So much comes at us each day that leads to distraction and anxiety. Short bits of information, disjointed and unrelated, fill our minds and tell us what we should run after and what will satisfy. As a result, it’s easy to feel spiritually disoriented, deflated or numb. In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus’ parables break through all that noise with beautiful simplicity. They reveal the Kingdom of Heaven not as some distant, abstract reality we’re to keep at arm’s length, but as a treasure beyond compare – one that produces delirious joy, wholehearted devotion and glad surrender.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline by which we deny ourselves food for a certain period of time so that we can grow in our dependence on God. Fasting is not about trying to impress God, manipulate him, or make ourselves more acceptable to God. Fasting has been described as, “an intensifier of spiritual desire.” Ultimately the purpose of fasting is to draw near to God. In this class we explore the Biblical purpose of fasting and ways to incorporate this practice into your life.

Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of Heaven answer some of the deepest questions of the human heart. Ones like: “Why is the world so broken? Why does evil seem to be winning? God, do you care? Are you going to do anything about this mess?” And “Why do your purposes seem to move so slowly? How will you accomplish your will through what seems weak, hidden and insignificant?” In Matthew 13:24-43 when Jesus communicates three more parables, he isn’t interested in simply giving you information – he is fiercely interested in your spiritual formation. The Kingdom of Heaven is a reality he wants you to enter and go on to embody. A reality that brings comfort in the face of evil, patience when all we want are immediate results and trust in the hidden, but totally pervasive, work of God.