Declaring Bankruptcy

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Declaring Bankruptcy

July 28, 2024 • Dr. James Merritt • Matthew 5:1–3

Over the next several weeks, we are going to be camping out in a section of the Gospel of Matthew, specifically chapters 5-7. These chapters make up the Sermon on the Mount, the most famous sermon Jesus preached during His earthly ministry. And as we kick off our study of this section of Scripture, we will begin with the Beatitudes, listed in chapter 5. The Beatitudes tell us how to enter the Kingdom of God, how to express the Kingdom of God, and how to enjoy the Kingdom of God. Jesus begins by telling us this, “You will never be filled with God until you realize you are empty without him.” Or to put it another way, “You will never be blessed by God until you admit you are bankrupt without Him.” Jesus makes it clear that the first step to being different, to finding significance and satisfaction in life, is to declare bankruptcy. Let’s dive in to see what this means.

Take My Word For It

November 17, 2024 • Dr. James Merritt • Matthew 5:33–37

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes on the matter of honesty, and we desperately need it. As we look at this passage in Matthew 5, here is the key thought that Jesus is giving us. Let the words “you” and “true” always go together. To help us make sure that happens, Jesus tells us three things to remember not just on telling the truth, but how to do it.

What God Joins Together

November 10, 2024 • Dr. James Merritt • Matthew 5:31–32

In Jesus’ day, divorce was more commonplace than you would have imagined and there was a great debate about when divorce was even allowed. It wasn’t incidental that Jesus had just finished talking about lust when He started to talk about divorce. Lust causes adultery and now shockingly, He is going to say that divorce and remarriage can do the exact same thing. Jesus is going to remind us that God’s ideal is one man and one wife for one life. It should be “’til death do us part.” There are two things that Jesus asks us to do when it comes to the topic of divorce. Let's dive into those together.

The Look That Kills

November 3, 2024 • Dr. James Merritt • Matthew 5:27–30

From today’s key passage of Scripture, we’re going to see how adultery is not only a sin in the bed, but it is a sin in the head. Adultery can be both physical and mental. It can be both on the inside and the outside. In a day and age where sexual immorality is running rampant, not only are marriages being ruined, but even the very concept of a biblical marriage is being tainted. Thankfully, Jesus gives us three principles to remember so we can guard against this terrible sin of adultery and avoid the look that kills.