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Ignoring the Invitation READ Matthew 22:4-6 4 “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ 5 But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.” The invited guests would not come so this is what the king said to his servants. Even after further explaining all the preparations the invited guests still refused to come. Some of the invited guests even killed some of the king’s servants. REFLECT Do the invited guests mistreating and killing some of the king’s servants remind you of what the Jewish nation did to some of the prophets? RESPOND With a fellow believer, read Hebrews 11:32-40 that describes the faithfulness of some of God’s servants. May this passage be encouraging to you as you see how others have stood for their faith. Filling the Banquet Hall READ Matthew 22:7-10 7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. 8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. 9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ 10 So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.” This parable teaches God turning away from the nation Israel and turning to the Gentiles. The Messiah had been sent to them, but the religious leaders had rejected Him. God then turns to the Gentiles and in the parable not a seat is left empty. Notice the servants brought in the “good and bad alike.” What will the king do with those who are not properly prepared to come to the wedding feast? REFLECT Thank the Lord that the door of salvation has been thrown wide open for you. RESPOND Visit with another believer about explaining salvation to someone. Explain that Jesus died to provide a pardon to deliver anyone—past, present or future—from condemnation. A pardon must be accepted, however, for it to be effective. Those who reject Jesus’ pardon will not be delivered from condemnation, as John 3:18 warns. Few are Chosen READ Matthew 22:11-14 11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” Apparently proper clothing was provided as the people came in from off the streets, but this one had not accepted what was provided. Salvation has been made available to all—many are called—but some reject what has been provided and their destiny will be separation from God. REFLECT Think how horrible it would be to leave this life without having trusted in Jesus as Savior and be separated from God for eternity. RESPOND Discuss with a friend how to explain, “many are called, but few are chosen.” Realize there are two aspects to salvation; God draws the person to Himself as John 6:44 says. There must also be the individual’s response to the drawing, as John 6:37 says and no one who comes is rejected. God does not necessarily expect us to understand how all of this blends together; our responsibility is only to believe what His Word says. A Question About Taxes READ Matthew 22:15-17 15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” As usual, the religious leaders wanted to find some grounds to justify arresting Jesus. The Pharisees and supporters of Herod strongly disagreed with each other. They feigned spirituality by claiming to believe Jesus’ integrity. They asked a question they thought would surely trap Jesus. If He did not think it right to pay taxes to Caesar, it would offend the supporters of Herod. If Jesus said it was right, it might offend His Jewish followers who chafed under the Roman Empire. REFLECT Have you sometimes been caught not knowing how to answer a question because any answer would displease someone? Notice in the following verses how Jesus answered. RESPOND Jesus was the enemy of the religious leaders of Israel and of the Roman Empire. The example in these verses shows common enemies teaming up to trap Him no matter what His answer would be. The Picture on the Coin READ Matthew 22:18-20 18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” Notice how directly Jesus confronted the religious leaders and followers of Herod. He was patient with unbelievers but not with those who claimed to have integrity but did not. The coin Jesus was handed was a denarius. This was the common payment for a day’s wages. His question was simple and direct, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” The Jewish leaders would be reminded of the Roman Empire and the oppression they were under. REFLECT At this point, what do you think Jesus has in mind by asking this question? RESPOND Talk with a friend about how the Bible sometimes answers the questions you have if you keep reading. Sometimes the answer is in the next few verses as it is here; at other times it may be found later as Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:22-23.

