Jesus believed he was replacing many of the religious rituals of his day with himself, offering direct access to God through faith in him. And his message was scandalous. Today, we will look at how Jesus takes on the tradition of the Torah, the Law.

Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus modeled and taught a kind of "religionless faith" that offers direct access to God apart from rituals and traditions. It's an important distinction to understand.

According to John's gospel, this was the first of Jesus' public miracles. It is significant for several reasons, but is also scandalous for some radical symbolism included in the narrative.

John 2:1-11

Today we begin a new series called Going Beyond Religion. I like the word Beyond. It implies something more, without rejecting what we have learned so far. That describes our life in Christ; there is always something more. If you are among the many who have grown tired of religion but are not prepared to give up on the idea of connecting with God, Jesus offers hope!

Matthew 11:28-30

The problem with the Resurrection for most modern skeptics is not believing that it happened, but understanding why it happened. What meaning does it have for our lives today? How can something that happened two thousand years ago have any effect on my life today? Let's address these questions this Easter morning by looking at John's account of the resurrection.

John 20:1-18

On Palm Sunday we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week. But the events of that week present us with a choice between two leaders, two kinds of power, and two kingdoms.

Next week, April 14, is Palm Sunday, when the church remembers the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and the last week before his death and resurrection. We need to look closely at those events in order to understand what Jesus was all about.

Luke 19:28-44

Jesus had a very well-defined reason for living. It is found in Luke 4:14-21, one of the defining texts in the New Testament. Let's look at three simple steps to influencing your world with the love of Christ.

One of the things we desire on a deep level is to be part of a great cause - to do something heroic. But the way the story of Jesus is presented in many settings leaves that longing untouched.

2 Corinthians 5:14-19

Philippians 2:1-11

Friends are something that everyone longs for, deep inside, a traveling companion, journeying together through life for mutual benefit. We are blessed by God to have all kinds of people in our lives. Today let's think about spiritual friends.