​When Jesus saw the multitude around Him, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd (Matthew 9:36). This is not just vivid imagery or poetic analogy, but the specific language God used in the Old Testament to describe His people. 

In Ezekiel 34, we read of God’s promise that one day He will be the Good Shepherd and do the good word of feeding, tending, and seeking and saving the lost. We find these qualities in The Good Shepherd—Jesus—as He cared for people by teaching, preaching, healing the hurting, and alleviating suffering.  

Watch our study of Matthew 9:27-37 as we consider the good work of The Good Shepherd.

Jesus won't fold His arms in disgust and turn away with frustration when people go to Him as their last resort. We might think this is how He will treat us when we finally relent, repent, and call out to Him. But He is gracious and compassionate—and on time, even though that might be difficult for us to see. 

But we have an internal (our flesh) and external (the devil) adversary that misrepresents the character of our King. These adversaries know that if we get to the Son, the Son will set us free. So they cause us to think that there is no way that He would ever help us—especially if we come to Him as our last resort.

Thankfully, we have the Scriptures that erase our misconceptions of the King’s character so that we can call out to Him and come to Him in our time of need—whether He has been our first choice or our last resort. Come to Jesus. He loves you, no matter what. You may be surprised at just how gracious He will be with you, giving you well-timed help when you need it.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:15-16

​Have you ever had a situation where you’ve tried every option and exhausted every resource? And yet, there seems to be a two-year-old in all of us that still says, “I can do it myself!” Eventually, our self-sufficiency and pride disappear when circumstances deplete our strength and resources so that nothing is left but to cry out to Jesus. 

Though He would rather be our first choice, Jesus is willing to be our last resort. When our desperation overrules our hesitation, we finally come face to face with Jesus and might expect anger and frustration, but instead, Jesus shows us compassion, mercy, and grace.

Watch our study of Matthew 9:18-26 and Mark 5:21-43 as we encounter two daughters and a dad desperate for Jesus to help them, coming to Him as their last resort.

​The religious leaders criticized Jesus for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. But they were the kind of people that were sick and needed His help. Jesus loved to be with people who knew they were sinners because He could help them without working through the blinding hindrance of pride. Unlike the Pharisees (who didn’t understand what Jesus was saying but just wanted to argue with Him), only those who realize they are sinners can see that they are sick and need help. 

Since there are none righteous, Jesus is calling everyone who understands and readily admits that they are sick sinners. He did not come to patch up the Old Covenant. Jesus came to establish the New Covenant. He is the cornerstone of an entirely new institution called the church. And the church will be made of sinners who turn into saints because of the blood of Jesus. The church will include leaches, like Levi, that transform into men, like Matthew—enemies of God turned into “gifts of God” (the meaning of Matthew’s name). Rigid religious rules and regulations can’t handle this—it would just break. New wine must be poured into the new wineskin of the New Covenant. 

​God chose to pour new wine into new wineskins. He decided to pour the person and power of the Holy Spirit into the most unlikely of vessels. But why? So that no one could boast and God alone would get all the glory. 

In this way, the adventure of the Great Commission could be available to anyone that Jesus would call to follow Him—even if that person is considered lower than low, like a tax collector named Levi.

Watch our study of Matthew 9:14-17 and Luke 5:27-39 as we consider why Jesus came to introduce something new, not to patch up something old.

​Consider the faith of the four who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus (see Mark 2:1-12). They were undaunted by difficulty. A crowded house was not an obstacle to them. They brought this man to Jesus through persistent, creative, and sacrificial faith. And Jesus saw the faith of these four friends. 

Have you had a friend who was so discouraged over their sinful condition that they couldn’t even get up the gumption to come to Jesus? It’s as if they are spiritually paralyzed. You can bring them to Jesus by persistent, creative, and sacrificial faith.

Maybe you’re the one who feels helpless and hopeless. Perhaps you’re ashamed of your lack of faith. Take heart—Jesus sees you, too! He loves you and wants to fulfill your greatest need. 