Give to Caesar READ Matthew 22:21-22 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” 22 His reply amazed them, and they went away. As the Roman coin was given to Him, Jesus asked whose picture and title were stamped on it. This was their reply, and Jesus’ answer to them. Their attempted trap failed so they went away without accomplishing what they had hoped. This passage reveals the need for believers in Jesus to respect the government they live under. When government rules and God’s rules collide, however, the believer in Jesus is to follow what God desires. REFLECT Have you been tested as to whether to follow the government or God? What did you do? RESPOND Talk with a fellow believer about some passages that give guidance about what you should do. See Romans 13:1-5 and 1 Timothy 2:1-4 about one’s responsibility to the government. For your response when there is a conflict between the government and God, see Acts 4:6-20. A Test from the Sadducees READ Matthew 22:23-24 23 That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’” This passage clearly reveals the unbelief of the Sadducees in anything supernatural. Acts 5:17 indicates the high priestly families were Sadducees. These unbelievers thought they could pose a question so complex that it would cause Jesus to deny there is a resurrection of the dead. They were citing an example from the marriage instructions in the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 25:5-6). REFLECT This is another reason not to refuse to believe something you read in the Bible just because you don’t understand it. If God explained everything we have a question about, think how large the Bible would be. RESPOND Talk with another believer about the need to believe what the Bible says even though we may not completely understand what is said. Seven Husbands READ Matthew 22:25-28 25 “Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. 26 But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. 27 Last of all, the woman also died. 28 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.” Here is the question the unbelieving Sadducees posed to Jesus. They thought there would be no answer so Jesus would have to admit there is no such thing as a resurrection from the dead. Those who refuse to believe in the supernatural can raise all kinds of questions in thinking they have posed an unanswerable question. Think of those who refuse to believe what God says in the Bible about the creation of the world. Only God was an eyewitness to creation. Why not believe Him? REFLECT Do you believe what God says in His Word about creation? RESPOND Encourage another believer by reading Hebrews 11:1-3. Because no one was an eyewitness of creation, even unbelievers must believe what they do by faith. One person said, “It is unbelievable what some unbelievers have to believe in order to be unbelievers.” Your Mistake READ Matthew 22:29-30 29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.” This is Jesus’ answer to the question the unbelieving Sadducees raised. Some fail to understand what Jesus said, and think believers will all be angels in heaven. That is not what He said. He said only that in heaven there will be no marrying or giving in marriage. This is the way resurrected believers are like the angels in heaven. REFLECT Notice how important it is to see what the Bible says and what it does not say. RESPOND Be encouraged by thinking about 2 Timothy 2:15. Make it your desire to accurately teach what the Bible says. God of the Living READ Matthew 22:31-33 31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.” 33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching. Jesus now chides the Sadducees for not knowing what the Scriptures say. He was referring to Exodus 3:6 that records what God told Moses. The unbelieving Sadducees were astounded by Jesus’ answer and didn’t know how to answer. They were bold when they thought they had Him trapped. Now they have no answer. REFLECT Let this be a reminder to you when you are questioning someone about something you do not understand. Show humility and seek to understand what is being said. RESPOND This week’s posting has covered Matthew 22:21-33. Talk with a friend and review some of the lessons you have learned from these verses.

A friend of mine, someone I’ve come to know through his support of this ministry, recently shared his story with me. He had grown up in the church, knew his way around a Bible, and then lost both the habit and much of the life that surrounded it through a long and painful season. When the Lord finally got his attention and he began rebuilding, one of the first things he reached for was Scripture. He didn’t always feel like doing it, but he knew, somewhere beneath the wreckage, that it was the thing that had once held him together and could again. What moved me most was a quieter detail inside that larger story. Even after he found his footing, the habit required a daily decision. He showed up to God’s Word on mornings when he had no desire to, armed, as he put it, with a black coffee, a mechanical pencil, and a small Moleskine journal. He kept the rhythm when nothing in him felt like it. And over time, that consistency did not just stabilize him. It began to spill outward into other people’s lives in ways he never anticipated, including a young man named Caleb, whose story you’ve already read in these pages. I’ve spent more than two decades studying why people engage Scripture and why they don’t. And the more I study it, the more