Red Letter Blueprint: Jesus’ 52 Rules for Joy

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬

Jesus promises us rest! That sounds great, but there are challenges here: For one, Jesus says to come to him. Our burdens are very visible, and Jesus is invis...

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Will I be judged by God or man? Or both? And does Jesus really teach us to never judge people, or be introspective when we judge? What about our role in judging in the next life? 

See it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XgXPXfO9_PE

Jesus said, “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.” - Luke 12:4-5

What does it mean to fear God? How is it possible to love God while fearing him? How would the fear of God affect my prayer life? Why is it important to God that we not...

Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” - Matthew 21:21-22

I used to think it was unfair for Jesus to blame his disciples for lacking faith, since faith is a gift of God. So i...

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:34

This is a tough one! Sometimes I do worry about tomorrow, don’t you? If I’m worried about tomorrow, is that a virtue or a vice? Is it a sickness? Or is it a habit? The 19th-century preacher Charles Spurgeon said: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” So what...

Jesus asked this rhetorical question: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” - Luke 12:25-26

What are you worried about? If you’re like most people, it comes down to the fear of losing control. Usually, that’s wrapped up in uncertainty. You just don’t know what to expect! It is also often connected with the fear of being judged by oth...

One measure of freedom is how much stuff we have. Having stuff gives us freedom, right? Or does the stuff become a tyrant? Jesus said, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” - Luke 12:21 Even more radical than that is when he said, “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” - Luke 14:33

(I apologize for the parts of this episode where the wind ...

Some will say, “Oh, I was born again many years ago.” Where does the Bible tell you to only be born again once? Where does it say to stop being born again? Come to Jesus like a child, try to unlearn what you know so you can hear him fresh!

Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” - Matthew 18:3

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Jesus said, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” - Matthew 7:12 

Some people say, “I mostly want people to leave me alone, so I leave them alone.” But nobody says that because they’ve been loved too much. You say, “I wish people would leave me alone,” when you’re tired of being annoyed by people. So, is the best way to show God’s love to o...

Jesus said, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s dec...

Jesus said, “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to...

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his...

Most of us have no idea how powerful our words are. I think it’s interesting that God created the universe by speaking it into existence. He didn’t hammer it or mold it or build it, he used his words. Of course, our words are not as powerful as God’s. But He did create us in His image.

Jesus said, “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” - Matthew 15:11 These w...

Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” - Matthew 7:6

In other words, the truth is too sacred to be thrown out carelessly to people who aren’t open to it.

Nobody wants to be your evangelism project. If you find yourself arguing about Jesus Christ, you’re doing it wrong. People often tried to start argumen...

Jesus said, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” - Matthew 6:14-15

I interviewed the pastor of Frederick Christian Fellowship Church (https://fcfchurch.com/) about this topic. His name is Randy Goldenberg, and he is my pastor. 

People have wronged you. People have caused you great pain. God wants to help you re...

Jesus said, “But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.” - Matthew 5:39-41

The Greek word for servant is dulos, “someone who is in subjection to his master willingly.” The concept of this word, sometimes trans...

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet ...

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” - Matthew 19:4-6

You will stand before God to account for how you treated your spouse—not for...