GRINDIT podcast

Jesus is talking to his disciples and he tells them a parable about a fishing net which had to catch their attention because some of them were commercial fishermen who used nets to catch fish for a living. He says a fisherman caught all kinds of fish in their nets and when the net was brought into the boat, the fish were separated—the good fish were kept and the worthless fish were trashed. Then h...

We continue looking at the parables Jesus used to teach the crowds so they could try and understand what it was like to follow him. In this episode of the GRINDIT Podcast, we take a look at two parables: the hidden treasure and the pearl. In both of these parables someone is searching for something. One treasure hunter has heard about a certain buried treasure in a field so he goes looking for it....

I love bread, especially when it's hot and covered in butter! In this episode we take a look at making homemade bread. I've never made it before so I borrowed a recipe from a website that has. One of the main ingredients to make bread is yeast. Without the yeast, the loaf won't be a loaf...it will be flat like a pancake, or maybe a tortilla! Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a little bit of ye...

Jesus tells the parable of the Mustard Seed. It’s such a small seed and it seems insignificant to many but it actually has many uses. But when planted in the ground, this tiny seed becomes a tall tree, roughly nine feet tall, stands out above everything in the field, and provides a place for birds to build their nests. The kingdom of God seems insignificant to many people and they don’t think anyt...

Why do followers of Jesus think it is their responsibility to be spiritual police and go around condemning the lost of their sin? They go to places where people who do not follow Christ and act just like them with megaphones and signs, even carrying their bibles and shouting scriptures as if anyone is listening. Jesus gives a parable of the wheat and weeds in Matthew 13 and he even gives us the in...

Matthew shifts his focus from the religious leaders and Pharisees to some of Jesus’ teachings. He tells us that Jesus used stories called parables. He used things that his listeners would be familiar with such as seed, soil, coins, etc. to teach them a spiritual lesson. Many people today do not read the bible for themselves because they feel as though it is too hard to understand but Jesus said if...

The Pharisees just don't seem to get it. Sparring with Jesus is not a good thing but this time they bring some help--some teachers of the law. Surely these bible thumpers can outsmart God Himself! Nope...They demand a sign to prove to them that Jesus' authority comes from God like he claims. Jesus tells them the only sign they'll get is the sign of Jonah, a prophet they'd be familiar with. He says...

Jesus heals a man who couldn’t hear nor speak. The people who saw this happen was amazed and they started to ask the question, “Could this man be the Messiah?” The simple answer is “Yes” but was it so simple? There are many who reject Jesus to this day so what’s the difference? You may say, “Well they had Jesus walking around with them so they should have known,” but it’s not that easy. They had p...

Have you ever watched a fight in a western movie? They pick a time and place for the “Showdown” and people come to watch who will have the fastest draw and win. This is what we see happening in Matthew 12 between the Pharisees and Jesus. The Pharisees have the fastest draw but Jesus wins the fight…every time! Evidently the Pharisees have some spies on Jesus and his disciples because they see them...

Jesus said John the Baptizer had haters and what he do? Nothing but live in the wilderness, preach about the kingdom of God, baptize people for the remission of sin, and lay the foundation for the Messiah, just as God had told him to do. But Jesus also had haters! Why would anybody hate a man that healed the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, show compassion and hope to everyone that met him?!...

John the Baptizer was born with a purpose given to him by God Himself. He leaped in the womb when Mary came to visit Elizabeth; he had preached the kingdom of God and baptized hundreds of people for the forgiveness of sins; he had baptized Jesus and saw the Holy Spirit descend from heaven and land on Jesus signifying he was the One, the Messiah; John had heard the voice of God come down from heave...

Jesus hand picked 12 men to be his closest disciples and in Matthew 10, we learn their names. Not only that, but we see Jesus giving them the authority to heal the sick and cast out demons as they go to the villages nearby and preach the kingdom of God has come. Up until this point they have been spectators but now they get to be participators! Jesus tells therm the harvest is plentiful but the la...

