During His time on Earth, Jesus tended to mystify-the religious authorities, His countrymen, even His closest friends. He often defied their expectations: walking on water, sleeping through storms, ministering to children and Samaritans, and in the ultimate twist, giving Himself up to be crucified. He spoke of an otherworldly kingdom, of loving enemies, of losing life to find it-all confounding and seemingly impossible concepts, told with the command: "Follow Me."

But Jesus's teachings, given in the form of relatable and practical stories, or parables, often deepen the mystery rather than clarify it. These multilayered stories unnerve, perplex, and attract people from all walks of life-in the ancient world and today. Like Jesus's first followers, we often only brush the surface, missing out on the deeper meanings and transformative power within them.

For those of us who have heard and read these parables before, The Stories That Make Us summons us to sit again at the feet of Jesus, perhaps understanding-hearing, doing, changing-for the first time. For both those who are new to these stories and those revisiting them, this book is the opportunity to meet both the Storyteller and the Hero of the Story. "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did" (John 4:29).

This book is structured into six chapters, each centered around a specific parable from the Gospel of Matthew. Designed to challenge, motivate, and transform, these chapters are invitations to see our lives through the prism of Jesus's stories. At the end of each chapter, questions for discussion and reflection are provided to encourage a deeper engagement with the text and its application to our personal narratives. These prompts invite readers to ponder how these ancient stories echo in our current realities and struggles.