In this week's message, Pastor Tommy addresses how Christians should respond when wronged by others. He explains that while Old Testament "eye for an eye" laws were meant to limit retaliation, Jesus takes this further by redefining retaliation completely. Instead of responding to wrongs with equal harm, Jesus calls his followers to practice "upside down retaliation" - responding to wrongs by giving what others don't deserve: respect, generosity, and humanity. Through four examples (turning the other cheek, giving your cloak, going the extra mile, and giving to those who ask), Pastor Tommy illustrates how Christians should prioritize peace and reconciliation over vengeance. He concludes by connecting this teaching to Jesus's own example, who didn't retaliate against humanity's sin but instead sacrificed himself to restore our relationship with God, demonstrating the ultimate form of upside-down retaliation.

In this week's message, Pastor Tommy speaks on Jesus's teachings about oaths. He explains that in Jesus's time, people were exploiting loopholes by swearing oaths on things "God-adjacent" rather than directly on God's name to avoid keeping their promises. Jesus responds by instructing his followers to "let your yes be yes and your no be no," advocating for radical trustworthiness instead of oath-taking. Pastor Tommy emphasizes that being trustworthy isn't just about personal reputation but also represents God to others, as believers are meant to reflect God's faithful character. He concludes by noting that when we break trust, we should admit our wrongs, and that Jesus will address how to respond when others wrong us in the following sermon.

In this week's message, Pastor Mark focuses on Jesus's teachings about adultery, lust, and sexuality in Matthew 5. Pastor Mark uses the metaphor of a basket filled with items we need to keep, throw away, or add to represent our understanding of these topics. He establishes that God created a "kingdom sexual ethic" where sex is designed for marriage as a reflection of our relationship with God, emphasizing dignity, respect, and seeing others as image-bearers rather than objects of gratification. Jesus expands on "do not commit adultery" by addressing the heart, teaching that lustful intent is equivalent to adultery. Pastor Mark critiques the harmful aspects of purity culture while emphasizing two key responses to Jesus's teaching: surrendering our desires to God and being willing to sacrifice anything (metaphorically "cutting off a hand") that leads to sin. He concludes by connecting this to the church's mission of trusting Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing as Jesus did, encouraging listeners to seek support if needed.

In this week's message, Pastor Jacob continues the "Upside Down Kingdom" series, focusing on Jesus's teaching in Matthew 5 about anger. He explains that Jesus expands the commandment "do not murder" beyond physical violence to include anger, insults, and name-calling, treating these as seriously as murder itself. Jesus teaches that the commandment is more than a rule to follow; it's a guiding principle for loving others. While anger itself isn't inherently wrong (Jesus himself expressed anger at injustice), how we express and direct our anger matters greatly. Jesus calls his followers to pursue reconciliation when relationships are damaged, which involves reopening communication, engaging in forgiveness, and rebuilding trust. By managing our anger properly and valuing relationships enough to work toward reconciliation, Christians can be "salt and light" in the world.

Pastor Tommy explores Matthew 5:17-20 in this week's message, explaining Jesus's statement that he came to fulfill, not abolish, the law and prophets. He emphasizes that "the law and prophets" refers to God's rescue plan for humanity through Israel, which Jesus claims to be fulfilling. Pastor Tommy explains that when Jesus says our "righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees," he's not promoting works-based salvation but highlighting that true righteousness comes through relationship with him, not merely following rules. The Pharisees mistakenly prioritized rule-following over participating in God's mission.

In this sermon, Pastor Mark Deering continues the "Upside Down Kingdom" series, exploring Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. He examines Matthew 5:13–16, where Jesus tells his followers they are "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." Pastor Mark explains three key insights: to be effective salt, believers must be authentic and avoid hypocrisy; to be light in the world, we must work together in community rather than attempting to go it alone; and finally, we must stop hiding our light under a basket, embracing vulnerability in all areas of life. Throughout the message, Pastor Mark emphasizes that the Sermon on the Mount is fundamentally about relationships—with God and with others—and he challenges us to examine where we might be failing to fully embrace our role as salt and light.

In this week's sermon, Pastor Jacob Michalski focuses on The Beatitudes and what it means to "live the good life." He explains that the word "blessed" in the Beatitudes equates to "happy" or having "the good life," and then contrasts Jesus's unexpected view of who has the good life with common perspectives. While people typically think of the good life in terms of comfort, security, and material success, Jesus declares that the good life belongs to those who are poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaking, and even persecuted. Pastor Jacob emphasizes that this seemingly paradoxical teaching reflects Jesus's eternal perspective rather than a temporal one, and points out that the Beatitudes aren't a checklist but rather an assessment tool to see if one's heart aligns with God's perspective on the world. He concludes by encouraging his congregation to reflect on these teachings and compare their own definition of the good life with Jesus's vision.