T 13

Acts 1-4

T 20

21-24

T 27

9-12

T 3

11-14

W 22

Matt 1-4

W 29

20-23

W 7

9-12

W 14

5-7

W 21

25-26

W 28

13-16

W 4

15-17

T 23

5-7

T 1

24-25

T 8

13-16

T 15

8-12

T 22

27-28

T 29

John 1-3

T 5

18-21

F 24

8-11

F 2

26-28

F 9

17-21

F 16

13-16

F 23

Mark1-4

F 30

4-6

F 6

Easter

S 25

Catch up

S 3

Catch up

S 10

Catch up

S 17

Catch up

S 24

Catch up

S 31

Catch up

S 7

Easter

S 26

Catch up

S 4

Catch up

S 11

Catch up

S 18

Catch up

S 25

Catch up

S 1

Catch up

S 8

Easter

Lent gospel reading challenge wk2 day 1

Matt 12-15
The pharisees plotted to kill him 12:14 for what working on a sabbath, doing a miracle or was it challenging their right to judge everyone( take away power from them)?

"If I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God has arrived among you"12:28. Not coming not one day, 2000 years into the future but now! Then he tells 6 parables of what the kingdom looks like.

If we truly believe that the Kingdom of God had begun as Jesus declared, then we had better stop acting like pharisees and start acting like disciples.

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Lent gospel challenge

Matt 8-11
Jesus was called a "glutton and a drunkard" for hanging out wth sinners why is it that so many of his followers dont follow his example?

He also said "I have come not to bring peace but a sword" not the image we think of when we think of Jesus usually is it?


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Lent gospel challenge

Today's reading Matt 5-7. The whole sermon on the mount! I don't think we read this passage as a whole often. It really does lay out how people of Gods kingdom should live. What sets us apart from those who shout Lord,Lord and Jesus says "I don't know you"?


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Lent gospel reading challenge

Today's reading Matt 1-4. Jesus called to the disciples and they followed without much apparent thought. They saw Jesus as someone worth following and followed him. What did they leave? What did they give up? What cost did they pay to follow Jesus ? Why is it that when we in the western world follow Jesus it is our decision, a considered choice and often it costs us nothing!


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Listening

How much time do we actually spend listening to God? Not rattling off a list of stuff he already knows , but just relaxing in his presence waiting to hear and then write down the things he is presenting to us?
Do we actually believe we don't have time for such a pursuit?
Eugene Peterson reminds us that in the story of Moby Dick the harpooner is not over active like rest of the crew he is relaxed, poised, and ready to strike.
If we don't spend time waiting and listening to God, in all of our rushing about we may miss our opportunity to do what we were created to do!
Listening to God is not a waste of time it is preparation for the task of ministry.
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