This Sunday, we continued our series on the Sermon on the Mount with Matthew 6:1-18. Jesus tells us we should practice our good works in private, not looking for approval or validation for others.

Give your enemies what they don't deserve.

The same way God gives you what you don't deserve. Refrain from retaliating against your enemies and in order to do that, you have to love them. Pray for them to receive God's grace and blessing and then live out your prayer. That's how we love our enemies.

Live a yes and no kind of life.

In this section of The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is showing us what the world ought to be, and in contrast, what it actually is. The truth is that we don't live in a yes and no kind of world. and if we did, it would be considered paradise. As Christian's we are called to live a yes and no kind of life. Follow along with the sermon to learn more about what that looks like!

Everyone who is angry with his brother is guilty of murder.

Jesus defines murder in the sermon on the mount. Anyone who has anger toward another person and anyone who "insults" (diminishing the value of an image bearer of God) has a seed of murder in their heart. The truth about murder is that it earns judgement, it is defined by Jesus and in order to avoid judgement, we have to trust in Jesus.

We must keep and teach every single Old Testament commandment...

through Jesus! The only way for us to keep, teach, and understand the OT is through the lense of Jesus. Jesus didn't do away with the OT, He accomplished it. Without Jesus it is impossible to fulfill the righteousness required by the Law, but He came to accomplish the Law.

Christian, show the world heaven.

How do we live as a children of heaven in a world that does not know heaven? We remember our role as ambassadors of heaven. The world will know our love for Christ by our presence (being salt) and by our adherence to the truth (we are the light).

Hear the impossible good of Christ and be glad. This Sunday we focused on the beatitudes in Jesus Sermon on the Mount. We are convicted to not seek the worlds joy, those who have experiences the world's pain are comforted, and we are strengthened to find the difficult road to pure joy in the Lord.

This Sunday we began a new sermon series titled "Christianity Without Hypocrisy" where we come to find that Christianity is not doing something, but being something. This sermon focuses on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount which is a glorious picture of what it means to truly be everything God has made you to be. We discussed human flourishing and walking with Christ.

Pastor Josh covers Numbers 32 and gives practical applications from Scripture on knowing if our plans are God-honoring. First, we need to seek counsel from people who know the Lord and not be surprised when they disagree with us. We need to receive their counsel with humility and follow their advice. We can't be offended by their loving oversight. Christ equips His church for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12), and we have the church's people to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:12) as we do so.

This week, Pastor Josh covers Number 31 and how we can see God's goodness in His vengeance. God's Word is always good in good and bad circumstances, and we can see His grace in every situation. We must remember God in His vengeance and that He will lose no one who is part of God's people. No matter what, we serve a good God who keeps His promises forever.