In today’s teaching, Pastor Gary challenges Millennials and GenZ young adults to prioritize their compassion for others and to be guided by objective truth rather than subjective emotion. Is it OK to be a “single issue voter”? Should abortion be more important than other issues in an Election like immigration, health care, the environment, and social justice? Pastor Gary answers these questions and more in today’s study from Matthew 8. He also reminds us that at the end of the day, no matter who gets elected, our hope is in the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

In Matthew 8, Jesus heals a man with leprosy. In Biblical times leprosy was a debilitating, deadly disease. It was commonly thought that God would strike a person with leprosy as punishment for sin in his/her life. But that wasn’t true; leprosy wasn’t a punishment for sin but it was a picture of sin. There are several parallels between leprosy and our sin nature. And the cure that the man in Matthew 8 received for his leprosy is the same cure that we need for our sinfulness—a miracle from God. Through his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus offers us that miraculous cure for our terminal illness (our leprosy). We can be cleansed from the disease that is killing us and be made brand new creatures in Christ!

On the eve of the 2020 Presidential Election, Pastor Gary delivers a sermon to challenge the church in America to “wake up!” Our nation is at a crossroads and our only hope is for Christians to stand for righteousness and vote our values! To be disengaged and apathetic will result in the advancement of a liberal, progressive, demonic-inspired agenda that is bent on the destruction of America. Christians need to wake up and realize that we are in a spiritual battle for the heart and soul of our nation and the heart and soul of the next generation. Stand up for righteousness! Stand up for truth! And let your voices be heard for the glory of God!

In the closing verses of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges His hearers about whether they really belong to Him or not. The lengthiest sermon ever recorded that Jesus gave is not just about how to live, but whether or not we will do what He says. Being on “Team Jesus” means we have a relationship with Him and will obey Him. The Sermon on the Mount is not just about words, but a way of life for followers of Jesus Christ. He is the narrow way that leads to life. He is the Rock on whom we build our lives.

We are familiar with the “Golden Rule” that Jesus taught (treating others the way we want to be treated), but there are also some other “Golden” principles that Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount about prayer and about how God rewards those who diligently seek Him. Prayer is a vital part of our walk with the Lord and Jesus has much to say about Asking, Seeking, and Knocking. In today’s message, Pastor Gary focuses on the topic of prayer from Matthew 7.