Hey friends, the newsletter is back, and I’m kicking it off by finishing my series of devotional reflections on Matthew 8–9. This is the eighth and final devotional in the series. Here are links to parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. These are free for your use with your church or family.
Have you ever been to a theater or on an airplane and heard the cry, “Is there a doctor?” That question is only asked when someone needs help. They’ve fallen ill or been hurt, and a medical professional who can provide care is the only person who will be sufficient for the situation.
When Jesus came, he came as a doctor with the authority to heal. His touch brought immediate relief. And at the sound of his voice, fevers fled, storms were stilled, and demons begged for mercy. But Jesus didn’t simply come to show off his authority and great ability; he came because there was a great need. The hurting needed a medic. The sick needed a doctor. Sinners needed the Savior.
Read Matthew 9:9–13
Matthew sat in his collection booth on the outskirts of Capernaum. Day after day, he collected tolls from travelers and custom duties from those who brought their goods and services into the region. Matthew was most likely a scorned man. You see, the Jewish people hated tax collectors. Tax collectors worked for the occupying Romans, and they often levied higher taxes in order to line their own pockets. Of course they were despised.
But though people shunned Matthew, Jesus didn’t. When he saw the tax collector sitting at his booth, Jesus saw the reason that he’d come. “Follow me,” Jesus said, and Matthew obeyed. The religious leaders couldn’t understand why Jesus would surround himself with scorned sinners, but Jesus knew his purpose. He was the medic going to the place of greatest need. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor,” he said, “but the sick… for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Think, Pray, and Apply
Take a few minutes with your family to talk and reflect on the Bible passage:
Tell about a time when you needed a doctor. How did the physician provide care for you?
Why is Jesus the perfect doctor for sinners? What makes him the best remedy for our great need?
Do we move toward the same kinds of people toward whom Christ moves? If not, what keeps us from showing Christ’s love to those who are hurting, broken, and despised?
Gospel-Centered Family’s mission is to help parents and church leaders share Jesus with the next generation. Below you’ll find a link to my friend Champ Thornton’s new Advent devotional Wonders of His Love, information about our Fall cohorts, and this week’s links.
If you ever want to ask a question or give us feedback, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re loving the newsletter, please forward it to your friends.
Thanks again for subscribing and reading!
Jared Kennedy
Advent is the perfect time for families to gather together and celebrate the birth of Jesus. For our family, it’s been the annual time when we rekindle rhythms of family discipleship.
Using pictures of Jesus from Isaiah’s prophecies—the Light, the Branch, the Shepherd, and the Savior—Champ Thornton’s new Advent devotional, Wonders of His Love, brings to life the true meaning of Christmas. The book is currently available at a 40% discount from New Growth Press.
Our three fall coaching cohorts are currently in full swing. During our most recent phone call, the children’s ministry cohort discussed child protection plans, the special needs cohort talked about recruiting and appreciating volunteers, and the student ministry cohort talked about how to equip small group leaders.
If you’re looking to improve your personal leadership health as well as your ministry capacity, check out our new cohorts which kick off in January.
This Week’s Links
Here’s our list of blog posts we’ve found helpful:
The Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) had a post on the topic of teens and social media. It concludes this way, “The more we build strong character in our children, and the more we actively teach them to steward technology, the more likely they are to handle it with skill and wisdom.” The post offers suggestions on how to do this. Parents, this is a must-read.
Jacob Murrie had a post at The Gospel Coalition on Gen Z believers and five things that frustrate them. If you work with or have kids that are a part of this generation, this is a helpful post.
Marty Machowski wrote at the New Growth Press blog about recruiting and keeping children’s ministry volunteers. I loved this point: “Many dads are qualified to serve in children’s ministry, but oftentimes can view serving in children’s ministry as something the ladies do. We need to rally our dads to lead in our ministry. If you only recruit the mothers and grandmothers to serve, you are skipping over 50 percent of the available serving pool.”
Finally, this one is behind a paywall, but it’s great. Wendy Alsup wrote a post for single parents for Christianity Today. It’s about 3 biblical prayers she’s found beneficial for bridging her head knowledge of God to heart knowledge.
What have you been reading online lately? Send us a note and let us know.