to be great I must serve, really?? (Matthew 20:26-28)

You gotta be kidden me, I gotta serve to be great?? I thought I needed the best education, job, family and so on, but really its serving that will make me great?

 

Matthew 20:26-28

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ .............. whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Am I willing to follow suit, OK lets start small, am I willing to start with an act of service?

A happy worker (Matthew 20:9-15)

I have wondered many times about the below scripture, about what it means. Could it be that one of the lessons is that it is an owners right to pay as he or she sees fit?

 

Matthew 20:9-15

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’


How many times have I grumbled about my compensation and yet it would seem it is the owners right to give as he or she likes out of their finances. God will hold them accountable for being good stewards, for being gracious, merciful, etc.

why r we not moving mountains (Matthew 17:18-21)

If all that is required to move mountains is faith as small as a mustard seed, why are we not moving mountains all over the place?

Do we not really know what faith is in our modern culture, do we not know what it is to practise faith?

The bible says "if I ask anything in his name, it will be given" so it would seem that the recipe is to 1st align oneself with Gods way of thinking, with his priorities and then in faith make our requests known. Piece of cake right?

Matthew 17:18-21

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

 

surrender, laying it all down (Matthew 16:24-27)

I am wondering, when is the last time I was willing to deny myself, deny myself the things that I want in this life in order to follow God. What will I give up for the one who gave himself so that I can spend eternity with him, what will I give up so that someone else may also enjoy eternity with Jesus?

Matthew 16:24-27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

I Surrender - Hillsong Live

Using ur lips, hands and feet or all 3 (Matthew 15:8-9)

Jesus is talking about the Pharisees here in Mathew, but could it be that this is applicable even in our day? Are we all heart and soul or could we be guilty of honoring God only with our lips? Am I a doer or just someone going through the motions, worshipping on Sunday and showing no signs of God’s love through the rest of the week?

Matthew 15:8-9

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
⁹ They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.

Running on water (mathew 14:25-31)

What would I have done, I probably would not have even had faith to get out of the boat. What would you have done?

Matthew 14:25-31

New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Do you ever wonder what life would be like, what your life would be like if you had greater faith? How many times do we lack faith or does the little we have flee at evenly a small, small breeze of challenge? How many times do we enter a challenge like Peter did, all cocky like, only to flee like a scared puppy with its tail between it legs (embarrassed and beaten)?

The Sower (Matthew 13:3-10,18-23)

This is a powerful and challenging parable;

Matthew 13:3-10, 18-23)

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Sower

³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²² The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Is the later who I am, am I producing a crop, or am I more like verse 22, "The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ".

What kinda player am I for Jesus?