Pastor Jamaal Watson was the special guest speaker this week. The sermon was on Psalm 46, which proclaims that the Lord is present, calling us to be present, to come close to Him, and to others.
What we value the most will always direct and define our lives. In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus tells a powerful story to show us what His kingdom is like. The story reveals the overwhelming worth of the Kingdom of Heaven. When we see it for its worth, we can joyfully let go of all the things in this world. Pastor Rob continues our Kingdom Narratives sermon series with part 3: Treasure. As we study the parables of Jesus, we challenge ourselves to three things: * Look Upward: What does the parable teach us about the Lord and His Kingdom? * Look Inward: What does it reveal about us? * Respond Forward: How can we respond in obedience?
How big of a deal is forgiveness to Jesus? Unforgiveness in our hearts can be a significant red flag that indicates we are not walking in the fullness of our forgiveness from Jesus or that we never really knew it. This week, Pastor Rob led us through the parable of the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18:23-35. God's forgiveness is so immense that it demands the complete eradication of all unforgiveness from the hearts of those who have received it. As we study the parables of Jesus, we challenge ourselves to three things: * Look Upward: What does the parable teach us about the Lord and His Kingdom? * Look Inward: What does it reveal about us? * Respond Forward: How can we respond in obedience?
Our new series, titled "Kingdom Narratives," walks through the amazing stories of Jesus given to us in parables. Jesus spoke in parables to provide us with snapshots of everyday life that illustrate the truths about God’s kingdom. Week 1 was based on Matthew 7:24-27 and the parable of the man who builds his house on the rock. Building our house on the rock of Christ is based on obedience to Jesus and His Kingdom. As we study the parables of Jesus, we challenge ourselves to three things: * Look Upward: What does the parable teach us about the Lord and His Kingdom? * Look Inward: What does it reveal about us? * Respond Forward: How can we respond in obedience?
We need to watch our hearts and motives! It’s possible to serve with great zeal, be theologically sound, tell others about the love of Jesus, persevere through horrible things, and at the same time, no longer be overwhelmed by or for Jesus. This week, we walked through Revelation chapter 2, which shows a letter Jesus gave to His church in Ephesus through the apostle John. The church was doing a lot of faithful things in endurance and keeping doctrinally sound, but Jesus had an issue with them for one very important thing: they had forsaken their first love, and they had walked away from Him. The "why" we do things is more important than the "what."
There is an anthem that should be on the heart of every follower of Jesus: Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours. Do we anguish over the things that break the heart of God, or have we become too numb to the brokenness of our sin, relationships, churches, ministries, and this perishing world? This week, we look into the life of Nehemiah and see how a man can change the world when he is fueled by a heart of anguish that leads to prayer, repentance, and a response to broken things.
The fuel and fire for a Kingdom Come life has everything to do with our proximity to and dependency on Jesus. It's not about how great and gifted we are or about the big things we’ve done; it’s about who we are with and how we follow Him where He is leading. Pastor Rob Danz walks through Psalms 27:4 as David longs to dwell in the presence of the Lord at all times.