Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 13:24-30,36-43. Do you ever wonder why God allows bad people to remain in our world? Why doesn't God let good people remain separate and trouble-free? Today's parable explains that God chooses to allow both His transformed children and the world's rebellious sinners to live together until judgment day. We can expect to frequently interact with those who are opposed to God's will and refuse to abide by moral rules. How we interact will set us apart as God's children, most of all realizing that sinners are not our ultimate enemy, but rather it is Satan who stirs up trouble in our world and entraps sinners in harmful behaviors. We stand our ground in God's armor, reaching out to the lost, knowing that God's justice will arrive on the day of reckoning. Those who belong to God will graduate to Heaven and be free from sin. Anyone not forgiven in Christ will be punished in the eternal flames of Hell. Either way, God's mercy and justice will be served.

Jesus taught with authority and clarity, but He often conflicted with the religious leaders of his day. In their zealous quest for self-righteousness, the Pharisees had turned Moses' 10 commandments and other direct teachings of the Old Testament into over 700 rules and regulations that made it nearly impossible for an ordinary Jew to feel good about following God. These man-made rules gave the Pharisees opportunity to claim fault with Jesus and his disciples. In Matthew 12:1-14, we see the disciples criticized for merely snacking on grain in a field because it defied the Pharisee's regulations against harvesting on the Sabbath... but Jesus demonstrated that His disciples were innocent. In so doing, Jesus revealed the dangers of legalism. While all of God's commands should be obeyed, we do our community a disservice anytime our personal man-made rules or preferences hinder people from enjoying everyday life, meeting basic needs, and receiving help.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 10:16-20,26-34. Believers shouldn't expect harmony with an unbelieving world. Jesus came to earth and forces us to choose sides. When we decide to follow Jesus, we become the world's enemy. Nonetheless, Jesus sends us out into the world as witnesses. But what kind of witness? We are to be sheep among wolves. We are not to attack or bite or harass or threaten others. Rather, trusting our shepherd, we are to be shrewdly aware while keeping ourselves innocent from wrongdoing. Our speech must be gentle, respectful, and full of unapologetic truth. Dauntless, we faithfully represent Jesus and His teachings to a critical world, knowing that God's way always works best and that God rewards and watches over those obedient to Him. In our virtue, we serve valiantly and identify with Christ visibly, sharing our testimony and speaking with the aid of the Holy Spirit.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 9:10-19,23-26. Have you ever faced criticism while doing what you were sure was the right thing to do? Jesus can relate. He was ready to explain why he did what he did. Jesus patiently did and taught what was right, regardless of whether people understood or agreed. He did not come to put a band-aid on the law we could not keep. He came to do a new work of grace, reaching out to sinners in need of forgiveness and transformation. We can bring every need to Jesus. He can do anything, even miracles when He so chooses!

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 8:1-4, 14-17 and 9:1-8. For every need and affliction in life, Jesus holds the answer. He has the power to heal illness and cast out demonic oppressors. There is no question about His ability, but do not presume upon His sovereignty. Jesus cares and is often willing to make us whole as we see with a leper, a sick mother-in-law, needy individuals in a crowd seeking Jesus, and a paralyzed man. As we look closely at these stories, we see that Jesus heals with kingdom priorities. Jesus does not do humanitarian work for its own sake. He proclaims the kingdom and then does miracles that authenticate the message of repentance. Yes, he may be willing to heal us, but always with an eye towards a right relationship with God. Above our physical and health needs is the need for the forgiveness of sin and peace with God. Spiritual matters are always Jesus' priority.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 7:15-29. False prophets and teachers remain a problem today. While God will judge those who promote falsehood, we must guard ourselves and warn others not to fall for unsound teaching that leads to destruction instead of salvation. Indeed, nothing is more important than ensuring we have a real, personal relationship with Jesus. Not by impressing others with works of service, but only by faith in Christ can we obtain forgiveness and an assurance of a right standing with God. Most of all, we must put Jesus' words into practice. Hearing does benefit our lives unless we also follow Jesus' commands. Only then do we find stability through the storms of life and honor Jesus' authority over our world.

Foreign scholars arrive in Jerusalem with an amazing inquiry: where is the infant King of the Jews whose star has appeared in the sky? These academic skywatchers from eastern regions had sorted the clues and were looking for the long-promised Messiah. But Herod the Great was already proclaimed the King of Judea by the Romans. Academic, political, and religious interests collide in the familiar Christmas story, leading to the presentation of worshipful gifts at a modest house in Bethlehem and a divine warning about Herod's paranoid schemes.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 4:12-25. John the Baptist is arrested, and his ministry nears its intended end as Jesus' forerunner. Now Jesus begins His own ministry. Jesus brings light into predominantly Jewish regions (Roman provinces) far north and east of Jerusalem. His message of repentance is the same as John's, but Jesus can provide more than just ritual water cleansing. Jesus calls His first disciples, whose response demonstrates the cost of discipleship. Jesus uses miracles to show the unprecedented authority and agency of His ministry. Soon all of Galilee is talking about Jesus of Nazareth. We too can see that helping people is a great way to open people's hearts towards our greatest problem: the guilt of our sin and our need for forgiveness.