In the Word

Lesson 16 - The King’s Mission Accomplished, His Commission Delivered Matthew 27:1—28:20. The promised Messiah stood silent before His accusers. The Suffering Servant fully drained the cup He’d accepted in Gethsemane; and on Calvary’s cross, the true Passover Lamb yielded up His Spirit. Three days later He rose as the Promised King, victorious over death. Then He told His disciples to take everyth...

Lesson 15 - The End Draws Near Matthew 25:14—26:75. Matthew records many final moments in these last chapters. Final words about Christ’s coming and final calls to faithfulness, a final act of loving devotion, the final Passover meal. He recounts the betrayal of one disciple, the public failure of another and the scattering of all the rest. And for the Lord Himself, there is the final surrender in...

Lesson 14 - From Hypocrisy to Readiness - The Final Teaching Matthew 23:1—25:13. Jesus pronounces His final woes on the Pharisees, even releasing them to complete the murderous sins of their fathers. He casts one last heartbreaking look at Jerusalem, weeping for what she had rejected and what awaited her. And then He admonishes His disciples, stunned by His words about the end of the age, to watch...

Lesson 13 - The King is Tested Matthew 21:23 — 22:46. The interrogators lined up like advancing troops — Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, experts in the Law — firing their trick questions and “gotcha” scenarios to trap Jesus in His words and have Him arrested. His answers astounded everyone in their clarity and their authority. No one could offer a word of refutation; and at the end of the day, no...

Lesson 12 - The King’s Final Journey Begins Matthew 20:1—21:22. It is the last week of Jesus’ life. For the third time, He tells His disciples of the suffering that awaits Him in Jerusalem, but they remain distracted by thoughts of personal greatness and reward. The crowd welcomes Him with cries of victory, but their expectations of deliverance are misguided. No one yet realizes that the humble Ki...

Lesson 11 - The King’s Teaching - The Upside-Down Kingdom Matthew 18:1—19:30. Jesus continues to explain the upside-down nature of His Kingdom in this fourth section of His teaching. It is the Kingdom in which humility defines greatness, care for others overrides personal preference, and reconciliation is sought. God’s design is the framework. Forgiveness is extended without limit, and great rewar...

The King Begins to Reveal Himself - Lesson 10 Matthew 16:1 — 17:27. Things were beginning to come together for the disciples. They finally grasped Christ’s warnings about the teachings of the Pharisees. Peter boldly confessed Christ was the Messiah — but struggled with what that meant. Christ revealed His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration and told the disciples that the path ahead included the...

Lesson 9 - The King’s Patience and Care Matthew 14:1 — 15:39. The Kingdom education of the disciples continues in the next two chapters of Matthew. They watch their Master grieve the death of the beloved John the Baptist, miraculously feed thousands and then rescue them in a storm. They hear Him denounce the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and yet honor the faith of a persistent Canaanite woman. Whethe...

Lesson 8 - Parables About the Kingdom Matthew 13. As a prism reveals the true nature of the light shining through it, Matthew 13 describes the true nature of the Kingdom. It is like seeds on a path, wheat in a field laced with weeds, a mustard seed and a small measure of yeast, buried treasure, a priceless pearl and a fisherman’s net pulled through the water. It is open to all and ever-expanding —...

Lesson 7 - The Response to the King Matthew 11 and 12 contain some of the most comforting and most confrontational words Christ spoke to those who heard Him. While some, like the imprisoned John the Baptist, thought He wasn’t moving fast enough, and needed reassurance — others, like the Pharisees, wanted to shut Him down, openly challenging His authority and ultimately deciding to get rid of Him....

Lesson 6 - A Kingdom of Power Matthew 9:18—10:42. Jesus continued to demonstrate that His Kingdom was unlike any other — a Kingdom of power and grace open to all who believe and trust in His mercy. He chose twelve disciples and sent them out in that same power to do the same works He had done, opening their eyes to the great harvest awaiting them. And He warned that the same persecution He was alr...

Lesson 5 - A Kingdom of Grace, Mercy and Peace Matthew 8:1—9:17. After describing His Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus began to demonstrate its power. He healed many — among them a leper, the servant of a despised Roman centurion, a paralytic, and two Gentile men tormented by demons. He calmed a violent storm for His disciples and spoke strong words to would-be-followers and offended Phar...