convinced I am that my friend’s experience is not exceptional. It is common. Why? Consider Psalm 1, which describes the person who meditates on God's Word day and night as a tree planted by streams of water — rooted, fruitful, resilient. That image assumes a daily rhythm. It assumes a return. It assumes that formation happens not in a single encounter with Scripture but in the accumulated weight of consistent engagement over time. THE MOMENT WE’RE LIVING IN Genuine spiritual hunger has not disappeared. Barna’s 2025 research found that weekly Bible reading has rebounded from a fifteen-year low, with younger adults driving much of the increase. But Gallup tells us that for the first time in surveys dating back to 2007, fewer than half of Americans say religion matters in their daily lives. Both things are true at once: the hunger is real, and the formation is thin. People are reaching for Scripture. Fewer are being shaped by it in lasting ways. One reason, I believe, is the constant digital noise. We live in a moment when human attention is the most competed-for resource on earth, and the competition is relentless and largely invisible. It simply fills the quiet spaces that once might have held a Bible (e.g., the early morning, the commute, the unhurried hour) with something louder and easier. THE DISCIPLESHIP GAP This is the tension our own research has been documenting. The 2025 SALT Index, Back to the Bible’s nationwide study of spiritual formation among more than 6,000 U.S. adults, found something that has stayed with me. Even among the most committed believers (those with strong doctrinal convictions who affirm Scripture’s authority), the habit of daily Bible engagement is far from universal. The average in this group is only 3.1 days of engagement per week. In fact, one in five reports zero days in a typical week. The gap between what people believe about the Bible and how consistently they open it is nearly 27 percentage points. That is not a small gap. And it is not caused by indifference alone. What our research consistently shows, and what decades of pastoral ministry have confirmed, is that people who are spiritually inconsistent are not necessarily spiritually indifferent. Often, they want to grow. They know something is missing. Indeed, most committed Christians readily acknowledge what we’ve come to call the discipleship gap: the space between the life they aspire to and the life they're presently living. They are not blind to it. They carry it quietly. The problem, in most cases, is not desire. It is the absence of a clear, daily pathway into Scripture that fits the life a person is actually living. CREATING A PRACTICAL, DAILY RHYTHM IN GOD'S WORD This is the problem Back to the Bible has always existed to address. Eighty years ago, Theodore Epp turned to the radio because he believed people needed a trusted human voice guiding them into God’s Word every day, in the ordinary rhythms of everyday life. And, although our technological medium has changed, our conviction hasn't. We recently launched Back to the Bible Daily, a short daily podcast hosted by Braden Pedersen, one of the most gifted Bible teachers I know. Each episode gives listeners a clear, practical, daily rhythm in Scripture. It provides a trusted voice walking alongside you, helping you receive God’s Word, reflect on what it means, respond in obedience, and carry it into the lives of the people around you. That is exactly the kind of daily structure my friend found during his own rebuilding. It kept him tethered to God on the mornings he had no desire to show up. And eventually it spilled into Caleb's life, and from Caleb’s life into others. That's what daily Scripture engagement actually does. It's a ripple effect that starts with the person who shows up faithfully, and expands to everyone they touch.

This week, we start a brief article series on taking care of ourselves physically as one component of our spiritual disciplines. I pray you will take these thoughts to heart (no pun intended) as you look toward the second half of 2026. I confess that I haven’t always taken care of myself as I should. I have to work hard to maintain a healthy weight, keep my blood pressure down, etc. In fact, I can’t even remember how many sizes of pants I’ve worn over the years. I’m writing this article, though, as I walk on the treadmill, so I do want you to know I’m keeping my own commitment to this task. I don’t want to give guidance that I myself don’t follow right now. As a Christian, I see this issue of exercise and bodily well-being as more a spiritual one than a physical one. Here are some reasons believers need to take care of ourselves physically: We are created in God’s image. The Bible is quite clear here – we are made in the image of the Creator. That image was marred in the fall of Adam and Eve, but not destroyed. That fact alone should give us reason to take care of ourselves. God gave us this body. This body is the only one we have. This point might sound silly, but sometimes we live as if we have bodies to spare. When this one is worn out, we don’t have a replacement until the day of resurrection. To not take care of it is to be a poor steward of God’s gift to us. Poor discipline is a bad witness. It’s hard to tell people to be disciplined in their Bible study, prayer life, giving, etc., when they can look at us and see we are undisciplined in exercise and eating. A lack of effort in one area of life is often indicative of problems in other areas. Bad health is costly. Eventually, the