Like the paralyzed man, your greatest need is not physical healing, but spiritual cleansing. Jesus sees you and He loves you just as you are. But He also loves you too much to leave you in that state. Jesus wants to fulfill your greatest need. He is willing and able to forgive you so that you are no longer paralyzed by sin.

“I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
–Mark 2:17

Jesus’ words and actions confounded the religious leaders around Him. After all, Jesus was eating with sinners, ministering to sinners, forgiving sinners, healing sinners, and (worst of all) calling sinners to be His followers.

The religious leaders thought they were already righteous. They could not comprehend in their self-righteous hearts how the Messiah would come for sinners and not for them. So, the only conclusion they could make was that Jesus must not be the Messiah.

But they had failed to see Jesus had come for them, too. It’s just that something needed to happen in their hearts first. Watch our study in Matthew 9:1-13 and Mark 2:1-17 as we read about Jesus getting into trouble for all the right reasons.

​We’re mistaken that we need to be intimidated by the schemes of Satan. We may even look for a demon behind every bush. But Jesus is Lord through it all. Greater is He that is in within you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). 

The satanic storm that freaked out the seasoned fishermen couldn't even wake Jesus from his nap. But something did—the cries of the people He loved.

For centuries, Satan has been trying to torment people from within and from without. He has not slowed down in his pursuit to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus is willing and able to save! He is not repulsed or intimidated by your outward or your inward condition. He is willing to walk right up into your storm, into your ugliness, and set you free because He has the authority and desire to do so. 

​There are storms in life. Whether external or internal, there are moments where we feel hopeless to do anything about the circumstances we face. But Jesus has authority over the storms, whether from without or within.

Sometimes He rebukes the storm, sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He does neither. Yet through it all, we learn that Jesus is Lord. 

Watch our study in Matthew 8:18-34 as we also consider the parallel passage in Luke 8:22-39 and see that Jesus is Lord through all the storms of life. 

“And the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
–Mark 1:33

The whole city of Capernaum waited outside the door of the house where Jesus was staying. But it’s important to understand why they were there. They had come for His miracles, but Jesus’ primary ministry was His message.

Jesus healed many because He is compassionate. But He doesn’t want sign seekers and miracle followers. He desires people rooted and grounded in God’s word. People who follow Him by faith—whether or not God heals them in this life, for they know that this life is not the end of the story.

Growing popular for the wrong reasons was a distraction. Jesus needed to get alone with His Father. So early in the morning, He left to pray in order to do what was right, not just popular (Mark 1:35). May we have the same courage to do the same—to earnestly seek the Lord and do what is right.

​We all have a special work that God has given us. We all have this exhortation that God has given us:

“…we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16)

So what is your part in the body of Christ? What is it that God has given to you to give away so that you can build others up? What has He entrusted to you so that you can love your neighbor? 

Only you and the Lord can answer that, but whatever it is, you must give yourself to that. It’s essential that you “take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17)

​What is your part in the body of Christ? What is it that God has given you so you can build up others and love your neighbor in this fellowship?

Only you and the Lord can answer that question. But whatever it is, it is essential that you “take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord that you may fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17)

Watch our study from Sunday as we consider Ephesians 4:1-16 and ask the Lord what our part is in His body.

​You’ve probably heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The Bible says, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Jesus said that love is the distinctive feature of those who follow Him. It’s not by having impressive Bible knowledge, big budgets, or buildings. It’s love. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35). People will know we follow Jesus by our love. When people realize that we are truly following Jesus, they are drawn to Jesus as well.

Love is the key to God’s vision for His church—loving the Lord with your whole life and loving your neighbor as yourself. If your neighbor is a follower of Jesus, love them by helping them to follow Jesus. If your neighbor doesn’t follow Jesus, love them by introducing them to Jesus. That’s it—simplicity of heart in love for the Lord and love for each other. 

​On the first Sunday of the year, we review the history, vision, purpose, and practice of Refuge to answer these questions: What are we doing? Why are we doing it? What does it look like? We turn to the Bible to find the answers to those important questions so we can understand God's vision for His church.