Posts

WhatHas You??

Image
  What has you? In Matthew 19:16–30, a rich young man asks Jesus, “What good thing must I do to have eternal life?” He approaches eternal life as another achievement—something to acquire, possess, and add to everything else he owns. Jesus meets him where he is, but leads him beyond rule keeping, spiritual accounting, and accumulated merit. He places his finger on the possession that has become possessive and gives the invitation: Go. Sell. Give. Come. Follow. The destination is not poverty for poverty’s sake. The destination is discipleship. The man’s problem is not merely what he lacks. It is what he has—and what has him. What possesses you? Money? Reputation? Control? Achievement? Resentment? Position? Certainty? Even a carefully maintained religious identity? Salvation is not another human acquisition. “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Read the complete reflection and access the subscriber Bible study and group discussion guide: https://tomsims...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hard Hearts and Open Hearts

Image
  The Pharisees ask what the law permits a man to do. Jesus redirects them toward what God intends. In Matthew 19:1–15, Jesus moves us: • From control to covenant • From disposability to dignity • From conformity to calling • From exclusion to welcome Jesus will not allow law, marriage, singleness, or religious custom to become a mechanism for controlling, discarding, or excluding people. He calls us away from hard-heartedness and toward covenant faithfulness, human dignity, and openhearted welcome. His teaching must never be used to excuse cruelty, protect abuse, silence wounded people, or exclude those whose relationships have ended. The same Jesus who honors covenant also protects human dignity and opens his arms to wounded people. Read the sermon companion and access the subscriber study and reflection guides: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/the-hard-heart-and-the-open-arms Hard Questions:   https://pastortom.blog/2026/08/16/hard-hearts-or-open-arms/ Join the Conversat...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Channel Runs Both Ways

Image
  The servant wanted mercy as a benefit but refused to live by grace. He left the king’s presence debt-free—but not ledger-free. The channel runs both ways: the grace we receive must become the grace we extend. https://tomsims.substack.com/p/the-channel-runs-both-ways #Forgiveness #Grace
Post a Comment
Read more

Children of the Kingdom and the Fellowship of Joy

Image
  Who can we welcome? How can we welcome them? What makes us "great?"
Post a Comment
Read more

Glory for the Valley

Image
   We all appreciate mountaintop moments—times of inspiration, clarity, worship, and renewed vision. But Jesus does not invite us to build shelters and remain there. He leads us into the valley, where people suffer, disciples fail, and our strength proves inadequate. That is where mustard-seed faith becomes real. God does not give us the mountain so that we can escape the valley. He gives us glory for the valley. See Jesus in his glory. Listen to him on the mountain. Follow him into the valley. Trust him at the cross .Remember his resurrection.   Dive deeper and utilize small group tools: https://tomsims.substack.com (biblechatonline.com) You can also watch or share   the whole sermon on Facebook : https://fb.watch/IBULGpCibx/ or YouTube Five questions for reflection and conversation: 1. What mountaintop experience has helped sustain you through a difficult valley? 2. Is Jesus saying something to you that you have found difficult to hear or accept? 3. Who i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Right Title, Wrong Scrript

Image
   Peter gave the right answer about Jesus—and then tried to tell Jesus how to be the Messiah. View the entire message: https://fb.watch/IsHFW1CTTx/ or at In Matthew 16, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. But when Jesus speaks about suffering and the cross, Peter objects. He wants the crown without the cross and God’s outcome without God’s way. It is not enough to confess Jesus as the Christ. We must allow the Christ we confess to reshape our minds and lead us in the way of the cross. Read the complete Bible Chat, including reflection questions and practical exercises: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/when-the-right-answer-is-not-enough #BibleChat #Matthew16 #JesusChrist #ChristianDiscipleship #TakeUpYourCross #FollowJesus #PastorTomSims
Post a Comment
Read more

Reading Red Skies

Image
    “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.  Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.” Jesus said the religious leaders of his day knew how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but they could not interpret the signs of the times. That was not because the signs were absent. Jesus had been teaching, healing, welcoming outsiders, feeding hungry people, and revealing the compassion of God. The Pharisees and Sadducees were surrounded by signs, yet they still demanded another one. Their problem was not insufficient evidence. It was an unwillingness to recognize what God was doing right in front of them. We can make the same mistake. We may know how to read polls, forecasts, statistics, cultural trends, and social-media analytics while remaining blind to the redemptive moment. Can we recognize where compassion is needed? Can we see the overlooked person? Can we hear the persistent outsider? Can we recognize when the interruption is actually the invitation? Sometimes we keep asking ...
Post a Comment
Read more