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The Last Tag In...Matthew 22:34-46...Testing Done!

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Probably the last snowshoe hike for the season.  I will have to deal with mud, ice and snow here and there if I venture up the trails.  I think I have snowshoed more this season than last even though we didn't have the snow depth of last year.  As I put away the snowshoes I will start dreaming of next year! We finished up chapter 22 this Sunday.  The testing is done!  4 different groups get into the ring with Jesus.  They are testing Him but soon they realize that He is testing them.  Jesus never really goes into the defensive mode that is normal if you are being questioned or tested but stays in the offensive mode to bring about a bigger issue than the one raised. Group #1:  Chief priests and elders They questioned Jesus' authority.  Jesus turns it back upon them to question their discerning authority regarding the baptism of John the Baptist.  They gave a non-answer. Group #2:  Pharisees and Herodians They questioned Jesus' loyalt...

"You are mistaken...Matthew 22:23-33...Another team tagging in

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March has come!  This picture is very similar to others on this blog.  It is the same content of a group of men but the faces are different except mine.  Here is another group I am a part of that I'm invested in.  These are men who gather every Tuesday for Bible study and once a month on Saturday for a shared breakfast and another study about being a man of God.  Over the years, since the church plant in Gaylord, Michigan, I have focused on creating these types of groups.  It is a place where men of the church can grow together and also invite those who God is bringing into their paths.  This is a great picture for me to hold onto along with all those others of the past.   I gauge the effectiveness of the group by our interaction with one another.  What are we talking about?  Can a heavy burden one is carrying be shared here?  Does the " new guy " join in because he senses this group has offered him the hand of friendship?...

Jesus gets to the meat of the matter...Matthew 22:15-22

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Another shot of the barn with a little more snow.  I have been trying to salvage this lack-of-snow season with the cool mornings when the snow is still good for snowshoeing.  Who knows, maybe we will have some late season snows to take advantage of.  I would like to fill in my map a little more before hiking season starts. Here is a bridge over the Onahu Creek that had not been gone over for awhile.  No tracks and the depth of the snow on the deck of the bridge was about 30 inches deep.  It is a short spur trail that many don't access.  I broke trail on this day and later others started using it.  Here is another view of the bridge on my trip back. Jesus is in the testing stage of the Passover lamb stage.  He is fielding all kinds of questions from the chief priests and elders, Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees.  I marvel at the way He takes what they throw at Him with corrupted hearts and intentions and turns it around to bring about a more...