Matthew 10–14 & the Feeding of the 5,000

Matthew’s Gospel paints a sweeping picture of Jesus as King—and in Matthew 10–14, that kingship gets intensely personal. In this episode of the Sermon Notes Podcast, Jay Strother and Brian Ball explore Jesus’ authority through missionary training, persecution, and fear, demonstrating how He sends His disciples into “hard places” with the reminder that every place is challenging because every heart is. We wrestle with what it means to fear God rather than man, to reject celebrity Christianity, and to ground our confidence in the Word rather than personalities or traditions.

From there, we move into some of the most honest moments in the Gospel: John the Baptist’s doubts, Jesus’ woes to unrepentant cities, and His invitation to the weary to find rest in Him. We explore how Sabbath, family, and even our identity as the church are radically reoriented around Jesus’ authority. Then we dive into the parables of Matthew 13—especially the parable of the sower—asking what kind of soil our hearts really are, and why our job is to sow the seed generously instead of trying to diagnose who is “ready” for the gospel.

Finally, we slow down at the Feeding of the 5,000 and examine it not just as a miracle for the crowd, but also as a training ground for the disciples. Jesus doesn’t hand bread directly to the people; He gives it to His followers, who then give it away—just like He does with us today. This story confronts our scarcity mentality and reminds us that ministry is always beyond our natural resources, but never beyond His. If you’ve ever felt inadequate in your calling, tired in your serving, or tempted to hoard what little you have, this conversation will invite you back to the One who multiplies loaves, fills empty baskets, and lets us share in the joy of His work.