Jesus didn't begin His ministry by searching for the most impressive, educated, or religious people He could find.

He walked up to ordinary fishermen and said two words:

“Follow me.”

And they dropped their nets.

In Episode 14 of Remember Who The King Is, Chad Muncy, Donnie Prince, and Mark Berry continue through Matthew 4 as Jesus emerges from the wilderness, begins His public ministry, and calls His first disciples.

This passage marks a major turning point in the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus begins preaching:

“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Matthew describes people who had been sitting in darkness suddenly seeing a great light.

Then Jesus walks along the Sea of Galilee and encounters Simon Peter and Andrew.

They're fishermen.

They're working.

They're living their ordinary lives.

Jesus calls out:

“Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

And Matthew tells us something incredible:

“They left their nets at once and followed him.”

A little farther down the shore, Jesus calls James and John.

They leave their boat—and even their father—and follow Him.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The beginning of Jesus' public ministry
• What it means that Jesus brought light into a place of darkness
• Why Jesus called ordinary people to become His disciples
• The immediate obedience of Peter, Andrew, James, and John
• What the fishermen's nets represented: livelihood, security, routine, and identity
• Why following Jesus comes before serving Jesus
• The danger of becoming so busy doing things for God that we neglect simply being with God
• Why you don't have to have everything figured out before following Jesus
• How Jesus takes ordinary people and teaches them along the way
• Why reading Scripture for ourselves matters
• The difference between simply attending church and actually following Christ
• Why the Church's mission has to reach beyond the walls of a building
• Sharing Jesus through everyday conversations
• How quickly news about Jesus spread without social media, phones, or modern technology
• What it means for Christians today to become “fishers of people”

One of the most important things Jesus says in this passage is what He doesn't say.

He doesn't tell these men:

Learn everything first.

Fix yourself first.

Become religious enough first.

Figure out exactly how you're going to serve Me first.

He simply says:

“Follow me.”

Then comes the promise:

“I will show you…”

That's an important distinction.

The relationship comes before the assignment.

Sometimes we become so focused on serving Jesus, working in ministry, attending church, volunteering, or doing “Christian things” that we can forget the most important part:

Being with Jesus.

Before Peter could preach…

Before the disciples could build the early Church…

Before they could become fishers of people…

They first had to follow.

And Jesus still calls ordinary people today.

You don't need a theology degree.

You don't need to know every answer.

You don't have to clean everything up before you come.

You don't even have to know exactly where following Him will lead.

Start by following Jesus.

He'll teach you along the way.

This passage also challenges us to look beyond the walls of our churches.

News about Jesus began spreading throughout the region because people talked about what they had seen and heard.

No social media.

No livestream.

No advertising campaign.

People simply told people about Jesus.

What could happen if Christians began doing the same thing everywhere we went?

At work.

At the grocery store.

At the gym.

Around the dinner table.

With the person who's hurting.

With the person who's searching.

There are still people sitting in darkness.

And Jesus is still the Light.

Open your Bible to Matthew 4:12–25 and join us as we talk about obedience, discipleship, sharing the Gospel, leaving our nets behind, and what it really means when Jesus says:

“Follow me.”

Scripture Focus: Matthew 4:12–25
Hosts: Chad Muncy, Donnie Prince & Mark Berry

Scripture. Truth. Real life. Jesus is King.

Remember Who The King Is.

For more information about the podcast and to learn about future resources and shows, visit www.remembertheking.com

What do you do when following God leads you straight into the wilderness?

Immediately after Jesus is baptized and the Father declares, “This is my dearly loved Son,” Matthew 4 tells us something we might not expect:

Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

For 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus fasts. He's hungry. He's physically weak. He's alone.

And then Satan comes.

In Episode 13 of Remember Who The King Is, Chad Muncy, Donnie Prince, and Mark Berry walk through the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4 and uncover some powerful lessons about temptation, suffering, spiritual warfare, Scripture, and what it actually looks like to remain faithful when life gets hard.

Satan tempts Jesus three different times.

Turn these stones into bread.

Throw Yourself from the temple.

Bow down and I'll give You the kingdoms of the world.

But each time Jesus responds the same way:

With the Word of God.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why Jesus was led into the wilderness immediately after His baptism
• The significance of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness
• Why following God doesn't guarantee an easy life
• What Jesus' temptation teaches us about our own temptations
• How Satan attacks when we're vulnerable
• Why Jesus responded to Satan with Scripture
• The importance of knowing God's Word before the battle comes
• Why Christians shouldn't be surprised by trials and hardship
• The danger of assuming suffering means someone has done something wrong
• Job, suffering, and remaining faithful when life doesn't make sense
• Why prosperity-gospel teaching doesn't match what we see in the life of Jesus
• How Satan can twist Scripture for his own purposes
• The "bait and switch" of temptation
• Why we need compassion instead of judgment when someone is walking through a difficult season
• How God can use other believers to surround and care for people who are suffering
• Why preparation matters in spiritual warfare

One of the most powerful details in this passage is how Jesus fights back.