As Jesus was leaving Jairus’ house after raising his 12 year old daughter from the dead, wo blind men followed him, shouting at him, “Son of David have mercy on us!” Jesus ignored them…he kept walking not paying them any attention. In fact, he goes to someone’s house where he will be staying for a bit. The two blind men keep on their journey until they reach the house where he was staying and they...

Jesus was having a conversation with some of John the Baptizer’s disciples when they were interrupted by a leader from the synagogue named Jairus. His 12 year old daughter was dying and he knew his only hope was to find Jesus and have him come to his house and lay his hands on her so he could heal her sickness before she died. Everything was going great until a woman with an issue of blood interru...

It’s the old comparison game. John’s disciples say, “We fast like the religious leaders, so why do your disciples not fast?” It’s almost as if they are asking, “Since you are the Messiah as John has told us, since you are the standard of righteousness and holiness, then why are you not teaching or making your disciples fast?” as if fasting was a standard of holiness and to some, like the religious...

Jesus is run out of Gadarene after casting demons out of the two men who lived in the graveyard and he crosses the lake with his disciples and arrives in his hometown. There, some people bring him a man who is paralyzed and they want Jesus to heal him. The religious leaders, along with the disciples and the crowd, are watching Jesus to see what is going to happen. Jesus sees their faith and tells...

Jesus and his disciples get in a boat and head to Gadarene where they are confronted by two demon possessed men as they get to the shore. There are shepherds who have a herd of pigs nearby who are watching the show; they are waiting to see these strangers get run out of town like everyone who has come near this graveyard but that’s not what they see. Instead, they see the two men bowing before one...

The disciples have listened to Jesus’ teachings while he was on the mountainside, they have watched him touch a leper and heal him as he was coming down the mountain, they have watched him have a conversation with a roman soldier and heal his servant, they saw Jesus heal Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever, they saw him cast out demons and heal people from all kinds of sickness, but they had never...

The Roman soldier goes on a journey on behalf of the paralyzed servant, finds Jesus, tells him what was going on, Jesus wanted to come to the soldier’s house to heal the servant, the soldier shows humility, and because he did all of this, the servant was healed. Not only was the servant healed, he was healed instantly. He was healed as soon as Jesus proclaimed the healing. In Luke’s version of thi...

As Jesus is coming down the mountain after teaching his disciples about being righteous, he is encountered by a leper. This leper should have been in quarantine, living in a leper colony but he does something bold...he went against God's laws in order to get to Jesus. He pops out of nowhere, kneels before Jesus stopping him in his tracks, and calls him Lord. I can't help but wonder if there were p...

Do you think scammers are a new thing? Think again! Jesus warned of scammers when he was teaching his disciples and the crowd on the mountain side when he said, “Beware of false prophets. They come in sheep’s clothing but in reality they are vicious wolves! Like scammers today, their message would have just enough truth in it to get your attention and, if you didn’t know the word of God, you would...

When I was in the first grade I had a sweet lady for a teacher named Mrs. Webb. Above her desk was a sign that read, “The Golden Rule: Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.” I didn’t know where it came from but it sounded good and I knew I wanted people to treat me good so I should treat them good! Jesus goes on to say the road, and the gate to heaven, is narrow but the road, and the...

Have you ever prayed for something and just got crickets from God? Nothing but silence? What did you do? Give up? Quit praying? That’s what most people do and they tend to get mad at God because they feel as if He doesn’t care. But the problem is not God, it’s us! We give up too soon and too easily! Jesus says to “Keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking” and he tells God will come th...

“Don’t judge me!” Have you ever heard those words before? That seems to be a huge statement coming from our society today when they are confronted with their lifestyle, with their sin. Are we to judge others? Doesn’t Jesus literally say the words, “Do NOT judge?” Yes he does but is that what he means? Are we supposed to confront sin or not? Are we supposed to tell other people how live or are we?...

Jesus tells his disciples their righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees or they cannot enter into heaven so he teaches them in the Sermon on the Mount how to live a righteous life that is pleasing to God. He tells them they cannot serve God and money. Would you say you hate God? I doubt it but would your lifestyle and choices you make say otherwise? Our bank accounts will tell the story. O...