Author Archives: jgarrott

Matthew 11:1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. I think the NIV misses something important when it renders this verse as “the towns of … Continue reading →

Matthew 10:34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Jesus certainly had a way of upending conventional thinking! This particular statement even seems to … Continue reading →

Matthew 10:22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. This whole chapter seems very real and immediate to believers in Islamic countries, but believers in America pretend it … Continue reading →

Matthew 10:8, 10 “Freely you have received, freely give. The worker is worth his keep.” It’s interesting how much trouble we have trusting and following this simple principle. On one hand, Christian workers tend to go where the money is, … Continue reading →

Matthew 10:32-33 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. This is a very significant statement/promise on Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Matthew 9:38- 10:1 “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and … Continue reading →

Matthew 9:16-17 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the … Continue reading →

Matthew 8:21-22 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” There is debate over the precise circumstances of the man … Continue reading →

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Frankly, verse 19 has given me the most trouble of … Continue reading →

Matthew 5:1-2 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. I notice some things in this that I haven’t paid attention to … Continue reading →