August 2, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Follow Me

Follow Me

Exodus 20:1-17 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ And God spoke all these words:

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

³ “You shall have no other gods before me.

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

What had God done (verse 2)?

What is the first commandment (verse 3)?

Why should the Israelites not bow to or worship any image (verse 5)?

Who will not be “guiltless” (verse 7)?

Which day is holy (verse 8)?

Who should be honored (verse 12)?

What should not be coveted (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

Matthew 19:13-30 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

How did the disciples treat those who brought little children for Jesus to pray for (verse 13)?

Who did Jesus say the kingdom of heaven belongs to (verse 14)?

What did the man ask Jesus (verse 16)?

What did Jesus tell the man to do (verse 17)?

In your opinion, how does Jesus’s answer compare to the ten commandments given in Exodus 20:1-17 (verses 18 and 19)?

What did the man then ask Jesus (verse 20)?

How did Jesus answer him (verse 21)?

In your opinion, how does Jesus’s answer compare to the ten commandments given in Exodus 20:1-17 (verse 21)?

Why was the young man sad (verse 22)?

What is hard for someone who is rich to do (verse 23)?

How did Jesus answer the question who then can be saved” (verses 25 and 26)?

What will there be for the disciples (verses 27-30)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

In your opinion, how does the parable in Matthew 19:13-30 help us understand which of the commands in Exodus 20:1-17 are the hardest to follow?  Why?

2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹ See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

What did Paul not regret causing in the Corinthians Christians (verse 8)?

How long had Paul’s letter hurt them (verse 8)?

Why was Paul now happy (verse 9)?

Who intended for them to be sorrowful (verse 9)?

What “brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret” (verse 10)?

What does “worldly sorrow” bring (verse 10)?

What did Godly sorrow produce in the Corinthian Christians (verse 11)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

In your opinion, how can a sincere attempt to follow the commands in Exodus 20:1-17 lead to the “godly sorrow” that Paul says brings repentance in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11?

In your opinion, how does the rich young man in Matthew 19:13-30 help us understand the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow that Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11?

2 Timothy 2:22-26 - New International Version (NIV)

²² Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

What should Christian’s flee (verse 22)?

What should Christian’s pursue (verse 22)?

Why should Christians avoid “foolish and stupid arguments” (verse 23)?

Who should “the Lord’s servant” be kind to (verse 24)?

Why should opponents be gently instructed (verse 25)?

Who has taken the opponents captive (verse 26)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the difference between following regulations and following God?

In your opinion, what role do the commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 play in helping us understand more about pursuing “righteousness, faith, love and peace” as instructed by 2 Timothy 2:22-26?

In your opinion, what does 2 Timothy 2:22-26 help us understand about what the rich young man in Matthew 19:13-30 was missing?

In your opinion, how is “godly sorrow” in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 the starting point for the pursuits in 2 Timothy 2:22-26?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Exodus, Matthew, 2 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy teach us about repentance?

In your opinion, what might we need to leave behind to truly follow Jesus?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

July 26, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Joined Together

Joined Together

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, ² and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, ³ and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, ⁴ then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

What does the man who is displeased with his wife do (verse 1)?

How does the remarried woman become single again (verse 3)?

Who cannot marry her (verse 4)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the relationship between a husband and wife?

Matthew 19:1-12 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Where did Jesus go (verse 1)?

What did He do there (verse 2)?

How did the Pharisees test Him (verse 3)?

What did Jesus say about how the creator made them (verse 4)?

What do the husband and wife become (verse 5)?

Who should separate what God has joined (verse 6)?

How did the Pharisees challenge Jesus’s answer (verse 7)?

Why did Moses permit divorce (verse 8)?

Who commits adultery (verse 9)?

How did the disciples respond (verse 10)?

Who should follow the disciple’s reasoning (verses 11 & 12)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the relationship between a husband and wife?

In your opinion, how did the Pharisees in Matthew 19:1-12 twist the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4?

Ephesians 5:21-33 - New International Version (NIV)

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Why should Christians “submit to one another” (verse 21)?

What should wives do (verse 22)?

Who is the “head of the church” (verse 23)?

How does the church respond to Christ (verse 24)?

What did Christ do for the church (verse 25)?

How was the church cleansed (verse 26)?

Who was Christ presenting the church to (verse 27)?

How should husbands love their wives (verse 28)?

What does Christ do for the church (verse 29)?

What are members of the church (verse 30)?

What do a man and his wife become (verse 31)?

What profound myster is Paul talking about (verse 32)?

What should each husband do (verse 33)?

What should each wife do (verse 33)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the relationship between a husband and wife?

In your opinion, how is Christ’s example in Ephesians 5:21-33 different from the man who divorces his wife in Deuteronomy 24:1-4?

In your opinion, how are Jesus’s statements about divorce in Matthew 19:1-12 influenced by Ephesians 5:21-33?

