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Can You Drink the Cup?

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   Can You Drink the Cup? Matthew 20:17–34 Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem. He tells his disciples plainly what is waiting for him there: betrayal, condemnation, mockery, flogging, crucifixion—and resurrection. He is going up to Jerusalem, but the way up is sometimes down. It is down into service. Down into compassion. Down into surrender. Down into the costly love that refuses to grasp for power. And immediately after Jesus tells them this, James and John come seeking the best seats in the kingdom. They want one at his right hand and one at his left. They are posturing and negotiating. They still seem to imagine that Jesus is going to march into Jerusalem, take over, and need a couple of trusted associates to help him run things. We understand that impulse. You can still visit old Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where a guide will point out pews once rented by prominent families. They bought the best seats, and no one else could sit there. Even afte...
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It Is Not What You Lack that Is Holding You Back

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What has you? In Matthew 19:16–30, a rich young man asks Jesus, “What good thing must I do to have eternal life?” He approaches eternal life as another achievement—something to acquire, possess, and add to everything else he owns. Jesus meets him where he is, but leads him beyond rule keeping, spiritual accounting, and accumulated merit. He places his finger on the possession that has become possessive and gives the invitation: Go. Sell. Give. Come. Follow. The destination is not poverty for poverty’s sake. The destination is discipleship. The man’s problem is not merely what he lacks. It is what he has—and what has him. What possesses you? Money? Reputation? Control? Achievement? Resentment? Position? Certainty? Even a carefully maintained religious identity? Salvation is not another human acquisition. “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Read the complete reflection and access the subscriber Bible study and group discussion guide: https://tomsims.subst...
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Second Summer

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Summer may be winding down, but here in California’s Central Valley, we still have a “second summer”—one more chance to get out, explore, and enjoy what is close to home. In my latest article for Kings River Life Magazine, I reflect on all those summer plans we meant to make and offer a few ideas for turning the remaining warm days into memorable ones. We may not be able to do everything, but there is still time to do something. What Central Valley adventure would you like to fit in before summer finally slips away? Read “Second Summer: One More Chance to Get Out in the Central Valley”: https://kingsriverlife.com/08/15/second-summer-one-more-chance-to-get-out-in-the-central-valley/ #SecondSummer #CentralValley #CaliforniaLiving #ExploreCalifornia #VisitTheCentralValley #FresnoCounty #KingsRiverLife #SummerAdventures #LocalTravel #ThingsToDo #Staycation #CaliforniaTravel #TomSims
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Hard Hearts and Open Arms

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  The Pharisees ask what the law permits a man to do. Jesus redirects them toward what God intends. In Matthew 19:1–15, Jesus moves us: • From control to covenant • From disposability to dignity • From conformity to calling • From exclusion to welcome Jesus will not allow law, marriage, singleness, or religious custom to become a mechanism for controlling, discarding, or excluding people. He calls us away from hard-heartedness and toward covenant faithfulness, human dignity, and openhearted welcome. His teaching must never be used to excuse cruelty, protect abuse, silence wounded people, or exclude those whose relationships have ended. The same Jesus who honors covenant also protects human dignity and opens his arms to wounded people. Read the sermon companion and access the subscriber study and reflection guides: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/the-hard-heart-and-the-open-arms Hard Questions:   https://pastortom.blog/2026/08/16/hard-hearts-or-open-arms/ Join the Conversat...
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The Channel Runs Both Ways

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Children of the Kingdom

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   Who can we welcome? How can we welcome them? What makes us "great?"
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 One generation remembered God’s works. A later generation forgot. The journey from Joshua to Judges reminds us that faith cannot simply be assumed or inherited. It must be remembered, practiced, taught, and renewed. Even in a forgetful generation, God raises leaders like Deborah. What are we giving the next generation that is worth remembering? Full Bible Chat: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/when-a-generation-forgets https://linktr.ee/tomsims #BibleChat #WhenAGenerationForgets #Deborah #Joshua #BookOfJudges #GenerationalFaith #PassingOnFaith #ChristianLiving #TomSims
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Welcome - Romans 15

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  Strength is not permission to dominate, criticize, or win every argument. Strength is a calling to build people up. Romans 15 asks us to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us. That includes the beginner, the struggling believer, the person with unfinished theology, and the person who asks uncomfortable questions. May no one leave an encounter with us feeling crushed, hopeless, or unwanted. Use your strength to serve. Use your knowledge to encourage. Expand the welcome—and let hope overflow. Read and hear the fully study: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/welcome-one-another Bible Chat with Tom Sims https://biblechatonline.com https://linktr.ee/tomsims #BibleChat #Romans15 #WelcomeOneAnother #ChristianCommunity #ServantLeadership #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianEncouragement #AboundInHope
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