Weekly Ministry Tip #9, Fall 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grow Deep, Reach High

Did You Forget? Always Watch Out For False Teaching

Read Matthew 16:5-11

 

….“How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

This is a passage with a double meaning. The disciples, who had already witnessed Jesus miraculously feeding 5,000 men plus their families, were discussing where they would get the bread to feed 4,000 men now, plus their families. In verse 8-10 Jesus exhorts the disciples for how quickly they forgot the miracles they had witnessed just a short time earlier.

The problem is, we have the same tendency – to forget God’s acts of faithfulness and answered prayer in light of today’s challenges. We can all so quickly forget when we have difficulties facing us. But somehow we need to remember – God is faithful everyday.

However, that was only one part of the lesson here. In verse 11, Jesus prods the disciples to understand that it was also the leaven or teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees that He wanted to warn them about. These religious leaders were instrumental in leading many away from the grace of God and into a life of legalism that no one could fulfill. We need to be so careful who we listen to. Our focus needs to always be on Jesus and the freedom and joy He gives us when we fully trust Him.

 

Christmas/Winter Conference

Now that most Fall Retreats are over by the end of October, we need to focus on the mid-year Christmas/Winter Conferences held across the US in all 10 regions. Want to know more how a Winter Conference will help you? Here’s an example of what one Christmas conference had to say on their web page:

“It’s a 4-day conference where hundreds of college students GATHER around Jesus in transformational community. They GROW in grace and truth, to love and serve through prayer, powerful stories, Biblical teaching, and practical training. As a result, they GO to serve all nations with Christ’s unlimited capacity to love.”

Check out your nearest Christmas conference . Here is more information to help you as you consider bringing as many with you to the conference.

 

Talk to you next week,

Ben with Cru