Main text: Matthew 18:1-4 (ESV) 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Preaching Point: We must remember that in God’s House, the greatest are not ranked by their accolades or how fast they climb the ladder, but by how much they humble themselves in the name of Christ.

Teaching Points:

1. Stop Thinking You’re Better Than the Next Christian (V. 1)
2. Understand the Terms for Joining God’s Household (VV. 2-3)
3. Excel in Displaying Christlike Humility (V. 4)

Main text: Matthew 17:24-27 (ESV) 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Preaching Point: Our identities in Christ should empower us to stand up for biblical principles while humbly setting aside our own preferences for the sake of the gospel.

Teaching Points:

1. Recognize Your Privileges in Christ (VV. 24-26)
2. Concede Your Preferences (V. 27)

Main Text: Matthew 17:14–23 (ESV) 14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 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. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 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.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 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.” 22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

Preaching Point: We must counter any lack of faith on our part by remembering that even the smallest measure of faith, empowered by God, is sufficient to accomplish anything He wants us to do!

Teaching Points:

1. Stop Downplaying Your Lack of Faith (vv. 14-18)
2. Resolve to Act According to Your Faith in God’s Revealed Will (vv. 19-20)
3. Pray for a Faith that Perseveres (vv. 22-23)

If you notice, I did not dive into textual criticism as much during the podcast as I thought I would, but below you will find more content than you can intake that will be helpful for you through the weeks, months, and years to come! Dive in and enjoy!

Resources on the reliability of scripture and textual criticism:

Video Resources:

1. Can I trust the Bible? - Dr Robert Plummer (6 min)
2. Why do the footnotes in my Bible say, "Some manuscripts say..."? - Dr Robert P. (5 min)
3. Is the Bible we have what the original authors even wrote? - Wes Huff (30...