Engage God Daily

Scripture: Matthew 5–6 (Week Review) Runtime: ~6 minutes It's Friday — time to pull back and take in the full picture of what Jesus taught on that hillside. Because the Sermon on the Mount isn't just beautiful teaching. It turns out to be something more surprising: a self-portrait. Everything Jesus asked of his followers, he did first. He blessed those no one else would bless. He pursued reconcili...

Scripture: Matthew 6:19–34 Runtime: ~9 minutes The Beatitudes described who belongs to God's kingdom. The "You have heard it said" statements showed what kingdom relationships look like. The Lord's Prayer taught us to say your kingdom come . Now Jesus asks the question that tests whether we meant any of it: Where is your treasure? And who are you actually trusting? Jesus doesn't tiptoe around mone...

Scripture: Matthew 6:5–15 Runtime: ~8 minutes Jesus doesn't begin his teaching on prayer with technique — he begins with motive. Before he shows us how to pray, he addresses why prayer so often goes sideways. Some people pray to be seen. Others pray to manipulate, believing the right formula might finally get God's attention. Jesus says: that's not how it works with your Father. He already knows w...

Scripture: Matthew 5:21–24, 43–48 Runtime: ~10 minutes "You have heard it said… but I tell you." Six times in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes a familiar command and digs beneath it. He's not contradicting Scripture — he's exposing what God intended all along. Today's episode looks at the first and last of those six statements: the one about anger, and the one about enemies. Both are uncomfort...

Scripture: Matthew 5:3–12 Runtime: ~11 minutes After 20-plus weeks tracing God's big story from creation through the prophets, something has shifted. The long-awaited king has arrived — and in his very first major teaching, he rewrites the script on what it means to be blessed. Jesus doesn't call out the powerful, the successful, or the religiously impressive. He calls out the poor in spirit. The...

Matthew 1 | ~7 min We close out the week by pulling the whole story together — and asking what it means to live in light of it. Five unexpected women. Forty-two generations. One unbroken thread. This is the genealogy most people skim right past. Now you know better. Key takeaways from the week: None of these women had the full picture — they simply trusted God and took the next faithful step. God...

2 Samuel 11:1–5 / Matthew 1:16–17 | ~8 min Matthew names three women by name — and then refers to the fourth only as "Uriah's wife." That choice is deliberate. Today we look at what the text actually says about Bathsheba, why Matthew protects her rather than blames her, and how the genealogy's careful grammar at verse 16 signals that something unprecedented is happening with Mary. Key takeaways: T...

Ruth 1:16–17 / Ruth 4:13–17 | ~9 min One of the most beloved stories in Scripture gets just half a verse in Matthew's genealogy: "Boaz, the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth." But behind that single line is a story of grief, loyalty, and a kind of rescue that points directly to what Jesus came to do. Key takeaways: Ruth, a Moabite widow with every reason to return home, chose to stay with Naom...

Genesis 38:24–26 / Joshua 2:8–13 | ~9 min Matthew's genealogy includes four women no one expected to see there. Today we meet the first two — a Canaanite woman who refused to be written out of the story, and a woman of Jericho who staked everything on a God she'd only heard about from a distance. Key takeaways: Tamar acted within legitimate customs when Judah abandoned his responsibility — and Jud...

Matthew 1:1–17 | ~11 min Four hundred years of silence. No prophets, no word from God — just a promise and a people waiting. Then Matthew opens the New Testament not with a dramatic entrance, but with a list of names. A genealogy. And yet, for anyone who knows the story, those names are anything but ordinary. In this first episode of Part 3, Lisa Scheffler sets the stage for everything we'll explo...

Scripture: Matthew 28:1–20 | ~7 min On a Sunday morning nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus stepped out of his tomb. The grave couldn't hold him. Death had no claim on him. And the same disciples who ran away in fear were about to become the foundation of a movement that would change the world. Everything changed that morning. And because of it, everything changes for us. In this episode: The angel at t...

Scripture: Matthew 27:57–66 | ~7 min It must have felt like it was over. Jesus was in the tomb. The disciples were scattered. The women prepared spices to care for a body. No one was expecting the miracle that was just hours away. Holy Saturday is the day of silence — the day between death and resurrection. And sometimes life puts us in our own Holy Saturday. In this episode: Joseph of Arimathea:...

