Citizens Weekly

From the Series “Sermon on the Mount.” The desire for revenge is a characteristic that is hardwired into our DNA. Some believe the Bible makes a case for revenge in certain circumstances, and some believe retaliation is never acceptable. Jesus claims that there is a 3rd way to bring peace through nonviolent action in a culture of revenge, but is it possible? 

From the Series "Sermon on the Mount”, Matthew 5v33-37. 

From the Series “Sermon on the Mount.” Divorce is painful and destructive. Everyone experiences the fallout after a marriage breaks up. Culture says one thing, legalism says another thing, but what does Jesus say about divorce and remarriage? Without making demands or announcing judgment, Jesus offers a third way, a way that brings healing, joy, and resurrection.

At a deep, fundamental level, we all have a problem. If we misdiagnose the problem, we’ll spend our lives trying to address one thing only to discover later that the problem, or our solution, was the wrong thing all along. Some of us are looking for signs of life in dead places, but He’s not there. He is risen.

From the Series, “Sermon on the Mount”. Anger is a powerfully complex and misunderstood emotion. Depending on cultural norms or family of origin, anger can vary between appropriate and inappropriate. In the middle of those differences, Jesus confronts our outward religious practices of image management and consumerism with the way to live as people of his kingdom.

From the series, “Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus makes the bold claim that He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. What does that mean, and did He do what He said?  And how does that change our relationship with the Law? Through the New Covenant, God is not after an outward appearance of righteousness, but a renovation of our heart.

From the Series, “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus makes a declaration of His followers that is familiar to the point of becoming cliche: He says they are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. He even suggests that they can lose their saltiness and hide their light. But what does any of this mean – practically speaking? Meditating on these statements, in the context of Jesus’ ministry, helps us as His followers consider the preservational nature of our words while also accepting the spiritual arrow we point to God’s heart through our willingness to repent and turn our gaze upon His glory. 

How do we relate to persecution? We don’t face the threat of being beaten or losing our lives for following Jesus in our modern American context. However, following Jesus will and should bring opposition. And if it doesn’t, what does that say about the good news we believe? 

We live in a divided culture where everything is split into two categories with opposing narratives. How do children of God make peace, and why does Jesus say that peacemakers and children of God are connected?