Aug
30
John 4:35–38
John 4:35–38 (see also Matt 9:35–38) 35“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36“Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37“For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38“I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” My priority time went in a different direction today. Here is the result. I will pick back up tomorrow with Matthew 13:24–30. Focused Thinking: 35“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” In September we will teach our people to “Love People,” to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The fields are white for harvest...
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28
Matthew 13:18–23
18“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” Focused Thinking: What happens...
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27
Matthew 13:14–17
14“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’ 16“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Focused Thinking: How authoritative is it when Jesus quotes Isaiah and says this prophecy is being fulfilled? The One who is the WORD is quoting the WORD. The One who is the WORD is telling that ISAIAH’S WORD has come true in this moment. That would be exciting...
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26
Matthew 13:10–13
10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Focused Thinking: Why do you speak in parables? 11“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” If we refer back to the parable of the sower, the farmer is the same and the seed is the same; the only difference is the soil. There are people who harden their heart against God and His truth. There are people who resist and reject God’s truth. There is a...
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25
Matthew 13:1–9
1That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5“Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6“But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7“Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8“And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9“He who has ears, let him hear.” Focused Thinking: What is the context? Jesus left the synagogue and began to teach outdoors. Jesus left those opposed to...
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23
Matthew 12:46–50
46While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” 48But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 50“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Focused Thinking: Unexpected Response: How many times does Jesus give an expected response? Almost never. He is constantly confusing people. He is constantly making people think. What was the expectation here? They were expecting Him to give a simple response. They were expecting Him to stop what He was doing and find out what His mother and brothers needed. If not that, they were at least expecting...
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20
Matthew 12:38–45 part 3
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42“The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 43“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest,...
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19
Matthew 12:38–45 part 2
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42“The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 43“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest,...
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18
50 Days of Scripture
During the “Love Works” series we asked ourselves, “What would it look like if the whole church focused their priority time each morning on God’s vision for ‘Love God, Love People, Make Disciples’?” Chris Conlee selected 50 passages of Scripture that reinforce time after time how important these truths are. We hope you will follow along each day. The “Love Works” series will be taught by lead pastor Chris Conlee through the month of September at Highpoint Church on Sunday mornings at 9 and 10:45. We hope to see you there! Past messages and additional “Love Works” videos can be seen at imperfect.tv. Focused Thinking: BE SIMPLE • What matters most? ___________________________________________________ Personal Application: BE SPECIFIC • Love God: ___________________________________________________ • Love People: ___________________________________________________ ==> Love ONE person in a specific way this week. ==> Be...
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18
Matthew 12:38–45 prayer
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42“The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 43“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest,...
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