Scripture: Matthew 27:32–56 | ~10 min This is the darkest day of the story. Jesus is stripped, nailed to a cross, mocked by soldiers, and abandoned. From noon to three, darkness covers the land. And then Jesus cries out the most anguished words in all of Scripture: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This is not a lapse in faith. This is what it cost. In this episode: The brutal ironies of...

Scripture: Matthew 27:11–31 | ~9 min Jesus stands silent before the most powerful man in the region — and somehow, Jesus is the one in control. Pilate knows he's innocent. His own wife warns him in a dream. And yet he washes his hands of the whole thing and hands Jesus over to be crucified. Then there's Barabbas. A violent outlaw. A guilty man who walks free because an innocent man took his place....

Scripture: Matthew 26:57–27:1 | ~9 min Jesus stands before the Sanhedrin. False witnesses. A staged verdict. And outside in the courtyard, Peter — the man who swore he'd die before denying Jesus — crumbles three times before a servant girl. Two men who both fail Jesus. Only one finds restoration. But here's the thing: this story is bigger than either of them. In this episode: How the religious lea...

Scripture: Matthew 26:31–56 | ~11 min In the hours before his arrest, Jesus does something that might surprise you: he falls on his face and asks his Father if there's any other way. This is not calm, detached acceptance. This is agony — the fully human, sinless recoil from suffering and death. And yet, three times he prays. And three times he surrenders. In this episode: The contrast between Jesu...

Scripture: Matthew 26:17–30 | ~8 min It's Passover. Families all over Israel are gathering to remember God's greatest act of rescue in their history. Jesus gathers with his twelve closest followers — and in one breathtaking moment, he takes the bread and the cup and gives them entirely new meaning. This is the meal that changes everything. In this episode: How Jesus transforms an ancient celebrati...

Scripture: Matthew 21:1–11 | ~11 min Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey — and the crowd goes wild. They're chanting for a king, waving palms, throwing their cloaks on the road. The energy is electric. But there's a gap between what the crowd expects and what Jesus actually came to do. This week, we're walking through the final days of Jesus' life — from his triumphal entry through the horrors...

Episode Summary: As Malachi closes the Old Testament, we’re left with both warning and hope. God exposes corruption—but also promises restoration. This final episode invites us to reflect on the full story: from drift to redemption, from brokenness to renewal, all pointing to Jesus. Key Takeaways: God does not ignore sin—but His final word is restoration The Old Testament points forward to Jesus a...

Scripture: Malachi 3:16–4:6 Episode Summary: Even in a culture drifting from God, some remained faithful—and God saw them. This passage reminds us that faithfulness doesn’t go unnoticed. While judgment is coming for the unrepentant, hope and healing await those who honor God. This episode is a powerful encouragement to stay faithful, even when it feels rare. Key Takeaways: God sees and remembers t...

Scripture: Malachi 3:7–12 Episode Summary: God accuses His people of robbing Him—not because He needs anything, but because their lack of generosity reveals a lack of trust. Giving was never just about money; it was about recognizing God as the provider. This episode reframes generosity as a reflection of faith and invites us into a posture of open-handed trust. Key Takeaways: Generosity is a trus...

Scripture: Malachi 2:17–3:5 Episode Summary: When injustice feels unchecked, it’s easy to question God’s character. Israel did exactly that—asking where God’s justice was. But instead of answering their complaint directly, God reveals something deeper: the problem isn’t just “out there,” it’s within His own people. This episode challenges us to examine how our faith shows up in how we treat others...

What happens when faith becomes familiar? In this opening passage of Malachi, God confronts His people for offering Him what is leftover instead of what is best. Outward worship was still happening—but their hearts were no longer engaged. This episode invites us to examine whether our worship is truly honoring God or simply checking a box. Key Takeaways: Worship can continue externally while drift...

As we reflect on the story of Ezra and Nehemiah, we see God restoring His people step by step. After decades in exile: The altar was rebuilt Worship was restored Ezra renewed the teaching of God’s Word Nehemiah led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls Yet the restoration was still incomplete. The temple did not match the glory of Solomon’s temple. The people still struggled with obedience. Israel r...

Thirteen years after Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem, another leader enters the story—Nehemiah. While serving as cupbearer to the Persian king, Nehemiah hears devastating news: the walls of Jerusalem remain broken and the city is vulnerable. His response reveals something powerful. Before making plans or seeking solutions, Nehemiah weeps, fasts, and prays. His prayer follows a meaningful pattern: He b...