Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Joshua 1:1-11, 16-18. Moses, Israel's beloved leader, has died. Joshua steps in to be the new leader. What huge shoes to fill! After all the travails of 40 years in the wilderness, what's next for the Israelites? Will they finally possess the promised land? Yes, God said, and Joshua would be the one to lead them to victory. But receiving the promised victory was a conditional promise. Joshua needed to carefully follow God's commands with faith, or this generation might also miss out on the promised land. While God offers abundant mercy, and while all men stand in need of forgiveness (even Moses!), the full blessings of success are reserved for the obedient and faithful.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 27:27-31,45-54. Betrayed by Judas at night into the hands of the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus was now in the custody of Pilate's Roman soldiers awaiting crucifixion. How is it that Jesus willingly endured mistreatment and deadly torture on the darkest of all days? And how did the manner of Jesus' death provide powerful signs of eternal hope for all who believe?

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 26:17-30. Jesus came as the ultimate Passover lamb. His final Passover meal with the disciples prior to the crucifixion approached. How would they prepare for this special meal? How would prophecy be fulfilled through betrayal? What observance would Jesus provide so that His Messianic purpose might be proclaimed throughout the generations? Matthew provides the answers to all of these questions just before Jesus is handed over to His enemies as part of God's redemptive plan.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 24:36-51. What would you do if you knew a burglar would try to rob your house tonight at 2am? If you know your boss was planning a surprise inspection on Tuesday? If the pastor was coming to your house for dinner today? Jesus taught the disciples to remain ready for His return at all times. He was purposely vague about when He would return. He left that up to the Father. If Jesus didn't know, and Paul didn't know, and Peter didn't know the hour of the Lord's return, then rest assured that no one does. And we don't need to. Our focus should be having a constant attitude of readiness, knowing that we have been saved through faith ("now is the day of salvation"), expecting His eventual and imminent return, and serving faithfully until either the day He returns or the day He calls us home.

Scott Allen leads today's double session over Matthew 21:23-32 & 22:15-22,34-40. What does it mean to honor God's authority? Are we bound by the edicts of religious leaders when they conflict with God's truth? How can we effectively respond to those who try to improperly frame the discussion. Jesus already modelled for us how to redirect misguided critics and insincere questions. Our task is to align with God's requirements, balance civic and spiritual priorities, and always act out of love for God first, then truth-filled love for our neighbors. In the end, our behavior as good citizens must be rooted in godly love.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 20:1-16. A landowner hires workers for his vineyard throughout the day. Some begin early, right after sunset, for the typical Roman daily wage of one denarius. Others are hired at later times when found idle in the town. At the end of the day, the landowner pays one denarius to those who got a late start. Grumbling and complaining begins when the early works also receive the same pay. Is the landowner being unfair? Or is Jesus' parable teaching us about God's economy of grace? Listen in for a deep dive into this profound parable and let God reveal the abundance of His amazing grace towards mankind.

This week we acknowledge and mourn the passing of brother Ken Travis at 89 years old. Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 19:16-30. How do we obtain eternal life? Can we buy access to it? Can we earn it through good works? Jesus responds to a rich young ruler who seems to have all the right answers yet walks away in sorrow after Jesus' final challenge. Each of us must decide whether to trust in our own resources and comforts or to follow and rely on Jesus. Only through faith in Jesus' death on the cross can we obtain the forgiveness of sin and assurance of eternal life. We also find hope in the promise that what awaits believers far outweighs the troubles and shortcomings of our limited, mortal lives.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 18:21-35. In Jewish law, an offense had to be forgiven up to three times. Peter wondered if he should forgive up to seven times. What did Jesus say? Are we right to set a limit on forgiveness? Jesus used a story about a king and two servants with debts to teach us a valuable lesson about what it means to live as a recipient of God's forgiveness.