costs of poor health add up. Medical bills pile up. Insurance costs increase. Moreover, bad health makes us less productive at work. Others are forced then to carry some of our load. Again, we wind up being poor stewards. Our families deserve better. Frankly, it’s unloving not to take care of ourselves. Our families worry about us when we struggle to climb steps or find clothes to fit. Our love for them ought to motivate us to do better. I know I don’t want to cause my wife any worry simply because I don’t take care of myself. Being out of shape might indicate idolatry. Those words might be difficult to hear, but they’re necessary ones. If we cannot push away from food in order to take care of our bodies, we must ask if something other than God has become our god (though, keep reading below for another side of this discussion . . .). Better health = more energy to do God’s work. God’s work is not easy. Those of us in ministry know that the burdens are sometimes heavy. The hours are often long. Being out of shape makes the work only that much more difficult. Rest, exercise, and good health help us to serve others well. Proper care requires rest – and it’s biblical to get rest. God expects us to take time off, focus on Him, and enjoy His blessings. In fact, not taking time to rest can be self-centered (that is, we think we must be doing everything). I struggle here, but I’m learning. What I’m learning is that I’m not the answer to everything—so I need to quit trying to be. We might be called to the mission field. Many missions organizations will not consider sending someone who is out of shape. The work is often rigorous, and the stresses of cross-cultural living are only compounded by poor health. Plus, health care can be costly for these organizations. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. This truth is difficult to comprehend, but God really does live within us (1 Cor 6:19). He who created us and indwells us expects us to be wise caretakers of the body He gave us. Now, let me come back to a caveat. Even as I write these challenges, I’m also aware of the folks at my gym who are in great physical shape but also completely separated from God. They might be healthy physically, but they remain dead in their sin spiritually. They’re missing what really matters even as they strive to take care of themselves—and that’s seriously problematic. To be honest, I also know believers who are so focused on their looks that their own idolatry becomes apparent. What I am not calling for here is any kind of physical well-being that causes us to neglect our own spiritual care. All you need to do is read my previous various posts on this site to know how much our own spiritual care matters to me. I want us to take care of ourselves physically, but I want us to do so because it’s a matter of our spiritual walk. Maybe taking care of yourself physically is already one of your commitments for 2026. If so, press on – but make sure you’re living out your other spiritual disciplines, too. If you haven’t made this commitment to physical health, you have the next half of this year to move in that direction. Why not start today? And, more importantly, why not do it for God’s glory?

Who came to mind today as you were spending time in the Bible? Maybe they could use some encouragement too. Join Jon today as he prays for opportunities to share the Good News of the Gospel with someone else.

Criticizing and complaining is all too easy these days. And while it's easy to get swept up in that habit, it's not a particularly life-giving one. Cassie is here today with some encouragement from God's Word to keep your feet grounded as the storms of criticism rise--and maybe even shine a little light into that gloom.

After His resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven. But not before leaving His disciples with some last words and a mission to change the world. Join us as we look at Jesus' final days on earth and consider how important it was that there were so many eyewitnesses to Jesus' miraculous power.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors of Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Reflect When you think of someone who is an ambassador, what do you think of? What is their role and responsibilities? According to Merriam-Webster, an ambassador is “an official envoy or representative of a government or sovereign, especially in a foreign country.” The primary role of an ambassador or a diplomat is to conduct diplomacy. The National Museum of American Diplomacy defines diplomacy as: “the art and practice of building and maintaining relationships and conducting negotiations with people using tact and mutual respect.” Ambassadors don’t speak on their own behalf or seek their own interests. They speak on behalf of their government’s leadership and advocate for the interests of their home country. In today’s verse, the apostle Paul used the language “we are ambassadors of Christ”. That means that we are His representatives in a foreign land. We are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) but we are living here on earth. And while we are here, it is our job to represent Christ. We are supposed to be building and maintaining relationships with the locals (nonbelievers) using tact and mutual respect. We aren’t speaking for ourselves or seeking our own interests, rather Paul wrote that God is appealing to others through us. The message that we are supposed to communicate is “be reconciled to God.” As ambassadors of Christ, we are supposed to be urging people to fix their broken relationship with the Lord. Sin has separated them from our Holy God but that relationship can be restored through Jesus Christ. So, we share the Gospel with them and implore them to put their trust in Christ for the salvation of their souls. But how we communicate that message matters. I usually don’t listen to people that I don’t trust and I’m rarely convinced to change my mind when people are rude or belligerent. I doubt I’m alone in that. That is why building relationships, using tact, and treating others with mutual respect is so important. In the first chapter of his book, Tactics, Christian apologist Greg Koukl acknowledged that even though real spiritual warfare is going on all around us, the way that we engage with nonbelievers should look less like D-day and more like diplomacy. In order to be effective ambassadors of Christ, Koukl listed three skills that Christians need to develop: knowledge, wisdom, and character. He wrote: “They must know the central message of God’s kingdom and something about how to respond to the obstacles they’ll encounter on their mission…Our knowledge must be tempered with the wisdom that makes the message clear and persuasive. This requires the tools of a diplomat, not the weapons of a warrior, tactical skill, rather than brute force. Finally, our character can make or break our mission. Knowledge and wisdom are packaged in a person. If that person does not embody the virtues of the Sovereign she serves, she will undermine her message and handicap her efforts.” In Colossians 4:5-6, the apostle Paul also advocated for using knowledge, wisdom, and good character in our interactions with nonbelievers. He wrote: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” When we share our faith with others, we have to remember that we aren’t trying to just win arguments—we are trying to point people to the truth—Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). That’s why we should do the work of ambassadors and seek to build and maintain meaningful relationships with nonbelievers using tact and mutual respect. We won’t master all of these diplomatic skills overnight but by staying in the Word, through prayer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to be effective ambassadors of Christ. Respond Lord, thank You for the immense privilege of representing You to those around me. I want to be an effective ambassador, pointing others to You and Your truth. Help me to build relationships with those who don’t know You and train me to know what to say when I stumble for words. Amen. Reveal As you go about your day, think about how you represent Christ in your everyday actions and everyday conversations. Do your words and actions reflect the virtues of the Sovereign? Focus on being an effective ambassador for Christ through your words and your deeds today.

What are you saying about yourself when you criticize others? Today Spiritual Fitness Coach Jon Winkelman looks at what often hides inside a critical heart, and what Jesus said was the cure. This is the cure for a critical heart: Stop looking at everyone else and follow Jesus!  How will you follow Jesus today?

SPIRITUALLY FIT | TODAY In this episode of Spiritually Fit Today, Arnie Cole and Gary Dunker discuss setbacks, detours, and starting over after job loss. Drawing inspiration from Genesis 50:20 and the story of Joseph, Gary shares his personal journey of faith, resilience, and finding purpose in difficult seasons. Discover how focusing on others and trusting God can transform life's hardest moments into opportunities for growth and new beginnings. BACK TO THE BIBLE DAILY In this episode of Back to the Bible Daily, Braden Pedersen unpacks Romans 8:28, exploring its true meaning and the comfort it offers believers. Discover how God works all things—good and bad—for the ultimate purpose of shaping us into the likeness of Christ, and why this promise is specifically for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. ADDITIONAL STEPS: STEP 1 - RECEIVE (Receive God's Word and Grow in Bible Knowledge) After His resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven. But not before leaving His disciples with some last words and a mission to change the world. Join us as we look at Jesus' final days on earth and consider how important it was that there were so many eyewitnesses to Jesus' miraculous power. STEP 2 - REFLECT (How does this Scripture Apply to your life?) Criticizing and complaining is all too easy these days. And while it's easy to get swept up in that habit, it's not a particularly life-giving one. Cassie is here today with some encouragement from God's Word to keep your feet grounded as the storms of criticism rise--and maybe even shine a little light into that gloom. STEP 3 - RESPOND (How will you Win Today?) What are you saying about yourself when you criticize others? Today Spiritual Fitness Coach Jon Winkelman looks at what often hides inside a critical heart, and what Jesus said was the cure. This is the cure for a critical heart: Stop looking at everyone else and follow Jesus!  How will you follow Jesus today? STEP 4 - REVEAL (How will you reveal Jesus to others today through praying and sharing?) Who came to mind today as you were spending time in the Bible? Maybe they could use some encouragement too. Join Jon today as he prays for opportunities to share the Good News of the Gospel with someone else. BONUS STEP Click HERE for your DAILY FORWARD DEVOTIONAL