Bible verses to build your life on

Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24

Introduction

A somewhat brief study of Matthew 13

First off, Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read this study of Matthew chapter 13 ~ I love having people to study the Bible with! The Bible is so exciting and it just makes it more fun! J There’s something so neat about being able to mention key and interesting truths we notice and being able to bounce around thoughts and analyze them together! I’m praying that God will use this study of Jesus’ words to minister to your heart in a new and fresh way, as He has been already ministering to my heart, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this! Jesus’ words are inspiring; some are tough, but He communicated truths we need to hear, because He loves us and He wants us to be ready to see Him, so that He can one day say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” (Matthew 25:21)

Secondly, I believe that Matthew 13 is one of the most foundational chapters in the Bible on what it means to saved: a disciple of Jesus Christ, and as you read it, I’m sure you will see why I believe that. In this chapter, Jesus starts clearly laying down the understanding of the two categories of people in this world: those who follow Christ and are saved and inherit eternal life with God forever and are a part of His activities throughout all eternity; and those who refuse to follow Christ, and if they continue to choose that option, they will be separated from God forever in a place called the ‘Lake of Fire’, tormented by pain and their consciences for eternity – paying for their own sins. Jesus also shows us how those who treasure these truths can actually start identifying some of the clues around them, and will be able to use the clues they see along with the teachings of Jesus to inspire and encourage the people in their sphere of influence.

Matthew 13 is also very interesting because this chapter starts with the first major parable [word picture] that Jesus tells the people about the Kingdom of Heaven - His Kingdom. In Mark 4, Jesus tells His disciples that to understand all of the rest of His parables, we must understand what Jesus was saying in this one. So, let’s take a look at that to see what Jesus is saying.

Most of these notes came from the best study of God’s Word I could do, then I studied John MacArthur’s notes and Matthew Henry’s notes and included here and there notes from other studious Bible teachers. And all of the verses in this study were copied from 2 sources: the Libronix Digital Library System – for more info, I encourage you to check out their website: www.libronix.com; and www.blueletterBible.org.

(You will notice that I pulled notes out of Pastor John MacArthur’s study Bible and I also borrowed some notes from a few other respected Bible teachers. Also, the majority of text I use is New King James Version (NKJV) – it is well respected and is an accurate translation. J) And, you will notice that I explain things in a little more extensive detail, that is to help the younger students of God’s Word to understand, also I have found that the more I study out the details, the more God’s Word comes alive for me! I hope that makes sense… At least a couple of people that have been reading these studies have been asking how they can get a study Bible like this, etc. I highly encourage you to get Pastor John MacArthur’s Study Bible, called ‘The MacArthur Study Bible’ (NKJV) and you can find it at most Christian bookstores or you can order it online: www.gty.org. It costs a little bit, but investing in a good study Bible like this will be a huge blessing to you for the rest of your life! I can tell you some of that from experience!)

I broke this study down into 7 parts for easier reading. I found it to be a fascinating study and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights!