Each day this week, we're looking at the day by day unfolding of the Passion Week. Today, Jesus visits the Temple in a preview of upcoming events. "Turns out that Jesus wasn't just an angry gardener ... He had a reason for cursing that fig tree yesterday. Israel, like that tree, had given indications of life without much fruit; they'd forgotten all God's instructions. And yet, in the midst of a busy day and hectic week, Jesus chose to stop and teach His people ... again. It m

Each day this week, we're looking at the day by day unfolding of the Passion Week. Today, Jesus visits the Temple in a preview of upcoming events. " First impressions matter, don't they? For whatever reason, we enter a room and want to make the right impression with the right people. You know what? So, did Jesus. It's just that Jesus wasn't using His first impressions to please the "important" people - instead, He wanted the "others" to know that they were important to God.

This week, we'll be posting a daily summary of the events of the Passion Week. Today, we began with Palm Sunday - also known as"the Triumphal Entry". "Of all that will happen this week, this is the only day that seemed to go right. From the donkey to the disciples, Jesus was obeyed as He should have been. People responded to Jesus in praise so that the rocks didn't have to. This day seemed to be setting up a wonderful week, and yet Jesus knew better. He knew, and yet He cam

At last we've arrived ... the end of the Sermon on the Mount. And as Jesus has us look back at his message, he presents his final contrast. Matthew 7:24-27 looks at the difference between a standing house and a pile of rubble . Despite the differences, let's read and then see what's similar. MATTHEW 7:24-27 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and t