Acts 6:1-7 | the Desperate Need for You

Advent Through Exodus: The Miracle of Christmas

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ChangeMakers: Unsung Women of the Bible (Part 1)

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Five Things to Look for in a Future Husband

Faithful: Leaving a Legacy of Integrity

A Pretty Big Deal by Megan Marshman

[Deeply Rooted] Stand Strong

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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="MAT.18">
 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven</div><div class="p"> 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, &#8220;Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: &#8220;Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.</div><div class="s1">Causing to Stumble</div><div class="p"> 6 &#8220;If anyone causes one of these little ones&#8212;those who believe in me&#8212;to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Wandering Sheep</div><div class="p"> 10 &#8220;See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11]#18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.</div><div class="p"> 12 &#8220;What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.</div><div class="s1">Dealing With Sin in the Church</div><div class="p"> 15 &#8220;If your brother or sister # 18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35. sins,#18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that &#8216;every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.&#8217;#18:16 Deut. 19:15 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.</div><div class="p"> 18 &#8220;Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be # 18:18 Or will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be#18:18 Or will have been loosed in heaven.</div><div class="p"> 19 &#8220;Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant</div><div class="p"> 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, &#8220;Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Jesus answered, &#8220;I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.#18:22 Or seventy times seven</div><div class="p"> 23 &#8220;Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold#18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer&#8217;s wages. was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.</div><div class="p"> 26 &#8220;At this the servant fell on his knees before him. &#8216;Be patient with me,&#8217; he begged, &#8216;and I will pay back everything.&#8217; 27The servant&#8217;s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.</div><div class="p"> 28 &#8220;But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. # 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii ; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2). He grabbed him and began to choke him. &#8216;Pay back what you owe me!&#8217; he demanded.</div><div class="p"> 29 &#8220;His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, &#8216;Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 30 &#8220;But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.</div><div class="p"> 32 &#8220;Then the master called the servant in. &#8216;You wicked servant,&#8217; he said, &#8216;I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn&#8217;t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?&#8217; 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.</div><div class="p"> 35 &#8220;This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch19" data-usfm="MAT.19">
 <div class="label">19</div><div class="s1">Divorce</div><div class="p"> 1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.</div><div class="p"> 3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, &#8220;Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4 &#8220;Haven&#8217;t you read,&#8221; he replied, &#8220;that at the beginning the Creator &#8216;made them male and female,&#8217;#19:4 Gen. 1:27 5and said, &#8216;For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh&#8217;#19:5 Gen. 2:24? 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;Why then,&#8221; they asked, &#8220;did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Jesus replied, &#8220;Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10The disciples said to him, &#8220;If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Jesus replied, &#8220;Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others&#8212;and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Little Children and Jesus</div><div class="p"> 13Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.</div><div class="p"> 14Jesus said, &#8220;Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.&#8221; 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.</div><div class="s1">The Rich and the Kingdom of God</div><div class="p"> 16Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, &#8220;Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17 &#8220;Why do you ask me about what is good?&#8221; Jesus replied. &#8220;There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18&#8220;Which ones?&#8221; he inquired.</div><div class="p">Jesus replied, &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,&#8217;#19:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20 and &#8216;love your neighbor as yourself.&#8217;#19:19 Lev. 19:18&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20&#8220;All these I have kept,&#8221; the young man said. &#8220;What do I still lack?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21Jesus answered, &#8220;If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.</div><div class="p"> 23Then Jesus said to his disciples, &#8220;Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, &#8220;Who then can be saved?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26Jesus looked at them and said, &#8220;With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27Peter answered him, &#8220;We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28Jesus said to them, &#8220;Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife#19:29 Some manuscripts do not have or wife. or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch20" data-usfm="MAT.20">
 <div class="label">20</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard</div><div class="p"> 1 &#8220;For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius#20:2 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer. for the day and sent them into his vineyard.</div><div class="p"> 3 &#8220;About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, &#8216;You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.&#8217; 5So they went.</div><div class="p"> &#8220;He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, &#8216;Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 7 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Because no one has hired us,&#8217; they answered.</div><div class="p"> &#8220;He said to them, &#8216;You also go and work in my vineyard.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 8 &#8220;When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, &#8216;Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 9 &#8220;The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12&#8216;These who were hired last worked only one hour,&#8217; they said, &#8216;and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 13 &#8220;But he answered one of them, &#8216;I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn&#8217;t you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don&#8217;t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 16 &#8220;So the last will be first, and the first will be last.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time</div><div class="p"> 17Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18&#8220;We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!&#8221;</div><div class="s1">A Mother&#8217;s Request</div><div class="p"> 20Then the mother of Zebedee&#8217;s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.</div><div class="p"> 21 &#8220;What is it you want?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">She said, &#8220;Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22 &#8220;You don&#8217;t know what you are asking,&#8221; Jesus said to them. &#8220;Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;We can,&#8221; they answered.</div><div class="p"> 23Jesus said to them, &#8220;You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, &#8220;You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave&#8212; 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Two Blind Men Receive Sight</div><div class="p"> 29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, &#8220;Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, &#8220;Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Jesus stopped and called them. &#8220;What do you want me to do for you?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p"> 33&#8220;Lord,&#8221; they answered, &#8220;we want our sight.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch22" data-usfm="MAT.22">
 <div class="label">22</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Wedding Banquet</div><div class="p"> 1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2&#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.</div><div class="p"> 4 &#8220;Then he sent some more servants and said, &#8216;Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 5 &#8220;But they paid no attention and went off&#8212;one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.</div><div class="p"> 8 &#8220;Then he said to his servants, &#8216;The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.&#8217; 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.</div><div class="p"> 11 &#8220;But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12He asked, &#8216;How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?&#8217; The man was speechless.</div><div class="p"> 13 &#8220;Then the king told the attendants, &#8216;Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 14 &#8220;For many are invited, but few are chosen.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar</div><div class="p"> 15Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. &#8220;Teacher,&#8221; they said, &#8220;we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren&#8217;t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax#22:17 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens to Caesar or not?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, &#8220;You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.&#8221; They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, &#8220;Whose image is this? And whose inscription?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21&#8220;Caesar&#8217;s,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p">Then he said to them, &#8220;So give back to Caesar what is Caesar&#8217;s, and to God what is God&#8217;s.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.</div><div class="s1">Marriage at the Resurrection</div><div class="p"> 23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24&#8220;Teacher,&#8221; they said, &#8220;Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29Jesus replied, &#8220;You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead&#8212;have you not read what God said to you, 32&#8216;I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob&#8217;#22:32 Exodus 3:6? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.</div><div class="s1">The Greatest Commandment</div><div class="p"> 34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36&#8220;Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37Jesus replied: &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.&#8217;#22:37 Deut. 6:5 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: &#8216;Love your neighbor as yourself.&#8217;#22:39 Lev. 19:18 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Whose Son Is the Messiah?</div><div class="p"> 41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42&#8220;What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;The son of David,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p"> 43He said to them, &#8220;How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him &#8216;Lord&#8217;? For he says,</div><div class="q1"> 44 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The Lord said to my Lord:</div><div class="q2"> &#8220;Sit at my right hand</div><div class="q1"> until I put your enemies</div><div class="q2"> under your feet.&#8221;&#8198;&#8217; # 22:44 
 Psalm 110:1
 </div><div class="m"> 45 If then David calls him &#8216;Lord,&#8217; how can he be his son?&#8221; 46No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.</div>
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