In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Matthew 5:1-12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on what it truly means to be a peacemaker. In this episode, we reflect on how peace remains an elusive goal that we deeply desire for ourselves and the world, yet find so difficult to achieve—a struggle reflected even in popular culture through songs like John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance." We explore the profound promise that peacemakers will be called children of God, recognizing that to bear this title, we must reflect the very characteristics of the Son of God. Ultimately, we learn that true peace cannot exist alongside lies, calling us to actively advocate for the truth as we follow Jesus' ministry of bringing peace to the earth.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1-12

Date: July 12, 2026

Sermon Series: The Beatitudes

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Matthew 5:1-12, where Georges Melki shares insights on what it means to be pure in heart. In this episode, we explore the promise that the pure in heart will see God, challenging the common assumption that seeing God is the starting point of faith rather than something we grow into. We reflect on how life is not strictly sequential, and because we aspire to be like Jesus, we must pursue a pure heart. Finally, we dive into the three core aspects that define a pure heart: humility, repentance, and surrender.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Georges Melki

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1-12

Date: June 28, 2026

Sermon Series: The Beatitudes

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Matthew 5:1-12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on the transformative power of mercy. In this episode, we explore what it means to be merciful in a world where, when mistreated, we do everything we can to get what we think we deserve—though we rarely extend that same standard to others. We challenge our skewed view of kindness, which often revolves around seeking only what benefits us, and dive into how biblical mercy is reciprocated, as those who show mercy are shown mercy in return. Finally, we wrestle with the challenging question of whether we can truly extend mercy even to those we feel do not deserve it.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1-12

Date: June 21, 2026

Sermon Series: The Beatitudes

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Matthew 5:1-12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness. In this episode, we explore Jesus' promise that those who yearn for righteousness will be filled, and we ask the foundational question: what is true righteousness? We look at how knowing justice requires us to understand right from wrong, and how the law serves to manage brokenness before it overcomes us all. Jesus challenges us to actively respond to the broken world around us by yearning for justice, realizing that the deep void in our hearts can only be satisfied by Him. Ultimately, we learn that while life itself cannot satisfy us, God is the one who sanctifies us and our daily living.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1-12

Date: June 14, 2026

Sermon Series: The Beatitudes

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Matthew 5:1-12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on the counter-cultural trait of meekness. In this episode, we explore what it truly means to be meek—defining it not as weakness, but as possessing the power and ability to act, yet choosing restraint for a greater, future goal. This posture is the complete opposite of how our modern society operates, but we find its ultimate expression in Jesus, who serves as our greatest example. We dive into how Jesus transforms us by giving us a new nature when we struggle to find this meekness in ourselves, and we discuss four practical ways to cultivate this heart: looking often at Jesus, praying earnestly, excelling in discipline, and abounding in grace.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1-12

Date: May 31, 2026

Sermon Series: The Beatitudes

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Matthew 5:1-12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on the profound reality of mourning. In this episode, we explore how in Jesus' day, when infant mortality was around 50%, there was very little hope for comfort in the first century, yet Jesus speaks directly into this grief. While many people spend their lives running after fleeting joy, we discover how embracing mourning can actually bring us deep wisdom. We look at how we mourn brokenness, hopelessness, sickness, and death, and how Godly sorrow ultimately produces a repentance that leads to salvation. While the root of sorrow is found in our brokenness, its true healing is found in hope—and that hope is Christ.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1-12

Date: May 17, 2026

Sermon Series: The Beatitudes

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Matthew 5:1-12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on the character of God's kingdom. In this episode, we explore the Beatitudes, which present a compelling and transformative picture of what it means to live under the rule of God. Jesus is preaching a social ethic, not just a personal one—reminding us that the kingdom always reflects the character of its King. We dive into the profound connection between physical poverty and being "poor in spirit," recognizing that it is precisely when we have nothing left of our own that the kingdom becomes ours. True kingdom living begins with the humble acknowledgment that we have nothing to offer of ourselves and must utterly depend on God to meet our every need.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1-12

Date: May 10, 2026

Sermon Series: The Beatitudes

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on church membership.

• In this episode, we reflect on what it means to be a member of the church, and how the Holy Spirit actively shapes both our belonging and our collective decisions. Membership isn’t about being on a list or meeting a set of formal requirements—it’s about the Spirit of God doing something in us. It’s about confessing Jesus as Lord, receiving spiritual gifts, and using those gifts to serve one another in love.
• Every person in the body of Christ matters. We each carry something different, and when we offer it in service to the community, the church thrives. No one is more important than another—when one rejoices, we all rejoice. When one suffers, we all feel it. This shared life transcends every boundary, whether ethnic, racial, or social, and brings us together in a way that honors God.
• We also look at how decisions are made in the church, not through voting or control, but through discernment. Leadership doesn’t mean authority over others, but a posture of service under Christ. We trust that the Spirit leads us, planting wisdom and conviction in each member. Being part of the church means committing to a group of people who love God, pursue righteousness, give generously, and carry the gospel of reconciliation to the world—not out of duty, but because the Spirit has stirred something real in them.

Membership, then, is not a formality. It’s a living, Spirit-led participation in the life of the church. It’s a call to show up, to serve, and to belong. Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 12

Date: April 18, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 11, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on church leadership. In this episode, we explore what qualifies someone for leadership in the church, focusing on character over credentials. True leaders are those—men or women—who walk closely with God, show spiritual maturity, and are recognized by the community for the evident work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It's not about titles, education, or past roles, but about being rooted in Christ and living faithfully among the body. Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Date: April 11, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 9, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on the difference between calling and identity. He reflects on how Paul refused to take advantage of the benefits of his role as an apostle, choosing not to conflate his calling with his identity. We are challenged to hold our earthly identities—our jobs, our ethnicity, even our calling—loosely, so that our true identity as people transformed by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection becomes our motivation to serve God and love our neighbor as He instructed.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love. Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 9

Date: March 30, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God