“”Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 24:45-51 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.24.45-51.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?” Has God given you a purpose? Is it still front and center or has the thorns of busyness overwhelmed it? Ask God to enable you for the mission and start walking in the right direction. Please pray that we and our friends are about God’s purpose today. Please pray for Andrew and his mom.

“”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”

Matthew 23:23-26 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.23.23-26.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.” It’s very tempting to have a legalistic view of salvation. You get to check the box of the things you like and then you get to be in control. “Justice, mercy and faithfulness” gets messy and takes us out of our comfort zone. Please pray that we and our friends see what God wants us to see today. Please pray for Andrew’s mom.

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”

Matthew 23:1-4 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.23.1-4.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “For they preach, but do not practice.” Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Jesus wants to transform us and that means giving Him full control. Please pray that we and our friends abide in Him today. Please pray for Andrew’s mom.

“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.”

Matthew 21:42-46 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.21.42-46.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:”. Supposedly only 5% of Christians have read the Bible. Satan knows the Bible so well that he tried to manipulate Jesus in the desert by twisting its words. How prepared are you to deal with temptations without spending time in the Scriptures? Please pray that we and our friends read and know the Bible. Please pray for Hunter and David’s group.

“In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.””

Matthew 21:18-22 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.21.18-22.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Many people have left Christianity because they asked for a loved one to be healed and they weren’t. As with all verses, it’s always important to put them in context of the rest of the Bible. How will we know how to put it in context if we don’t know the whole Bible? How does God speak to you without reading the Bible? Please pray that we and our friends spend time with God alone and reading His Word. Please pray for discernment for Adam.

“Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.””

Matthew 20:10-16 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.20.10-16.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” Are we ok with God being in control of what we’ve “earned”? What happens if we or a loved one becomes sick? Would we grumble? How about a financial disaster? Would we grumble? Please pray that we and our friends seek God for the relationship and nothing else. Please pray for Doug’s group.

“And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Matthew 19:16-22 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.19.16-22.esv

All,

This stands out because Matthew says, “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” How good are we at following Jesus in the areas that come easy to us? Jesus is concerned with transforming ALL of us and each of us have a area that we don’t want to submit to God. As long as we don’t submit that area, we will have two masters and that doesn’t work. Please pray that we and our friends submit all of ourselves to Jesus. Please pray for Danelle.

“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!”

Matthew 18:4-7 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.18.4-7.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” This should be very convicting for any Christian leaders. There are many leaders who hesitate to speak the truth in love, but this verse seems to stress the importance of speaking the truth in love. Please pray that we and our friends speak the truth in love. Please pray for Doug’s group.

“And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.””

Matthew 17:14-20 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.17.14-20.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Do you believe this? Has God put something on your heart that seems impossible? Please pray that we and our friends have faith that God will enable to do what He puts on our heart to do. Please pray for David and Wes’s group.

“”The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:44-50 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.13.44-50.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Are we willing to sacrifice anything for God? Is there something that you put higher than God? Is it tempting to put certain habits or lifestyle above God and ask Him to change? Please pray that we and our friends put God above all else and let Him deal with the consequences. Please pray for Jeff.