"And as Jesus reclined at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples." - Matthew 9:10 When Matthew chose to follow Jesus, he didn’t isolate himself from his old world. He invited Jesus into it. His house became the setting, and his relationships became the mission field. People he had once shared a table with were now sittin...  Read More

"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him." - Matthew 9:9 It probably felt like just another normal day. Matthew was at work, doing what he always did. But Jesus walked by and spoke two simple words that would change everything. Follow me. No warning, no preparation, just a call. And Matthew o...  Read More

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." - Romans 8:29 Have you ever wondered if you were simply just, God’s backup plan? That God looked around, saw no one else available, and settled on you. Romans 8:29 tells a different story. Before you were ever born, before you made mistakes or got anything right, God knew you. He saw your life in full and sti...  Read More

Every year on or around Ash Wednesday, I’m asked the same question: “Pastor, why don’t you put ashes on your head?” Or some ask, “Why don’t we practice Ash Wednesday at Cowboy Fellowship?” It’s a fair question. But before we answer it, we should start with a basic understanding of what Ash Wednesday is.  Read More

"Yet another said, 'I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'" - Luke 9:61-62 Following Jesus is not a part-time invitation. It is a forward-facing call that requires focus. In this passage, a man says he’s ready to follow but still wants to go back and handle ...  Read More

"As they were going along the road, someone said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'" - Luke 9:57 There’s something revealing about a person’s first reaction to Jesus. In Luke 9, three different people encounter Him. Each one claims to want to follow, but none of them actually do. Something else always gets in the way. The first is quick to speak. He says he’ll go anywhere Jesus leads. Bu...  Read More

"So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." - Colossians 1:10 It is one thing to know what the Bible says. It is another thing to let it shape the way you live. Memorizing verses, highlighting pages, and attending Bible studies are good things. But if Scripture never moves from your head to your han...  Read More

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:4-5 There is a constant pressure to measure your worth by what you produce. Whether it is your performanc...  Read More

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:10 It’s easy to fall into the trap of just getting through the day. You show up, do your job, respond to texts, try to get a few things done, and call it a win. But deep down, you might wonder if that’s all life is meant to be....  Read More

"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him." - Matthew 9:9 Matthew was not looking for Jesus when Jesus called him. He was not praying or reading Scripture or showing signs of deep repentance. He was sitting in a tax booth, doing a job most people hated him for, when grace interrupted his routi...  Read More

"To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’" - Luke 9:59-60 There is a difference between saying yes and actually surrendering. There was a point in Luke 9 where Jesus was calling people to follow Him, and one man replied with a sentence...  Read More

"And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’" - Matthew 9:11 When Jesus called Matthew, in Matthew 11, it did not sit well with the religious crowd. The Pharisees could not understand why someone claiming to be from God would choose to associate with the likes of a tax collector. From their view, Jesus was crossing a lin...  Read More