The central question of Matthew chapters 8-11 is one we sometimes ask today: 'Is Jesus worth following?' Living with Jesus as our King will often be hard and attract opposition so why bother?
Jesus has just finished his Sermon on the Mount where he’s described what it looks like to follow him. Now, Jesus calls individuals to follow him and commissions his disciples to do the same.

He is honest about the opposition his disciples will face, but throughout these chapters he also shows why he is a King worth following, whatever the cost. He is a King who has the authority to forgive, liberate, restore, and even raise the dead.

He is also worth following because he is a different kind of King. He hasn’t come to be served but to serve. He hasn’t come for those who think they are OK but for those who know they are not. He responds to those who doubt with kindness and patience, yet warns those who refuse to believe of judgement to come.

Jesus is clear: following him will be costly, but those who respond to him are promised something priceless: rest for our souls.

8th September      A King who has authority                 8:18-34
15th September     A King who meets our greatest need      9: 1-13
22nd September   A King who renews joy                      9:14-17
29th September    A King who restores lives                 9:18-34
6th October            A King who has compassion           9:35-10:4
13th October      Learning to Lament / Paul Mallard    Psalm 56
20th October         A King worth sharing with others  10:5-15
27th October         A King worth suffering for               10:16-42
3rd November       A King worth believing in                  11:1-19
10th November     Mission Partners Service / Good Soil
17th November     A King who offers rest                       11:20-30