Draw Me Close: Podcast - A Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, with Pastor Bob Lawrenz

There is escalating conflict between the Pharisees and Jesus. While following the letter of the law, they elevated themselves above the people. They failed to see God's mercy and grace and therefore failed in their interpretation of scripture. They became blind in their pride, and rejected the fulfillment of prophecy concerning their Messiah, Jesus, who is right before their eyes. Hardened hea...

A parable is not a fantasy story, but is literally, something “cast alongside” something else. Jesus’ parables were stories that were “cast alongside” a truth in order to illustrate that truth, with a hidden meaning. They are stories meant for every Spirit filled believer who has eyes to see, and ears to hear. The Parable of the Sower is recorded in three of the four biblical Gospels – Matthew 13:...

The parables of "treasure hid in a field" and "one pearl of great price" both teach the same basic truth under two different figures, just as did the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven. The latter two spoke of evil entering the growing kingdom. These two, on the other hand, both speak of the tremendous value of becoming true citizens of the kingdom. In both cases, the...

Matthew 14 tells the story of a wicked ruler who kills John the Baptist by having him beheaded. Herod Antipas was a son of Herod the Great. He ruled only a fourth of his father's kingdom. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Herod Antipas was as wicked, as cruel and self indulged as his father before him. At some point in John's ministry there is a confrontation between H...

As we finish up Matthew 14, we read of the account of Jesus walking on the water. The disciples had been in the sea battling the storm for several hours. They were exhausted from pulling the oars. They were frightened that drowning was imminent. And just when they thought all was lost, Jesus comes out to them walking on the sea, but they don't recognize Him. Fear is getting the better of them....

Sanctimonious Pharisees! They consider themselves above the people, and make a show of it. They look right, act right, and can hold the traditions close. They are quick to find fault in others, yet are blind to the sinfulness of their own hearts. They follow Jesus everywhere, and they listen to His Words, but they are spiritually deaf. They have eyes to see the power of God, the evidence of the mi...

The Power and Compassion of Jesus! Leaving the region of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus journeys to the Sea of Galilee and settles on the side of a mountain. Crowds come to him there and he heals the mute, crippled, lame and blind. The people are amazed and give praise to the God of Israel. Jesus, aware that the crowds of people had been with him now for three days and that they were hungry, tells the disc...

When teaching His disciples, Jesus often used everyday objects to demonstrate spiritual truths. In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus is warning His disciples to “take heed (or watch carefully), and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” The word leaven (or yeast) here takes on symbolic connotations. What does leaven do? Leaven is a pervasive influence that modifies something. Literally speaking, leaven i...

In this weeks study of Matthew, Jesus is preparing His disciples for what they will be facing in the near future. He is referring to His death and resurrection. The disciples have much to learn regarding God’s will, and the purpose of Christ’s work on earth. There is a high cost of reward! In verses 24-28, Jesus is speaking to His disciples. He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny hi...

The point of this whole passage, in many ways, is a summary of the whole testimony of the people of God through all of history: that God moves powerfully when we believe. The power of faith. In these next verses, we see a pleading father with a son that is demon possessed. We see the powerlessness of His disciples to heal him. We see the perversion of the faithless (disciples are symbolic of a who...

Jesus looks to little children in making a point to his disciples about greatness. Hand picked by the Lord, these men had been called to follow Him. They left their homes, their families, their occupations, their former lives and followed Jesus. Their lives were forever changed, and though they were indeed different men, we still see a bit of the old nature. Vying for position, we get a glimpse of...

Forgiveness is a great virtue, all believers have the capacity to forgive because God’s Spirit indwells the hearts of believers. Forgiveness is the key to loving one another and serving one another in the unity of fellowship. It is the key to having truly meaningful relationships. It tears down the barriers we put up that separate us. It is the cure for bitterness, anger, and revenge. We live in a...

