Season 3, Episode 3.

Open Hearts, Real Loss, and True Discipleship (Matthew 13–18)Date: October 17, 2025

Duration: 36:45 minutes

Hosts:

Brigette Heller, Andrew Blackwood, Tanja Bentley Ward

Episode Summary:

In Matthew 13–18 the hosts trace a through-line from heart posture to holy living: why Jesus teaches in parables, how the heart receives (or resists) the Word, walking with God through grief, and learning to let Him separate wheat from weeds. They unpack what truly defiles, faith that perseveres (the Canaanite mother), taking up the cross, and becoming childlike to be found by the Good Shepherd.

Key Points Covered:

• 
  

  Parables & the Heart (Matt. 13)

• • Jesus waits; seekers come. Parables reveal to open, teachable hearts and mercifully veil truth from closed ones.

• 
  

  Parable of the Sower: paths (no understanding), stony ground (offended under pressure), thorns (worldly desires choke), good soil (hears, understands, bears fruit).

• • Trust God’s timing with the weeds and wheat - He can separate without us uprooting everything.

• 
  

  Loss, Reputation, and Moving Forward (Matt. 14)

• • John the Baptist’s death: Jesus withdraws to grieve - then returns to ministry.

  • Herod’s oath: a warning about saving face and choices driven by public image.
    What Truly Defiles (Matt. 15)

  • People can honor with lips while hearts are far. It’s not what goes in but what comes out of the heart that defiles.

• • Canaanite woman: an apparently harsh exchange becomes a test that reveals great faith and persevering hope.

  
  

  Signs, Surrender, and the Cross (Matt. 16)

• • “Sign of Jonah” foreshadows the Resurrection.

  • Jesus rebukes Peter (“Get behind me, Satan”): beware well-meaning voices that oppose God’s way.

• • Call to deny self, take up the cross, and follow—lose life for Christ to find true life.

  
  

  Kingdom Greatness & Childlikeness (Matt. 18)

• • The greatest become like children - humble, trusting, undivided.
  • Jesus comes to save the lost; choose what (or whom) you’ll “lose yourself” to: the world or Christ.
  • 
    

  Takeaways:

  • Keep a soft, teachable heart - understanding grows with willingness.

  • Grieve with God; then keep walking.

  • Let God do the separating; you do the surrendering.

  • Distinguish testing (refines faith) from temptation (aims to destroy).

  • True discipleship = deny self, take up the cross, follow with childlike trust.

  
  

• Mentioned Links:

  • Matthew 13–18 (KJV) – King James Version (KJV) Bible

• • Word study ideas: “Hosanna,” “Sign of Jonah,” “defile”

  
  

  Connect with Connected in Christ:

  • Website: Coming Soon

  • Social Media:

  • • Facebook

    • Instagram: @connectedinchristpodcast

  
  

  Support the Show:

  If you would like to support the podcast you can donate to our PayPal account: connectedinchristpodcast@gmail.com

  
  

  Call to Action:

  Please subscribe, leave a review, share the episode, and follow us on social media.

  
  

  Acknowledgements:

  Thank you so much for listening—we pray this conversation brought you closer to Christ

  
  

• •