April 13 / Mark 4:13-20

Mark 4:13-20 “Notice what you notice.” I try to remain true to our guideline for this year, “Notice what you notice.” And often it’s a small thing – and again today. Mark 4:14 says, The sower sows the word. That doesn’t sound like anything earth-shattering, but it was a sentence that was missing in Matthew, …

April 12 / Mark 4:1-12

Mark 4:1-12 “Notice what you notice.” Today is Mark’s account of the Parable of the Sower. As with Matthew’s account, the parable comes today with the explanation tomorrow. Yesterday I dealt with minutia, a focus on the word “has” in Matthew’s Gospel. That focus was, in part, because Matthew is the only account of this …

April 11 / Matt. 13:10-23

Matthew 13:10-23 “Notice what you notice.” Yesterday, today, and the next three days are all about the sower and the seed. I’m sure we’ve all heard a number of sermons/messages on this famous parable, so it might be hard to pick out much to say, especially when we are repeating it twice. So I would …

April 10 / Matt. 13:1-9

Matthew 13:1-9 “Notice what you notice.” Today is our 100th day in the Gospels – just so you know… Pat yourselves on the back if you’re keeping up. What hits me today is the fact that it’s all coming together for me. Except for our earlier time in Judea, we’ve had almost three months in …

April 9 / Luke 8:1-3

Luke 8:1-3 “Notice what you notice.” A very short passage today. My Study Bible tells me that these verses are from Jesus’ second journey into Galilee, so if true my chronology is messed up. Still, we do have Jesus in Galilee going throughout the “cities and villages” (v. 1). So three women (“and many others”, …

April 8 / Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21

Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35, and Luke 8:19-21 “Notice what you notice.” Two things strike me today. The first is very simple, one word – outside. I’ve always pictured Jesus preaching out in the open air with crowds all around Him. But each of these writers today has Jesus inside (presumably a house) with His mother …

April 7 / Matt. 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-28

Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24-28 “Notice what you notice.” We’ve probably all heard sermons on today’s topic, that someone has an unclean spirit cast out, but the person does not replace the unclean spirit with “something positive” and the unclean spirit returns “en force”. Jesus’ comments are perfectly in line with Samuel’s sermon today on …

April 5 / Matt. 12:38-42; Luke 11:29-32

Matthew 12:38-42 and Luke 11:29-32 “Notice what you notice.” Asking for a sign… There is one major difference between Matthew and Luke with respect to Jonah. Both writers focus on the repentance of the men of Nineveh. However, Matthew also added the three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish (v. …

April 4 / Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 12:10-12

Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, and Luke 12:10-12 “Notice what you notice.” Something new today, all three Synoptic Gospels (imbedded below) on one short topic — blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin…!! Matt. 12:31-32, Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not …