GROW PLAN

May 19-25, 2025

Day One

Matthew 17:4-5

Listen to Him
Peter, James and John have just seen Jesus transform into His full glory. They have seen Moses and Elijah talk with Him. Peter’s response is interesting. He told Jesus that He had made the right decision including them in this trip up the mountain. “It is good for us to be here,” he said. Then he offered to build three shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They didn’t need shelters, but Peter didn’t ask what the plan was or how long they would be on the mountain. He was eager to prove himself useful. He may also have been eager to keep this experience going. When we have mountaintop spiritual experiences, we want to keep them going, we want to prolong them. But we can’t control them, the Lord does. Jesus didn’t correct Peter. As Peter spoke, a bright cloud covered them and the voice of God told them: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” The Father confirmed what they already knew about the identity of Jesus, and He told them directly to listen to Jesus. The three served Jesus. They believed in Jesus. But they didn’t always listen to Him. Peter had told Jesus He was wrong about being arrested and executed. James and John had recently been politicking for prime spots in Jesus’ kingdom. They were full of their plans rather than the Lord’s. Here the Father told them directly to listen to Jesus.

Do you listen to Jesus? Has the Lord been telling you something that you’ve been ignoring because it interferes with your plans? Commit today to living your life the way that Jesus tells you to live.

Day Two

Matthew 17:6-13

 Fear and Comfort

The Transfiguration was not for Jesus. He didn’t need to change into His full glory. He didn’t need to confer with Moses and Elijah. The Transfiguration was held for the benefit of the three disciples. They needed to see the confirmation of who Jesus is, and they needed to hear the Father’s endorsement of Him. They needed this boost in their faith and renewal of their perspective. The disciples fell facedown to the ground. Worship is the natural reaction to being in the presence of the glory of God. They were overwhelmed by His nature. And they were probably also aware of how insignificant and dirty and sinful they were next to the holiness of God. Jesus came to them and comforted them as usual. Just as He said to everyone frightened by His power, His miracles, His plans or His glory, He told them not to be afraid. On their way down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone about this until He had risen from the dead. This revelation was for the three of them. Jesus was revealing His full nature according to the Father’s plan. The disciples needed to obey that plan as well.

 When our faith is wavering, when we are confused, we can run to the Lord and ask for help with our faith. He will help us the way He helped the disciples. We can be honest with Him and ask for greater faith and a better perspective.

 Day Three

Matthew 17:14-21

 The Quality of Faith

People had been bringing their loved ones to Jesus and the disciples for healing, and they had been healed, but here the disciples were unable to cast out a demon. Matthew summarized this incident while other gospels give more detail. Jesus and the three disciples came back into town to see a large crowd gathered around the disciples, with a bunch of scribes having their say in this situation. Anytime you’ve got scribes involved, Jesus may refer to an unbelieving and perverted generation. The father of the stricken boy brought him to the disciples, but now his faith is wavering. Mark tells us that he asked Jesus “if you can” do anything to help, please help. Jesus responded with “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” The father responded: “I do believe! Help my unbelief.” Jesus cast out the demon, and the disciples asked Him why they couldn’t do it. Jesus told them that they had too little faith. That even a tiny amount of faith would allow them to do miraculous things. The disciples did have faith. They believed Jesus is the Messiah, but their faith lacked submission to His will. They are following Jesus, but they haven’t given up their hopes and plans and dreams to fully obey Him yet. The kind of faith that casts aside everything else to follow the Lord is the kind that moves mountains.

 Does your faith include the submission necessary to do great things for Him? Think and pray about it.

 Day Four

Matthew 17:22-27

 Subjects and Children
The two-drachma temple tax was supposed to be sent to Jerusalem annually by every Jew wherever they lived, even those in far-off countries. It was used for the temple and the sacrifices but also to repair the walls of Jerusalem and to maintain the aqueduct. It was a voluntary tax and was not enforced by law. Paying this tax was considered a good deed by the Jews. So, when the tax collectors asked Peter about it, he told them Jesus paid the tax. It’s the answer any good Jew would give. Peter couldn’t have these guys thinking Jesus didn’t pay it. It wouldn’t be right. But Jesus immediately questioned him about it, asking him whether kings tax their children or their subjects. Peter said their subjects of course. And Jesus points out that the sons are exempt. Jesus gave a lesson here. He taught Peter that the Jewish people are not — by virtue of being Jewish — the children of God. The tax is paid to God for His temple. The fact that the people have to pay it, that God is levying this tax on them, shows that they are not God’s children. They are God’s chosen people, but we become children of God only through Jesus. Jesus is also exempt. He is the Son of God. Jesus pointed out that He and Peter didn’t owe the tax, but “so that we may not cause offense,” he provided the coin for Peter to pay the tax.

It is an amazing thing to be a child of God. It gives us a tremendous privilege and the responsibility to share the news with others who could join the family. Who do you know who doesn’t know he or she could be a child of God? Make a plan to reach out to them.

Day Five

Matthew 18:1-5

 Like Little Children

Mark includes a little more detail that Matthew leaves out. The disciples had been arguing about who among them was the greatest, and Jesus asked them what they had been talking about. That’s the context of this conversation. The disciples wanted to know about greatness, but they didn’t understand God’s definition of greatness. They must have been surprised when Jesus called a child to Him and told them they had to be like the child, who came when Jesus called him. The people mostly had not come to Jesus when He called them. They needed to be more childlike in their faith. A small child believes that a parent can do anything. A toddler holding his father’s hand feels completely safe. Nothing bad can happen to him while he’s holding his father’s hand. We need to have that kind of faith. We need to come when we are called, to be obedient, and to trust in complete faith like a toddler holding his daddy’s hand. Jesus wants us to be humble and trusting, not grasping for greatness.

Do you see this type of trust and childlikeness in your relationship with God? How can you pursue greater humility in your life and service to the Lord?

 Day Six

Matthew 18:6-9

 Do No Harm

Jesus is starting a series of teachings about living a kingdom lifestyle and being a servant. The disciples had been wondering about being the greatest, and being a servant is central to Jesus’ view of being great. He will be teaching about servanthood. And first is you don’t do any harm to those you serve. Keeping with the theme of being childlike, Jesus calls those who believe in Him little ones. We are not to cause other Christians to stumble. We might cause division, hurting our brothers and sisters in Christ. We might hurt their feelings, causing them to withdraw from fellowship. We may be silent and overly concerned about getting in someone else’s business. We may simply fail to encourage, support and serve when we should. And those actions may lead a brother or sister in Christ to stumble. How important is this? Jesus returns to the same imagery he used in the Sermon on the Mount. He isn’t urging us to cut off a hand or foot or pluck out an eye. Those things don’t cause us to sin. Sin starts in our heart. But Jesus is telling us that this is more important than the parts of our bodies. We have to be extremely faithful about obeying and serving and caring for our brothers and sisters in Him.

Can you think of any way in which you may have led someone to stumble? How can you seek to build others up as you serve so you avoid tearing them down?