The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) contains some of Jesus’ most challenging teaching. It begins with the unlikely blessings of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), which we looked at a few weeks ago. Next, Jesus talks about being salt and light (Matthew 5:5:13-16). Jesus’ disciples must do good works in order to be a powerful…

Matthew 5:21-26 (NIV) “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister,…

Matthew 5:18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. This verse leads to a bunch of questions and different interpretations from scholars. Is Jesus speaking of the literal heavens…

Matthew 5:17-20 sets up an important point about the nature of sin. To do so, Jesus first declares that heaven’s standard of righteousness is beyond human ability. His purpose is not to discard the law of Moses, but to accomplish the purpose for which the law was given. A cornerstone of Jesus’ teaching is that…

Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. What does this phrase mean? Here are some things we know about salt. It is essential for life. Salt or sodium chloride is the only mineral that is found in all cells of the human body. However, it seems unlikely that Jesus would use such a…

Even though the Sermon on the Mount has been called the constitution for citizens of God’s kingdom, we won’t see flawed human beings reach this level of perfection in this lifetime. Jesus begins the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) with our inability in mind – Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of…

This Sunday we begin our series on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” by taking a look at the Beatitudes, recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. There is no way to do this passage justice in a 20-30 minute sermon. So we are encouraging the congregation to spend some time in personal Bible Study throughout the week, looking…

A few months ago, we handed out surveys asking the congregation what we needed to do moving forward and what topics you would like to see taught. At the top of the list on things to do was to appoint more elders and to appoint some men to serve as deacons, something this congregation has…

A couple of weeks ago we finished up the first 4 verses of 1 Corinthians 15, the first half of the gospel message. The fact that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose on the third day are of first importance (15:3). This was the gospel Paul had preached…

From the very beginning, God has pursued us. After Adam and Eve sinned, they did not run toward God; they ran away from Him, hiding among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the…