Mar 17, 2024
Check your motives (Matthew 6:1-18)
Followers of Jesus exercise various disciplines as an expression of their inner relationship with Jesus. They don't always parade their efforts on a proverbial stage for the world because God is their audience. Jesus challenges us to check our motives for why we do what we do.
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  • Mar 17, 2024Check your motives (Matthew 6:1-18)
    Mar 17, 2024
    Check your motives (Matthew 6:1-18)
    Followers of Jesus exercise various disciplines as an expression of their inner relationship with Jesus. They don't always parade their efforts on a proverbial stage for the world because God is their audience. Jesus challenges us to check our motives for why we do what we do.
  • Mar 10, 2024Loving our Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)
    Mar 10, 2024
    Loving our Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)
    We all have people who do not care for us. In fact some may actively oppose us. Jesus reminds us, that as people who are characterized as Christ Followers, we are to not attack or just tolerate our enemies, we are to love them and pray for them. Just as God's grace is evident in their lives whether they recognize it our not, our grace and proactive love should also be on display as we interact with them.
  • Mar 3, 2024Persons of Peace (Matthew 5:38-42)
    Mar 3, 2024
    Persons of Peace (Matthew 5:38-42)
    Conventional wisdom says: "If they hit you; hit them back harder." On the one hand we can understand the desire to protect ourselves. But on the other hand, Jesus gives us a completely different way of living in the world. When we are confident in who we are in Jesus, there is a grace that stirs curiosity in others and gives us a strength to manage difficult times. (We apologize for the poor audio quality for the first 10 minutes.)
  • Feb 25, 2024The Necessity of Integrity (Matthew 5:33-37)
    Feb 25, 2024
    The Necessity of Integrity (Matthew 5:33-37)
    This part of the Sermon on the Mount deals with the issue of integrity. God expects us, as followers of Jesus to say what we mean and mean what we say and work through the challenges. When we are people of integrity, we can set an example for others in our sphere of influence.
  • Feb 11, 2024Godly Purity: Authentic Relationships (Mt 5:27-32)
    Feb 11, 2024
    Godly Purity: Authentic Relationships (Mt 5:27-32)
    We seem to bombarded from all sides with images, lyrics, and entertainment that challenges any standard of purity. Godly purity is reflected in the mindset that holds that each person is a person of dignity and not an object. In a very stunning way we are reminded in this passage that any godly standard of purity begins in the heart and we are each responsible to pursue it. Godly purity impacts our most important human relationships.
  • Feb 4, 2024Anger Management God’s Way (Matthew 5:21-26)
    Feb 4, 2024
    Anger Management God’s Way (Matthew 5:21-26)
    It seems that we live in an increasingly angry society. With instances mass shootings, road rage, and retaliation, on the rise, many people seem deeply frustrated. Sometimes people will use the excuse that they have never killed anyone as a way to justify their anger. Jesus holds those of us who follow him to a higher standard. Since we are to be peacemakers, who exude meekness, it seems that we need to make sure we are dealing with our inner person in a way that helps us reflect outwardly the truth of a God who is love.
  • Jan 28, 2024Extreme Righteousness (Matthew 5:17-20)
    Jan 28, 2024
    Extreme Righteousness (Matthew 5:17-20)
    We all have standards or values by which we live. We all have a desire that others see us as being real, or genuine or authentic. No one really likes a hypocrite. Jesus challenged his listeners to have a standard that was so high that it was greater than that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. How can this be? How can one be better than perceived perfection? Keep in mind outward perfection is not always a reflection of inward realities.
  • Jan 21, 2024Make a Difference (Matt. 5:13-16)
    Jan 21, 2024
    Make a Difference (Matt. 5:13-16)
    The old adage is, "You may be the first Bible another person reads." The idea is that our actions do speak and they speak loudly. Among the many qualities of salt and light, one is that they both make a difference. But they both must be used properly. Every day we each should take stock of what people think about God as a result of watching our lives.
  • Jan 14, 2024Core Values of A Christ Follower – Matt 5:7-12 (Part 2)
    Jan 14, 2024
    Core Values of A Christ Follower – Matt 5:7-12 (Part 2)
    One of the unique realities about following Jesus is that we discover that who we are on the inside, should drive what we do on the outside. The core values of the Beatitudes are truly internal characteristics but we cannot separate them from behavior. These core values even dictate how we respond when we face challenges from others as we follow Jesus.
  • Jan 7, 2024Core Values of a Christ Follower Mt. 5:1-6 (part 1)
    Jan 7, 2024
    Core Values of a Christ Follower Mt. 5:1-6 (part 1)
    Every person has a set of values. Every person has a standard or a code by which they live. The question that we each have to ask is what is the source of my values? For some the culture or sub-culture in which they live defines the standards. For those who claim to follow Jesus, he must be the one who establishes our values. The eight characteristics listed in Matthew 5:1-12 are the values that we each should make as part of our daily lives. They are internal characteristics that have external impact.
  • Dec 24, 2023Life After the Manger: Living in Unity
    Dec 24, 2023
    Life After the Manger: Living in Unity
    It seems that unity is in short supply this Christmas season. We see disunity taken to its extreme in the armed conflicts around our world. We see disunity in our government. We sadly can sometimes see disunity in our families and even our churches. What did Jesus mean when he prayed for all who believe to be one as he and the Father are one? How can we take the faux unity that happens at Christmas and be examples of true unity after the manger?
  • Dec 17, 2023Life after the Manger: Living to the Full (John 10)
    Dec 17, 2023
    Life after the Manger: Living to the Full (John 10)
    Abundance. Having enough. Being satisfied. These are the sentiments of a full life. It seems that when we think in terms of abundance we think in terms of that which is tangible. Is it possible to have a full life and yet not have any of the trappings of a consumerist culture. We will explore what Jesus meant by giving life to the full or in abundance.
  • Dec 10, 2023Living Life as a Light (John 8:12; 12:44-50)
    Dec 10, 2023
    Living Life as a Light (John 8:12; 12:44-50)
    This is the season of light. We decorate with lights. Our Jewish friends are celebrating Hannukah which is a time that commemorates a miracle of light. What does it mean to live a life that is illuminated by the reality of Jesus? How do we live in the light and as a light long after we have put all the decorations and the lights away for another year? Living in the light is truly a life lived by faith.
  • Dec 3, 2023Living Out True Love (1 John 4:7-12)
    Dec 3, 2023
    Living Out True Love (1 John 4:7-12)
    This season is so often called a time of love and kindness and giving. And yet all too often our acts of love are tainted by conditions. How often do we feel that we need to give someone a gift to "repay" them for the gift they gave us? Life after the manger is a life best lived in true selfless love as we love others the way our God loves us.
  • Nov 26, 2023Act 4 – A Bigger Plan (Ruth 4)
    Nov 26, 2023
    Act 4 – A Bigger Plan (Ruth 4)
    God has a plan. God has always had a plan. Throughout the Old Testament we see God preserving His Covenant promises and preparing the nation for the Messiah. Ruth and Boaz are the great-grand parents of David. Matthew chapter 1 reveals to us that Jesus is from the line of David which ran through Ruth and Boaz. God always has a plan. And in the grand plan of God, He still sees you.