I don�t know about you but there is something really satisfying about reading God�s word daily. It could be because obviously the bible is alive and it speaks to you, but I think for me I just feel like a much better friend to God. I know so often I feel bad that I ignore and neglect spending time with Him so to actually be consistent in setting time aside is refreshing and it feels pretty good.

We have just finished the book of Matthew.

Jesus continues to transform lives, healing people and forgiving their sins. There is a lot of teaching, which along with the way Jesus lives is completely radical for the times and if often quite hard for the people to understand. He talks about the Kingdom of God coming and it being a place where the first are last and the last are first. Crazy, up-side down thinking.

It�s difficult to sum up the last 10 chapters because so much has happened. Jesus has gone from being cheered and worshipped in Jerusalem to being murdered on the cross. So I�m not going to, you�ve read it so you know what happens.

One of the things that challenged me last week was one the subject of fruit. There are two different stories, one about the fig tree that doesn�t produce anything so Jesus makes it wither and die and also the well know parable of the talents. I think it�s clear that as followers of Jesus he wants us to be people that produce fruit.

When I read the parable of the talents I always feel a bit sorry for the guy who put it in the ground. It�s not as if he went to the Dogs and blew it or spent it on women and beer. He could have done a lot worse; he gave it back to his master just as he has received it. I think this really shows that Jesus is not a fan of laziness, something I�m often guilty of. He has given us all different gifts and abilities and I was really challenged this week, am I just sitting on them?

Week 4 readings:

Any questions or thoughts from last week, post them here.