The Way Matt Sees It

GIVE UP EVERYTHING The call to “give up everything” and follow Jesus seems to be a little extreme.   If you’ve been around church any length of time, you might have heard this preached before.   We should be ready to “give up everything” at any moment to follow Jesus!   But how?   What does that even mean?   Should I sell my house and live homeless?   Should I break my Xbox?   Should I drop out of college?   Does God really advocate this type of lifestyle? The answer is no.   Jesus never asked His followers to make hasty, rash, foolish decisions.   Jesus never advocated blind faith.   In Matthew 4:18-20 , we read the call of Peter and Andrew.   It’s literally 3 verses.   Jesus sees them, calls them, and they drop everything.   It’s quite simple.   And at face value, it seems like that’s what it should be.   Perhaps this is why we preach it in this manner. Sea of Galilee, where this story tak...

This is just a thought I had recently.  In Colossians (currently my favorite book of the Bible, tied with Hebrews), Paul writes: “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments,” (Colossians 2:2-4). This passage is LOADED with information, but I just had a simple thought to myself.  Paul states that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ .  He says this so that the Colossians won’t be deceived by “fine-sounding” or “persuasive” arguments. There is a simple truth Paul is getting at:  Knowing CHRIST is the answer to persuasive arguments. I am a huge proponent of knowing what you believe, and I think a large part of that...