How many times have we heard someone repeat Matthew 7:1: "Don't judge, lest ye be judged?" This is probably the most misquoted passage of scripture in all the Bible. This Sunday, we will unpack what Jesus meant by this statement and how this impacts our ministry in a lost and dying world.
Worry is a curious thing. I'm always curious why we do it. Worry never fixes anything; it leads to sleepless nights, anxious moments, and can even cause physical ailments. Corrie ten Boom said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength." This Sunday, we will unpack what Jesus says about overcoming worry and where our true focus needs to be.
This Sunday, we will unpack Jesus' teaching on not only how to deal with those we like—but how to deal with those that don't like us. We will discover that we are to love those who love us, and we are also to love those who are considered our enemy. Join us Sunday as we learn how to love everyone around us.
Did you know that every word you speak is being documented in heaven? Jesus says in Matthew 12:36, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it on the day of judgment." That's a scary thought! This week we will continue to unpack the Sermon on the Mount and hear what Jesus has to say about our words.
In Matthew 5, Jesus touches on divorce, a subject that has impacted every one of us. What we are going to discover is that Jesus isn't so much focusing on divorce, but is highlighting the importance of the sacredness of marriage. As the writer of Hebrews says, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." Join us Sunday as we talk about this important, yet sensitive, topic.
We live in a sexually charged society. The world teaches us—through images and messages—that the temptation of sexual sin and inappropriate relationships should be embraced, rather than resisted. What we are taught is that we should lust after our neighbors. But Jesus says, not only should we not commit adultery, but ". . . anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." This Sunday we will look at how Jesus says that we should approach sex outside of marriage.
I can still hear my mom telling my sister and me, "If you can't say anything nice to someone, don't say anything at all." Great words of advice that are extremely applicable today. It seems that everyone in our world is on edge, ready for a fight, and quick to anger. But while the world may operate from a position of hate, Jesus calls us to a much higher standard. He calls us to operate from a position of love. Join us Sunday as we unpack Jesus' teaching on hate, anger and reconciliation.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us that we are to live the . . . Salt Life . . . where our lives are to be Salt and Light in this flavorless and dark world. But in order for us to be Salt and Light, it means that we have to be different, it means that we have to think differently than the world. It means that we, through the grace and mercy of God, have to strive to do what He says in His Word. And Jesus clearly tells us in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.” If we love Jesus, we will live the Salt Life in which He has called us.