The Difficult Sayings of Jesus
PeaceFaker or PeaceMaker?
August 6, 2023 • Brooke Bauzon
He "didn't come to bring peace, but a sword." Pastor Brooke Baùzan continues our Difficult Sayings of Jesus series with Matthew 10:32-39. Are you a peace-faker or a peacemaker? Jesus came to bring true peace, and true peace takes effort! We've settled for cheap peace, easy grace, but Jesus is always about the real thing. The truth is, there will be conflict when you bring heaven to earth. We must allow him to use His sword to cut out the things that divide our devotion.
Is Your Life a Stumbling Block?
July 30, 2023 • Mike Patz
Your life is not your own! Pastor Mike Patz challenges us as he continues The Difficult Sayings of Jesus series, with the words of Matthew 18:1-9. We must be mindful of the "little ones". Jesus is not merely speaking of children, but of those who are young in their faith. As Christians we must take the lowly position. We must deal drastically with our own sin so that we will not cause others to stumble. There comes a point in our Christian life that we ourselves must grow up, not be easily offended, nor cause others who are weaker in their faith to be offended as well.
Healing Is the Children’s Bread
July 23, 2023 • Mike Patz
Healing is the children's bread! Pastor mike Patz continues The Difficult Sayings of Jesus series with the story in Matthew 15:21-28. Just as our children expect to receive bread from their parents, healing is meant to be the expectation of God's children, not the exception to the rule. It is God's will that we have salvation, no sin, comfort, mercy, grace, forgiveness, peace and healing. It's all in the bread!
Don’t Give the Children’s Bread to the Dogs
July 16, 2023 • Mike Patz
Our Difficult Sayings of Jesus series continues as Pastor Mike Patz breaks open Matthew 15:21-28, Don't Give Bread to the Dogs. This passage takes place the only time that Jesus left Israel to go to the land of the Gentiles. There He encounters a woman with a daughter who is desperately ill. Jesus' comment to her could have very well been taken as an insult. God is willing to disappoint us in the short run to redeem us in the long run. Are we willing to trust? The call is to come to Him humbly, but to also come boldly to the throne of grace.
Where Is Your Faith?
July 9, 2023 • Mike Patz
Where is your faith? Pastor Mike Patz continues The Difficult Sayings of Jesus series with a look at Luke 8:22-25. We all have different talents and abilities. Does faith feel like a talent that you do or do not have? The question isn't if you have faith; rather it's what are you believing? God wired you as a believing creature. Is your faith in Him, or a functional belief in something else? Jesus is teaching that you're either fixating your faith in a loving Creator, or you're believing in something else. He gives us an invitation to fix our eyes on Jesus rather than the storm.
Shake the Dust
June 25, 2023 • Mike Patz
Pastor Mike Patz continues our series, The Difficult Sayings of Jesus, with Matthew 10:5-15, Shake the Dust. We are living in an age when people are dustier than they've ever been: there's the dust of offense, bitterness, rejection... Whenever you feel rejected or judged, it is vital to shake that off and cling to God's truth. We have the promise of shalom. But we must do what Jesus has taught us to do, shake off any offenses and rejections and live in His promise.
Let the Dead Bury the Dead
June 19, 2023 • Mike Patz
Join Pastor Mike Patz in this captivating sermon as he explores the profound message behind Jesus' words, "Let the dead bury the dead." Discover the transformative power of prioritizing our spiritual growth over worldly concerns. Watch now and let the dead bury the dead.
Choose the Narrow Road
June 11, 2023 • Byron Williams
Pastor Byron Williams breaks down another difficult saying of Jesus; choose the narrow road. We can have a saving faith in Jesus, yet still walk down the wide path of destruction. Staying on the narrow road isn't easy, but it's possible as we make daily decisions to follow Christ and his ways.
How Do You Forgive?
June 4, 2023 • Joel Romelus
Pastor Joel Romelus, director of Made for More Ministry, kicks off our summer sermon series on The Difficult Sayings of Jesus, with a look at Matthew 18:21-35. We are all experts at counting the offenses committed against us: the sins, the pains, the hurts. It is so deeply ingrained in our DNA that it goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 3. But today Jesus tells us the only way out is through forgiveness.