Lesson 4 - The King’s Teaching Continues: A Revolutionary New Way to Worship Matthew 6:1—7:29. Jesus continued to reveal what His Kingdom is like. He unmasked the hypocrites and their showy obedience. He spoke of a loving Father who cares about all our needs and then taught us how to pray to Him. He warned against false teachers and how they could be identified. He identified two roads open to His...

Easter 2026 - Turn to Jesus John 20. As Mary stood at the empty tomb, she was so overcome with grief that she did not even register Christ’s gentle questions: “Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” In our own seasons of loss and hardship, it is easy to remain rooted in sorrow, unable to see beyond our pain. Yet if we would only turn to Christ, He would comfort us and give us new purp...

Lesson 3 - The King’s Teaching Begins: A Revolutionary New Way to Live Matthew 5:1-48. As Moses revealed God’s Law on the mountain of Sinai, Jesus introduced the Kingdom of God and all its blessings on a Galilean hillside. His words brought joy and comfort to the humble and revealed what God really required of those who would truly follow Him. They also exposed the pride and hypocrisy of the relig...

Lesson 2 - The King Identified Matthew 3:1 — 4:25. From the somewhat quiet and hidden birth of the Promised King, Matthew moved immediately into Jesus’ public ministry. He recounted John the Baptist’s call to repentance and baptism. He recorded Christ’s obedience to that call and the thunderous affirmation from Heaven that He was indeed the Son of God. He followed Christ as He was tempted in the w...

Lesson 1 - Birth of the King Matthew 1:1—2:23. Everything that Matthew recorded in these first two chapters was designed to make his Jewish readers think. Each prophecy that Christ fulfilled should have been another indication to them that Jesus truly was the promised seed of Abraham, the Messiah, the son of David and hence the Son of God. But it was obvious from the very beginning that Jesus was...

What Makes the Fruit of the Spirit Grow? Join Michele for a helpful look at how the fruit of the spirit grows in our lives. To learn more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit https:// intheword.com

Questions of Faith - As a Christian, do I need to share my faith with others and if so, how? - Pt. 8 Join Michele as she looks at why it is vital to share our faith with those around us. In this encouraging message she will clearly layout the Gospel in a way that we can all simply share. To learn more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit https://intheword.com

Questions of Faith - Is it possible to hear God’s voice and if so, how? - Part 7 Scripture reveals that God is a God who speaks, but many of us struggle to understand what that looks like? How can you tell the difference between God’s voice and your own desires? How can you learn to recognize Him when He speaks? Join Michele as she shares from her own experience learning to hear from God. To learn...

Questions of Faith - Do Christians have to forgive others and how is it possible? - Part 6 If you've ever struggled to forgive or thought it impossible, this message will help you get things into perspective. There have been many people Michele has had to forgive over the years join her as she shares what has helped her to do that. To learn more about Michele or to support this international minis...

Questions of Faith - Why does a good God allow suffering? - Part 5 Why does a good God allow suffering? Grappling with one of the hardest questions of life, why does a good God allow suffering? Michele shares some of her own story. She is no stranger to suffering herself and asks if anything good can come from it? To learn more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit h...

Questions of Faith - Is Christ’s Resurrection fact or fiction, and is it really important? - Part 4 Join Michele as she looks at Christ’s resurrection and why it’s foundational to our faith as Christians? Do we have any information outside of the Bible that speaks about the resurrection of Christ? Could Jesus have swooned and revived later? Did the disciples steal His body and lie about His return...

Questions of Faith - Did Jesus actually claim to be God? - Part 3 Join Michele as she looks at whether or not Jesus really claimed to be God? Did people in the New Testament simply honor Him or did they worship Him? And, if Jesus is God, and there is God the Father, then what about the Holy Spirit? Do Christians really believe in three Gods? To learn more about Michele or to support this internati...

Part 2 - Isn’t it enough to be a good person? Join Michele as she looks at whether or not it’s enough to be a good person? Who defines what good is? How good is good enough? And what kind of works did Jesus say were required by God? To learn more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visit https://intheword.com