Matthew 15:21-28 Lead in #1: Isaiah 56 speaks of salvation being offered to all, regardless of ethnic origins or social condition. This message is in anticipation of the message Jesus would preach. The spirit of that message is heard in the story of the Canaanite...

Matthew 14:22-33 Lead in #1: Matthew 14 is a fascinating story. At the fourth watch of the night, 4:00 a.m., Jesus comes to the fishing boat of the disciples walking on the water. The disciples cry out in fear, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus assures them, “Take courage! It...

Matthew 14:13-21 Lead in #1: The crowd that follows Jesus is a people oppressed by their foreign ruler, Rome. In many ways, they’ve lost heart. They are weary with no real hope. And now at the end of the day, they are exhausted and hungry with nothing to eat. Seeing...

Matthew 13:14-52 Lead in #1: In each of the three parables Jesus tells in Matthew 13:44-52, we hear of people who are on a search for something they hope to find, a hidden treasure, a pearl of great price, and a large catch of fish. In the first parable, Jesus...

Matthew 3:24 - 43 Lead in #1: When it was learned that there were weeds growing with the wheat, the master’s slaves asked if he wanted them to pull the weeds. But the master answered, “No, let the weeds grow with the wheat.” And so, in life, darkness coexists with...

Matthew 13:1-23 Lead in #1: Matthew 13 tells us that Jesus went and sat down by the sea, but that in no time at all a crowd gathered around him forcing him to a getaway boat. It seems that Jesus was now a celebrity that people wanted to meet, a personality to follow....

Matthew 11:25-30 Lead in #1: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to little ones.” (Matthew 11:25) Arrogance can blind us, and humble trust can open us to...

John 20:1-9 Lead in #1: John 20 tells us of the Easter story. The Jesus crucified has been raised to new life. How do we make the Easter story our story? Reflect on your lived experience. There are the setbacks and the comebacks, the times you’ve been brought low, and...

Matthew 26:14-27:66 Lead in #1: At the Last Supper as Jesus sat at table with his disciples, it would be the last time that they were all together before his death. It was that very night that one of his disciples, Judas, would betray Jesus. Prompt #1: Reflect on and...

John 11:1-45 Lead in #1: Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus. So when he heard that Lazarus was gravely ill, it seems odd that Jesus would put off going to see Lazarus for two days. Why would he do that? The answer may be found in John 1:4 when Jesus says, “This...