Big Picture: Kingdom Life in todays culture is counter culture. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say with honesty. Don’t retaliate, but accept injustice without revenge in love. Now these are counter culture, but real Kingdom living.

Big Picture: Jesus is worthy to be followed. Nothing should take precedence over following Jesus. The urgency is people need Jesus.

Big Picture: God has created the earth for His glory and our enjoyment. His creation reveals His redemptive power. His redeemed respects His creation, His redeemed cares for creation and His redeemed look forward to a new creation.

Big Picture: Gifts of the Spirit or spiritual gifts are not something we sign up for or apply for. Spiritual gifts are an act of God’s grace to us, so that we may minister grace to someone else in order to bring glory to God.

Jesus taught using parables not so much to keep people wondering what He was saying, but to speak to those who would hear and follow. His parables were to inform the success of the Kingdom of God, it was to encourage the listeners of the power of God and the importance of His Kingdom.

Big Picture: When reading these words to love our enemies our bodies should shake a bit and respond with astonishment. Perhaps this is the most counter-culture admonition Jesus gives in this sermon. We cannot affirm this and go away unchanged.

Big Picture: The common view today is that marriage is for the comfort and pleasure of both husband and wife (or, two adults). It is an association or partnership for common goals and thus it can be ended whenever one sees fit. God’s word says Christ followers are the bride of Christ and Jesus says he will never leave us or forsake us. How does Jesus describe marriage?

Big Picture: Jesus is calling His followers out to be culturally different, which meant a changed heart. A changed heart does not hate, the changed heart radically protects itself from lust and it regards marriage as a beautiful God made institution. These are the elements of salt and light followers of Jesus Christ.

Big Picture: Jesus is calling His followers out to be culturally different, which meant a changed heart.

A changed heart does not hate, it protects themselves from lust and it regards marriage as a God made institution. These are salt and light followers.