“But she knelt before him and said, 'Lord, help me.'He replied, 'It is not good to take the children’s bread and toss it to dogs.'She said, 'Yes, Lord. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall off their masters’ table.'Jesus answered, 'Woman, you have great faith. It will be just as you wish.' And right then her daughter was healed.” Matthew 15:25-28 CEB Today's passage can feel jarring if we re...  Read More

“For God said, Honor your father and your mother, and The person who speaks against father or mother will certainly be put to death. But you say, ‘If you tell your father or mother, “Everything I’m expected to contribute to you I’m giving to God as a gift,”then you don’t have to honor your father.’ So you do away with God’s Law for the sake of the rules that have been handed down to you.” Matthew ...  Read More

Peter knows Jesus. He’s walked with him, listened to him, watched him heal and teach. And yet, when the wind picks up and the waves start shouting louder than the promise, Peter sinks. His faith falters—not because he doesn’t know Jesus, but because fear gets the focus.  Read More

“When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. When the crowds learned this, they followed him on foot from the cities.” Matthew 14:13 CEB Imagine hearing the news of a loved one’s death. Grief settles in. Your instinct is to withdraw, to be alone, to find quiet space to process what you’ve lost. In moments like that, the image of an empty cup fits. You’re drai...  Read More

“Then he said to them, 'Therefore, every legal expert who has been trained as a disciple for the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings old and new things out of their treasure chest.'” Matthew 13:52 CEB Reflecting on the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, N. T. Wright offers a helpful lens: "These parables challenge us at two levels—understanding a...  Read More

Any sensible farmer knows you don’t waste seed. You don’t throw it on hardened paths or rocky ground or into choking weeds. Seed is precious. Food is survival. Careless scattering would look foolish—maybe even irresponsible. And yet, this farmer sows anyway.  Read More