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Gospel Spice | Christian faith, God's love & the Bible

We are almost wrapping up our time together with Matthew. Can I say this is bittersweet for me? So, following from last week, I invite you to continue our intriguing journey into the world of Jesus’ parables! Last week, we laid the foundation by understanding the purpose of parables - fulfilling prophecy, focusing on individuals with faith, and describing the kingdom of God. In Matthew 13, Jesus begins his teachings on the mystery kingdom, which plays a crucial role in the epistles of Paul. This mysterious kingdom sets the stage for the parables we're about to explore.

Let's start by unpacking the parable of the wheat and the tares. Picture a man sowing good seed in his field, only to find weeds sprouting among the wheat later. Jesus explains privately to his disciples that the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom, while the weeds symbolize the sons of the evil one. The field is the world, and the enemy is the devil. What's fascinating is that true sowing of God's word will always be countered by false teachings. False gospels, trying to soothe the human heart, preach salvation by works. But the true gospel is salvation through God's grace in Christ Jesus alone. Jesus emphasizes that the true and false teachings will coexist until judgment day. So beware of false teachings and remain steadfast in the truth of God's word!

Moving on to the parable of the mustard seed. A tiny seed, but when it grows, it becomes a towering tree where birds come to nest. The kingdom of heaven starts small but expands mightily. This parable symbolizes the growth and influence of God's kingdom. It reminds us that even the smallest beginnings can lead to great impact. So let your faith be like that mustard seed, growing and spreading far and wide!

As we immerse ourselves in these parables, let's remember that Jesus is teaching all Christians across time and space. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian truly belongs to Christ. Let our lives reflect the truth and reality of a surrendered heart! Keep seeking, keep growing, and keep shining your light in the world!

Are you looking for a place to take notes, some topics to research on your own, or some questions you could ponder to go deeper during your quiet time with God or with a friend? Remember, we have workbooks available for this episode, and every other episode of our Jesus Rabbi and Lord series. For each episode, they contain a summary, listening guide, key takeaways, quotes, questions and topics to go deeper. Go to gospelspice.com/jesus to purchase these workbooks.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit alongside Jesus and his initial audience? To experience the fresh spiritual flavors that the Messianic Jewish culture weaves into the four gospels? Well, that's exactly what we here aim to do through this original series, JESUS RABBI AND LORD. Stephanie invites you to dig deep into Scripture, unearthing raw diamonds that may need a little cleaning up, but will ultimately shine brightly.

So get ready to embark on this enlightening and transformative journey with Gospel Spice. Prepare to encounter Jesus in a way that resonates with our modern world and discover the richness of the gospel through the lens of Jewish culture. Let's dig deep, uncover the hidden spices, and experience the beauty of the Scriptures together. Welcome to Gospel Spice!

Grab your headphones, hit play, and let Gospel Spice be the catalyst for encountering Jesus in a way you've never experienced before!

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