He doesn't negotiate with Satan.

He doesn't depend on emotion.

He doesn't rely on His circumstances.

He goes back to what God has already said.

Again and again:

“The Scriptures say…”

That should challenge every one of us.

Because temptation rarely announces itself ahead of time.

Hardship doesn't wait until we're prepared.

The wilderness can come when we least expect it.

And when it does, what are we going to stand on?

If we don't know God's Word, how will we recognize when truth is being twisted? If our faith is built only on good circumstances, what happens when those circumstances fall apart?

Jesus shows us a better way.

And this passage also destroys the idea that following God means everything in life will become easy.

Jesus was perfectly obedient—and still entered the wilderness.

Jesus was completely within the will of God—and still suffered.

Jesus was the Son of God—and Satan still came after Him.

So maybe the wilderness you're walking through isn't evidence that God has abandoned you.

And when someone else is suffering, maybe our first response shouldn't be judgment or trying to figure out what they did wrong.

Maybe our response should be to come alongside them.

At the end of Jesus' temptation, Matthew tells us:

“Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”

There are people around us walking through their own wilderness right now.

Maybe God is calling us to be the ones who show up.

Open your Bible to Matthew 4:1–11 and join us for an honest conversation about temptation, suffering, spiritual warfare, standing on Scripture, and trusting God when life leads us into the wilderness.

Scripture Focus: Matthew 4:1–11
Hosts: Chad Muncy, Donnie Prince & Mark Berry

Scripture. Truth. Real life. Jesus is King.

Remember Who The King Is.

For more information about the podcast and to learn about future resources and shows, visit www.remembertheking.com

What if following Jesus was never meant to be something we simply add to our schedule?

What if our everyday life is actually our mission field?

In Episode 12 of Remember Who The King Is, Chad Muncy, Donnie Prince, and Mark Berry continue through the Gospel of Matthew, beginning in Matthew 2:19 and moving through Matthew 3.

Herod is dead. Joseph is once again directed by God, and Jesus and His family eventually settle in Nazareth. Then the story suddenly moves forward, and we meet one of the most fascinating people in Scripture:

John the Baptist.

John didn't look like the religious leaders of his day. He wasn't concerned with comfort, appearances, popularity, or building something around his own name.

He had one mission:

Prepare the way for Jesus.

And that leads to a conversation that goes far beyond John the Baptist.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Joseph's continued obedience to God's direction
• Why Jesus growing up in Nazareth matters
• The unusual life and ministry of John the Baptist
• John's incredible humility and willingness to point people away from himself and toward Jesus
• What genuine repentance looks like
• Why John boldly confronted the Pharisees and Sadducees
• The danger of ministry becoming more about us than Christ
• Why preparation and seasons of obscurity matter
• Seeing your workplace, family, friendships, hobbies, and daily routine as your mission field
• Why you don't have to be a pastor to minister to someone
• Sharing Jesus even when you don't know exactly what to say
• Making Scripture, prayer, and time with God a priority instead of an afterthought
• The importance of disconnecting from the noise around us
• Jesus' baptism and the incredible moment when the Father declares, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

One of the biggest ideas from this conversation is simple:

Stop waiting for “one day.”

One day I'll serve.

One day I'll tell that person about Jesus.

One day I'll start reading my Bible.

One day I'll pray more.

One day I'll get serious about my relationship with God.

But James reminds us that our lives are like a vapor—here for a little while and then gone.

Your ministry doesn't have to begin someday.

Your life is your ministry.

The person you work beside can be your mission field. The conversation at the grocery store can be your mission field. Your family can be your mission field. Your hobbies, friendships, workplace, neighborhood, and ordinary daily routine can all become opportunities to point someone toward Christ.

You don't have to have all the answers.

You don't have to say everything perfectly.

You simply have to be willing.

John the Baptist understood something we desperately need to remember:

It was never about making his name greater. It was about preparing people for Jesus.

So open your Bible and join us in Matthew 2:19–23 and Matthew 3 as we talk about John the Baptist, Jesus' baptism, finding purpose in everyday life, and what it really means to prepare the way for the King.

Scripture. Truth. Real life. Jesus is King.

Remember Who The King Is.

For more information about the podcast and to learn about future resources and shows, visit www.remembertheking.com