CrossLife Fort Smith

We take a pause in the passage from the previous week to dwell on what Jesus says in passing about marriage beyond this life. Listen to lead pastor and teaching elder, Ricky Massengale, preach on marriage.

Listen to Bret Ellis, a member of CrossLife, preach on Jesus's response to the Sadducee's question on the resurrection and marriage.

At the heart of this passage is Jesus's clarification that our allegiance is to God, but that does not mean that we are not subject to the government also. Listen as lead elder and pastor of CrossLife Fort Smith, Ricky Massengale, preaches through what we render to Caesar and what we render to God.

In this passage Jesus is speaking to those in the Temple about his authority through the use of a third parable, the parable of the wedding banquet. This parable speaks not only to the judgement of Israel and the extension of the gospel to the nations, but it also shows the perfect, beautiful, and infinitely valuable worth of Christ through the consequences of rejecting Him. Listen as teaching elder at CrossLife Fort Smith, Andy DeBoer, leads us through this passage.

Ricky Massengale, lead pastor of CrossLife Fort Smith, preaches on the parable of the tenants from Matthew's Gospel. In this passage Jesus is establishing Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God, and clarifying that He is the Cornerstone on Whom God will build His Kingdom, which will be for all nations and not the Jewish nation alone.

CrossLife member, Beau Barrera, preaches through Matthew's account of the chief priests and elders challenging Jesus's authority. Through this passage and the rest of the account of Matthew and the Gospel of John we read that Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth as the second Person of the Trinity. If this is true, will you accept His authority over everything in your life?

The purpose of the inclusion of this account in Matthew's Gospel at first glance seems a little mysterious, but it is rich with meaning and instruction. There are actually two things going on in this passage, one spurred by the other. First, Jesus curses a fig tree because it is not bearing any fruit, and this is actually a symbolic action against Israel; the second thing that occurs is that Jesus uses this as an opportunity to remind the disciples that they (and all those who abide in Christ) have an incredible power in their own faith and prayer life. Listen as lead teaching elder at CrossLife Fort Smith, Ricky Massengale, leads us through this passage.

Ricky Massengale, lead teaching elder of CrossLife Fort Smith, preaches through Matthew 21:12-17, showing how Jesus, and therefore all of the Trinitarian God, cared about what was happening in the Temple. What God desired of His Temple had been corrupted and was no longer fulfilling its purpose. By extension, we today also need to acknowledge that God cares about His Church and need to ensure we are doing those things for His honor and His glory.

Andy DeBoer, teaching elder at CrossLife Fort Smith, teaches on the path that Jesus took as he moves purposefully toward his Passion, including the journeys leading up to the Triumphal Entry and the full meaning of the Triumphal Entry itself.

Ricky Massengale, lead teaching elder of CrossLife Fort Smith, preaches through Matthew 20:20-28, and illustrates that "greatness" in the Kingdom of God is not oriented in the same was as "greatness" in this world. What the world calls Greatness/Prestigious/Leadership is not in alignment with the Call of, or the Person of, Jesus Christ. And the danger for the disciples -- and for us -- is not that we seek leadership but that we so greatly misunderstand what Christ-honoring leadership actually looks like.