This is a common misconception - that avoiding conflict or confrontation is the most loving way to deal with someone who’s offended you or committed an obvious sin. It’s certainly easier, but it’s almost always the worst thing you can do. As followers of Jesus, we can expect to face suffering and sacrifice our own comfort for the sake of others, but as Pastor Marc will challenge us in today’s message when we see something destructive in someone's life, we need to love them by talking to them about it.

Sin isn’t worth compromising your intimacy with God. People have taken today’s passage extremely literally at times - actually maiming themselves in response to sin. As Pastor Marc will clarify in today’s message, when Jesus tells us that it’d be better to cut off our hand than allow it to lead us into sin, He’s illustrating the severity of sin, not suggesting that this is a good way to prevent sin. We need to get rid of any sin that remains in our hearts so we can glorify our Savior with every part of our being.

Children held very little value in the culture of Jesus’ day. It’s not that parents didn’t love their children, but they were expected to give grownups space and stay out of their way. They were weak and mortality rates were high. They may have been seen as more of a burden than a blessing until they reached an age where they could contribute to the family's needs. As Pastor Marc will point out in today’s message, when Jesus simply acknowledged the young children in today’s passage, it was a revolutionary act.  

Jesus, on His journey, received a bunch of questions under pressure. In today's message, Pastor Marc will help us understand what Jesus has to say about taxes. There's a notable moment when Peter unknowingly chats with a tax collector, and he and the other disciples receive a valuable lesson through a relatable story. The people listening gain a glimpse of who Jesus really is, based on how He answers them. Do you have questions you’d like to ask Jesus? The disciples did too!

God doesn't choose those who are already qualified, but rather, He empowers and qualifies those whom He calls. Pastor Marc is set to illustrate this principle today by discussing the example of Peter and most of the disciples, highlighting that they weren’t highly qualified individuals, but were called and taught by Jesus Himself. The teaching reveals a valuable insight into both Jesus' identity and the individuals He chose. All of this simply stemmed from an honest question to Jesus about taxes.

Have you ever prayed for something and God didn’t give you what you asked for? It may have been something selfless and noble like healing for a loved one, provision for someone in need, or deliverance from an addiction. Yet, God didn’t do it. Why? This is a hard question and it’s fair. You can ask God and listen for His response. In today’s message, Pastor Marc will point out that the disciples dealt with this exact struggle. Jesus used it as an opportunity to teach them and demonstrate His divine power.

Many people today still see Jesus as a teacher and perhaps a healer or giver. They want wisdom for daily living from His sermons and they want a genie in a bottle for when they have a physical ailment or some other challenge in life. But, as Pastor Marc will point out in today’s message, Jesus ultimately came to establish Himself as Lord in the hearts of those who believe. He wants us to come to Him in humble repentance, offering ourselves to Him, not simply trying to take what He has to offer.

Our hearts can’t contain the full goodness of God. In those moments of intimate prayer or reflection, when you get a glimpse of the way He’s working in you or those around you, you get a sense of how good He is, but it’s just a small taste. As Pastor Marc will explain in today’s message, men are incapable of comprehending the holiness of God. He operates with perfect justice and love and His will is to restore and redeem. Even in our broken nature, you’ll see examples of this all around if you look for them.

The concept of eternity and God’s independence from the restrictions of time can be hard to wrap our minds around. If a thousand years is like a day to Him, being in the “last days” means His return could be thousands of years from now as easily as it could be tomorrow. As Pastor Marc examines today’s passage, he’ll point out that if the members of the early Church were already in the last days, we’re only that much closer to Christ’s second coming, where He’ll establish His authority over everything.

What a glorious day it will be when all Christ's followers are united together in Heaven to worship the King! There will be no awkward “hellos,” or avoiding conversations. It will be the greatest family reunion imaginable! Today, Pastor Marc will teach listeners through the transfiguration, and the valuable lessons that we can take from this moment in history. This event proves that there is eternal life beyond this earth, and that is why we should live every day with the end in mind!