Jesus followed a long line of prophets from God who warned against the mysteriously idolatrous power of money and possessions. He prohibited His followers from putting their trust and security in material, 'earthly' things, and instructed His followers to invest in what would last for eternity. We cannot serve two masters\kings or kingdoms. We have to choose who we serve, where we invest our hearts. The choice is ours who and what we will serve. What will your choice be?
God as Generous Host - Sermon on the Mount #17
Jesus calls us to have no other master but God. And after doing so, Jesus immediately reminds us that God is a generous host\Creator. We can entrust ourselves to seeking God above all other concerns because we can trust in His generosity towards us to meet our needs.
Fasting in a Land of Abundance - Sermon on the Mount #16
Fasting is a spiritual discipline many Christians in the West don't have a strong history or connection with. Fasting is the natural response of a follower of Jesus to a sacred moment of grief. We are a unified being of body (physical) and mind\soul\spirit (non-physical). Biblical fasting brings our bodies into unified expression of mourning with what God mourns.
Ways to Pray - Sermon on the Mount #13
Many Christians struggle with prayer. Sometimes because we've only learned one model for prayer or one way to pray that isn't exactly how God has wired for them to hear and listen to God through prayer. Today's message acknowledges this struggle and gives some other ways to engage with God in prayer.
Why Pray? Sermon on the Mount #12
Most of us have had questions about the value, meaning and nature of prayer. Questions, at times, which lead us to wonder why pray, at least about some things. Jesus lived and taught as though prayer does matter, and matters greatly. Because God wants a relationship with us, where we spend our time with God, no matter what we are doing. When we do this, we are praying without ceasing.
Motives Matter - Sermon on the Mount #11
God not only cares about what we do and how we do things, but also about why we do (or don't do) what we do. Our motives come from the desires of our heart and reveal our heart. Unfortunately, on our own we don't always know our own heart's motives, and so God calls us to reflect and confess to help us identify, clarify and reshape when necessary the desires of our heart, which will change how we live.
Life WITH God, not OVER God - Emmanuel, God WITH Us Series #3
Exploring a life of interaction with God by submitting our control and plans.
Perfect Love - Sermon on the Mount #10
Jesus' call to His followers is to take enemies and seek to turn them into neighbours (those who we would invite to our table). After all, this is what God has done Himself towards all of humanity, because of His great love. The kind of perfect love Jesus modeled and commands His followers to exhibit as well... even towards enemies.
Maddeningly Impractical Sermon on the Mount #9
When wrongs are done, we want to see it made right in some way. One Old Testament expression of this was the law of retribution (eye for an eye, etc...), law intended to help curb violence or vengeance from spiraling out of control. Jesus calls his people to not settle for curbing vengeance, but to stop the cycle through showing grace, mercy, pity, love and compassion even to those who wrong you.
No Need To Vow - Sermon On The Mount #8
Jesus addressed another cultural issue of his day, dishonesty. Honesty is part of the foundation for any healthy relationship. Jesus declares kingdom people are called to simple honesty. To live where your word is your bond and even your word may not be necessary. We are to live that way because that is how the people in Jesus' kingdom will be when the kingdom comes in full. We are called to live the full kingdom of God way, today.