All Sermons

Am I really a Christian? How do I know? Are they? What's the evidence? There are a lot of people out there that call themselves Christians...is that real? Who decides? In a community where even those who identify themselves as Christians can't always agree on what the Bible is, who Jesus is, or how we get to heaven - how can we know for sure what's what? While it can be confusing, Jesus clearly answers those questions as he wraps up his Sermon on the Mount.

What does it really mean to love one another? How does it work? What does it look like? Refusing to act in a judgmental way is a good start...but it isn't enough. Love is more than not treating someone poorly. Love is active and productive. It can be hard to do...so we ask God for help and insight in relating to and loving others...and he is gracious to show us.

In this episode, we talk more about money, judging, and Matt’s favorite Pastor Appreciation gift.

The entire thrust of the Sermon on the Mount is to show the complete and total distinction between true religion and false religion...between spiritual truth and spiritual hypocrisy. And this is most clear with regards to how we relate to, disagree with, and correct others. Jesus is clear that acting in judgmental ways without love is far from the true religion that God honors.

People are naturally stuff oriented. We tend to be wrapped up in seeking, acquiring, enjoying and protecting our stuff. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses both those who have plenty and those who don't. He addresses those that stockpile for selfish reasons as well as those who strive daily for the basic necessities of life. Why does he address both? Because whether rich or poor - or someone in between - our attitude towards material possessions is one of the clearest indicators of the spiritual condition or our heart.

In this episode, we look at giving, prayer, and fasting as we continue in our Sermon on the Mount series.

Prayer can be a little confusing. At our core - we know that prayer matters. But how? None of us can really comprehend exactly how prayer works within the infinite mind of God. The Bible teaches us that prayer is important...but what's the right way to do it? As we continue digging into the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus models the right heart posture and attitude for prayer.

In the heart reframes of chapter 5 (murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, revenge, and love) Jesus is focusing on our internal righteousness. As we shift into chapter 6, Jesus will start to shift the focus to our religious activity. But even that comes with a stern heart warning against hypocrisy. If we want to receive the spiritual benefits of our spiritual living - we must have the right motives. That is never more clear than in the area of generosity.

Today we are celebrating our 100th episode with special guest (and B-Side founder!) Vincent Derr!

We live in a world that is obsessed with our rights. And from a human perspective it makes perfect sense. The only way to be sure that everyone is protected is to focus on our rights - especially when it comes to people who have hurt or wronged us. When our rights are violated we want to take matters into our own hands and get even. But in the sermon on the Mount, Jesus suggests that the way to thrive in His Kingdom is to let go of our rights and to treat even those that hate us with love.