Revelation 19:1-10 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
²     for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
    who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

³ And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”

⁵ Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,
you who fear him,
    both great and small!”

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

¹⁰ At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

Who was shouting “Hallelujah!” (verse 1)?

Who has God “condemned” (verse 2)?

What goes up from the condemned “for ever and ever” (verse 3)?

Where was the One the “twenty-four elders and the four living creatures” worshiped (verse 4)?

Who is to “Praise our God” (verse 5)?

What does “our Lord God Almighty” do (verse 6)?

What has come (verse 7)?

Who has “made herself ready” (verse 7)?

What does the “fine linen” stand for (verse 8)?

Who is blessed (verse 9)?

What do John and his brothers and sisters hold on to (verse 10)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about the relationship between a husband and wife?

In your opinion, how does a man who would divorce his wife in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 differ from the groom in Revelation 19:1-10?

In your opinion, who in Revelation 19:1-10 has done what Jesus warned against in Matthew 19:1-12 and separated “what God has joined together”?

In your opinion, how does Ephesians 5:21-33 help us understand what the groom in Revelation 19:1-10 has done for His bride?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Deuteronomy, Matthew, Ephesians, and Revelations teach us about Christ and the church?

In your opinion, how do we make ourselves ready in “fine linen” today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

July 19, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Overcoming Evil

Overcoming Evil

1 Samuel 24:1-13 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” ² So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³ He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. ⁴ The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵ Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. ⁶ He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷ With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

⁸ Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. ⁹ He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? ¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. ¹² May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. ¹³ As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.

Where was Saul told that David was (verse 1)?

How many “able young men” did Saul take (verse 2)?

Where were David and his men (verse 3)?

What did David cut off (verse 4)?

Why was David “conscience-stricken” (verse 5)?

How did David describe Saul (verse 6)?

What did David not allow his men to do (verse 7)?

What did David call out to Saul (verse 8)?

What were the men Saul was listening to saying (verse 9)?

Where had the Lord delivered Saul (verse 10)?

How did David demonstrate that he did not want to harm Saul (verse 11)?

Who does David want to judge between he and Saul (verse 12)?

Where do evil deeds come from (verse 13)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about responding to evil?

Matthew 18:21-35 - New International Version (NIV)

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

What did Jesus tell Peter he needed to do seventy-seven times (verses 21-22)?

What is the “kingdom of heaven” like (verse 23)?

How much did the man who was brought in owe the king (verse 24)?

Why did the master order the man and his wife and children sold (verse 25)?

In your opinion, would the man have been able to repay what he owed (verse 26)?

What did the master do (verse 27)?

Who did the servant find when he “went out” (verse 28)?

How did that person respond to the servant who had been forgiven (verse 29)?

What did the servant who had been forgiven do (verse 30)?

How did the other servants react (verse 31)?

How did the master address the servant who had been forgiven (verse 32)?

How did the master say the servant should have responded to the other servant (verse 33)?

How long was the servant handed over to the jailers (verse 34)?

How does our Heavenly father expect us to forgive our brothers and sisters (verse 35)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about responding to evil?

In your opinion, how are the David’s actions in 1 Samuel 24:1-13 contrary to the actions of the man who owed ten thousand bags of gold in Matthew 18:21-35?

Romans 12:17-21 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

How should we not repay anyone (verse 17)?

What should we be careful “to do” (verse 17)?

If it depends on us, how should we live (verse 18)?

What should we leave room for (verse 19)?

Who should we feed if they are hungry (verse 20)?

How should we overcome evil (verse 21)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about responding to evil?

In your opinion, how does 1 Samuel 24:1-13 illustrate the instructions in dealing with others that Romans 12:17-21 gives us?

In your opinion, how could the instructions in Romans 12:17-21 have benefited the servant who owed the ten thousand bags of gold in Matthew 18:21-35?

Colossians 1:9-14 - New International Version (NIV)

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

What does Paul pray that God fills them with (verse 9)?

Who does Paul pray for them to “live a life worthy of” (verse 10)?

What is the outcome of “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might” (verse 11)?

Who has qualified Christians to “share in the inheritance of his holy people” (verse 12)?

What have Christians been rescued from (verse 13)?

Where does God bring Christians (verse 13)?

What is “redemption” (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about responding to evil?

In your opinion, how might David’s restraint in 1 Samuel 24:1-13 be a product of the same kind of filling with God’s will that Paul prays the Colossian Christians will have in Colossians 12:17-21?

In your opinion, how is the forgiveness that Paul describes in Colossians 1:9-14 greater than the forgiveness described in Matthew 18:21-35?

In your opinion, how does Colossians 1:9-14 show the change that must happen in Christians to allow them to obey the instruction to “overcome evil with good” in Romans 12:17-21?

In your opinion, what do these passages from 1 Samuel, Matthew, Romans, and Colossians teach us about God’s forgiveness?

In your opinion, how can we overcome evil in the world today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)