gospel of Matthew

  • Episode 9 | Is Putin a Christian? : The Russian Orthodox Church and a Christian response to the war in Ukraine

    Is Putin really a Christian? Why is he so buddy-buddy with the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church? Is the Russian Orthodox Church a legitimate Christian church? These are just a few of the questions I and other teachers have been asked in my English school here in Japan. And boy, are they doozies. I…

  • Peace with Everyone: The Twelve Disciples and Diversity in the Church

    ** Authors Note: You know how I write Sunday Chapel Time Bible studies for my church? Well, I also write messages for the youth group. We call it “Youth Sunday Chapel Time,” or “UC” for short. Once every other month, I have the privilege of writing a bible study of sorts to the junior high…

  • The Meaning of the Wise Men’s Gifts (Matthew 2:1-12)

    It’s finally the Christmas and holiday season. It’s so easy to get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas and gift shopping. With Black Friday sales, “Christmas lists,” Santa Claus, Christmas lights, decorations, Mariah Carey…Christmas really feels like one giant spectacle of commercialism these days. It’s a little hard for me to deal with sometimes,…

  • Clean vs. Unclean: A Matter of the Heart (Matthew 15:10-20)

    This Sunday Chapel Time study is based on a passage from the Gospel of Matthew. A fellow missionary of mine led another study about how our words—good or bad—come from the heart. This study is going to expand on that idea. Let’s first think about the context of this passage in Matthew 15. The Pharisees…