Divorce is a topic that has affected nearly all of us in some way. Many of us have friends and family who are divorced, some of us have divorced parents, and some of us are divorced ourselves. It was no different in Jesus’ day: marriages have been suffering since not long after God created marriage. Setting the trap... Jesus and the disciples have now come down beyond the Jordan River. The geograp...

In this world of sin it is easy to get our values distorted . Property, money, material possessions, or a large bank account seem to give us security, but it is all a dream. We came into this world with nothing and it is certain we will go out with no material possessions. Jesus has promised us eternal life if only we believe on Him and determine to dedicate our lives to Him. So many are bartering...

The Lord is calling laborers to His vineyard, not the self-sufficient. Notice that He calls us and He sends us. Regardless of how long we've been saved, whether we've served Him faithfully for 1 hour, or 10 years (He saves people at different stages of their lives) each received the same reward simply because it is His work in us, and He sent us. (Phil. 2:13). GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISE...

Even in the midst of Jesus predicting His death, the disciples are thinking about themselves and how they might be great. Jesus confronts this issue and redirects them to see how they can really be great! Jesus points out that they will drink His cup. What He means is that they will suffer. James would later be put to death and John would be exiled. In fact, all the disciples would eventually suff...

Jesus is coming, and a mass of people are following Him to Passover. And of course, the disciples are along, and the disciples are affirming that He is the Christ, He is the Messiah, He is the Son of God. It is just six days before His crucifixion, six days until the Lamb of God becomes the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, six days before He is the Lamb slain from the foundation...

Finishing up Matthew 21, here we see the religious authorities—the chief priests and elders—question Jesus’ authority. Who is this Jesus who comes into Jerusalem receiving the praises of the masses and drives the moneychangers out of the temple? The stage is set for the showdown. It is in this context that Jesus tells three parables—the Two Sons, the Tenants, and the Wedding Feast. Each of these p...

We see hear a wedding feast being prepared by the king for his son. We see the folks whose invitation was assumed – and they represented the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. We see their being invited and their shocking refusal of that invitation. We see the persistence of the king’s invitation to them and their persistent refusal of the invitation – some being ambivalent about it and some being a...

God is the God of the living, not the dead. Jesus had claimed to be "the resurrection and the life". All the Sadducees needed to discredit Jesus was then to show the absurdity of the concept of resurrection. The stakes are high. But Jesus showed that the resurrection was not a new idea, but has already been spoken of by God in Exodus. Jesus also spoke about the great power involved, sayi...

The word hypocrisy in Greek was a term used for an actor on stage who played a specific role. Jesus took this word and turned it to mean a charlatan or pretender assuming a role. The Pharisees’ traditions had become more important than God’s law. They had added their own sets of laws based upon their interpretation of the Law then placed applications. Besides this being a problem and almost unreac...

During the last week of His life here on earth, Jesus delivered to His disciples a comprehensive prophecy concerning end time events that would signal His return. Since it was delivered while He and His disciples were sitting on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem, it is often referred to as the Olivet Discourse.

Last week we closed with verse 14 of Matthew 24, as Jesus stated, "Then shall the end come." With these dramatic words, Jesus begins to answer the question of the disciples, "What will be the sign of...the close of the age?" The close of the age, or the end of times, there is much more to these studies than there appears to be at first. Jesus is speaking of future events, yet m...

In this dark world of uncertainty, we have the greatest certainty of all to affirm—Jesus Christ is Lord! His Word is TRUE! He IS coming again! Right after Jesus gives His disciples a picture of what His Second coming will look like, He continues to explain what the signs are that will take place before the end. He begins with the parable of the fig tree. The Fig Tree once again representing the Na...

Beginning in chapter 25 of Matthews Gospel, the next couple of parables given by Jesus is with the intent of teaching us the suddenness and the unexpectedness of the coming of the Lord which, therefore, should call us to preparedness so that we are not caught in that unexpected moment unprepared for His coming. Christian, be sure that even though you are outwardly associated with God’s kingdom, th...