Perhaps one of the toughest aspects of life in the church is discipline when it becomes necessary to confront an erring brother or sister in Christ for their sin. It's uncomfortable and, in 21st century America, increasingly difficult to practice. But this passage, and others, make it clear that all Christians have an obligation to hold one another accountable. Jesus continues His "Discourse of the Church" with step-by-step instructions for how this is to be done and to help us not lose sight of the ultimate purpose for it: restoration. An expository sermon from Matthew 18:15-35

Most (all?) of us want to be good at something. Some even desire to be great. But greatness is defined in different ways depending on the arena - sports, politics, hobbies, business - each has it's own unique parameters. So, what does it take to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus answers this question, instead of the one his disciples seem to be asking, in this expository sermon from Matthew 18:1-14.

Having returned to Galilee from Caesarea Philippi, Jesus reminds his disciples again of where His journey is leading, then shares a private conversation with Peter concerning the paying of the annual "temple tax" ... or, is it? As usual, Jesus sidesteps the surface issue in order to address something deeper and more significant; in this case, just what is the duty of a "patriotic" citizen? An expository sermon from Matthew 17:22-27.

Coming down from the mountain of transfiguration, Jesus meets a man with a severely afflicted son who His disciples were unable to cure. Later, in answer to their question about why they unable to cast out the demon He tells them, "It was because of your little faith. What you really need is the faith of a mustard seed." But, isn't that just another way of saying the same thing? What is Jesus driving at? Find out in this expository sermon from Matthew 17:14-21.

We all have heroes we admire whether they are products of the imagination (like, Spider-Man and Superman), great figures from history (like, George Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.), or even just musicians, actors, or athletes we enjoy. Many people, even non-Christians, would list Jesus among the greatest heroes of all time as a result of His undeniable impact on world history. But thinking of Jesus as merely a hero actually diminishes who He is. An expository sermon from Matthew 17:1-13.

Jesus loved to set-up His teaching by asking thought-stimulating questions. In this passage, He asks what may be the most important question of all: "Who do you say that I am?" But, as we shall see, knowing the answer to that question does not guarantee that we will also understand all the implications of it. Faith begins with believing in Him, but we also must follow where He leads. An expository sermon from Matthew 16:13-28. (Includes celebration of the Lord's Table, starting at 43:15.)

Leaven, or yeast, is a living fungus that permeates everything. It's in our food, in the ground beneath our feet, in the very air we breathe. It's known for it's ability to multiply and spread. This makes it a fitting metaphor for the false teaching that surrounds us everywhere and also multiplies and spreads. The best defense against false teaching is discernment, the ability to differentiate right from wrong, truth from error. Sadly, a lack of discernment is commonplace - in Jesus' day, and in the church today - a condition that can only be reversed by diligent knowledge and application of God's word. An expository sermon from Matthew 16:1-12.

This sermon deals with Jesus' miracle of feeding the 4,000 - a miracle that is virtually identical to the feeding of the 5,000 in the previous chapter. Which begs the question, why? And especially, why so soon after the first one? There is value in reviewing and repeating great lessons, not only to remind us of those things we may have forgotten, but also to reveal new things we may have missed. An expository sermon from Matthew 15:29-39.

It's fair to say that sometimes Jesus did things that just leave us scratching our heads. None, perhaps, is more strange than this story where Jesus first rebuffs, then rejects a Canaanite woman's request to heal her severely demon-possessed daughter, seemingly even referring to her as a "little dog." It's not only confusing, for some it is downright offensive. But, as we shall see, appearances can be deceiving. Jesus has a purpose for everything He does and this one actually can give us great hope. An expository sermon from Matt. 15:21-28.

Though we don't often think about them, traditions are something that we deal with every day of our lives - when we get out of bed in the morning, how we start our day at work, things we do at mealtimes, etc. - and they can be very helpful. We are, perhaps, more aware of our traditions in a religious context. These, too, can be helpful, but if we aren't careful they can also be misused and become very unhelpful. How can we recognize this when it happens? Find out in this expository sermon from Matt. 14:34-15:20.