Pastor Tom's Journal

   In Matthew 7, Jesus speaks about the “narrow gate” and the “hard road that leads to life.” For many readers, the phrase  narrow way  raises immediate questions. Is Jesus describing exclusion? Is this about narrow-mindedness? Is it about rigid spiritual guardrails? Or is the narrow gate something deeper — something formational? The Narrow Way as Focus Across every dimension of life, narrowing produces depth. We narrow our attention to complete meaningful work. We narrow our language to communicate clearly. We narrow our priorities to reach important goals. Why would spiritual growth be any different? In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), Jesus narrows our focus in very specific ways: Examine yourself before judging others. Ask, seek, and knock in prayerful dependence. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Enter the narrow gate. The narrowing is not about reducing compassion. It is about concentrating character. The Wide Road Is Distracted The wide road...

John 6 — I Am the Bread of Life | Bible Chat with Tom Sims Description: Bread is ordinary. Essential. Shared. That is why Jesus chose it. In John 6:35, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life.” Drawing on the long biblical story of manna, wilderness provision, and the breaking of bread at the table, this Bible Chat reflection explores what it means to depend on Christ not just for inspiration—but for sustenance. This is a meditation on hunger, grace, provision, and daily trust. 📖 Read the full Bible Chat reflection and companion resources on Substack: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/bread-of-life-and-living 🔗 More from Tom Sims: https://linktr.ee/tomsims #BibleChat #John6 #BreadOfLife #ChristianFormation #FaithInPractice #DailyBread #GospelOfJohn #Discipleship