Devotional

The Parable of the Ten Virgins | Five Wise Virgins Are Prepared (Matthew 25:7-10)

If you knew Christ was coming back today, what would you do? In Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins, He taught that it was wise to be prepared for His return (see Luke 12:35-40). Upon the bridegroom’s arrival, the virgins trimmed their lamps (see Matthew 25:7). Trimmedstems from the Greek word, kosmeo meaning “to get […]


The Parable of the Ten Virgins | The Bridegroom is Delayed (Matthew 25:1-6)

If Christ returned today, would you be prepared? Whether in your physical death or in Jesus’ second coming, would you be ready to meet Him? In a world where His arrival is delayed, Christmas is a great time to be reminded about our Lord and Savior’s teaching that we prepare for His imminent return. Jesus […]


The Sower’s Prayer (Matthew 13:10-17)

Best-selling author and professor, Leonard Sweet, teaches that a story is EPIC: experiential; participatory; image-rich; and connective. In essence, a story engages the heart. Jesus taught in parables, so regardless of one’s heart condition, He would have the opportunity to germinate the seed that was sown (see Matthew 13:10-17). A Rabbi would share his most […]


One Fruitful Soil Produces Life (Matthew 13:8-9, 23)

What kind of heart does our Heavenly Father desire for each one of us? Jesus shed light on the answer to this question when He described the fourth soil in His Parable of the Sower. The “good” soil was soft (Matthew 13:8), and it received a divinely multiplied blessing: “It produced a crop, a hundred […]