November 21, 2021 • Greg Pinkner • Matthew 7:21–29, Jeremiah 7:1–15
This week, Greg continues teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus' parable of the Wise and Foolish Builder. These final verses from the Sermon on the Mount contain some shocking warnings and let us know that our relationship to Jesus and what we do with that relationship are the key - not our actions. We are to cast away our religious observances and put our trust and faith in Him.
Ask. Seek. Knock.
November 14, 2021 • JC Neely • Matthew 7
This week, JC continues teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and speaks about anxiety in relationships. Many people take these verses from Matthew 7 and apply them only to our relationship with God. However, we need to also apply them to our relationships with others. If we struggle with anxiety in our relationships, we must be careful that we are not judgemental, that we pay attention to what is happening in our own life and heart before we call out issues in others' lives, and that what we offer to people is actually helpful to them. We should intentionally seek out people and ask permission to enter into their lives. It is the easy way to judge others and offer them things they don't need. It is the narrow way to do relationships the way God is calling us to. We have a heavenly Father who said "I will teach you how to relate to me and I will set you free from living an anxiety and pressure-filled life with those around us."
The Perfection of Humility
October 31, 2021 • Greg Pinkner • Matthew 5:43–48, Matthew 6:1–18
This week, Greg Pinkner continues teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. In these verses, Jesus undermines our goodness by eroding our confidence in what we think we have done right. The question is not "Am I a good person?", the question is "Am I perfect?". Only those who are perfect are able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Our religious performance is worthless. Christianity is an honest pursuit of what God is doing in our hearts. The Gospel can not be precious to us until we realize how much we need His forgiveness, which He gives to us freely.
The Heart of the Matter
October 24, 2021 • Rick Dunn • Matthew 5:21–42, Galatians 5:16–24
This week, Rick Dunn continues teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. These verses from the Sermon on the Mount follow Christ's command to "Be perfect as your father is perfect" and He shows us again the impossibility of that command. He looks at the sins of anger, lust, divorce, oaths, and retaliation and reveals now these are issues of the heart and not issues of the flesh. However, through Christ, we are convicted but not condemned. We are given the fruits of the spirit to combat the desires of our flesh.
You Must Be
October 17, 2021 • Greg Pinkner • Matthew 5:17–20
This week, Greg Pinkner continues teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:17-20 contains the thesis for the Sermon on the Mount: Christ came to fulfill the law. Without His resurrection, the law means nothing and the law will not make its full reckoning until He returns. Every person will be judged by the law and will fail. The American gospel wants to sweep in and make this all okay, but it's not. You don't know how much grace means until you understand how much you need it. The law says "this is what you should be some day", but Christianity says "This is what you should be and you will be one day." Christ is the fulfillment of the law and believers are the fulfillment of Christ.
And He Taught Them
October 10, 2021 • Greg Pinkner • Matthew 5:1–16
This week, Greg Pinkner begins our teaching series on the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew has spent the first four chapters of his book explaining who Jesus is, and the Sermon on the Mount does not make sense outside of this context. Matthew 5:3-12 focuses on the Beatitudes. These verses prepare the listeners now for a certain future reality. They show us that the way of the Kingdom is humility and repentance; it is for the meek and the peacemaker.
