One of the most quoted verses of the Bible comes from The Sermon on the Mount, and honestly it's not even the entire verse--it's just the first three words: "Do not judge". For context, this is all of verses one and two: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ~ Matthew 7:1-2 What are we supposed to do with this complex teaching from Jesus? How can we not judge people? Isn't it unwise to not judge? What does Jesus mean by judgement? There's a lot going on in these two verses! So how are we as followers of Jesus supposed to follow these instructions?   Here's what we know regarding Jesus' teaching on judging: it calls for introspection, grace, and careful discernment in how we deal with others' shortcomings.      To dive more into the text, check out episode nine of The Sermon on the Mount series. 

What's worth worrying about? That is an increasingly important question in our culture. Over the last two decades anxiety disorders have risen by 1200%. That is a pandemic of epic proportions! It's affecting the youngest of children to all demographics of adults. The current estimate is that one in five adults will suffer from some type of anxiety disorder this year.  If this would describe how you are feeling right now, please seek help. If it's talking with someone at church please don't hesitate to ask. If it's a counselor, seek one out. If it's a physician, please take a moment to schedule a physical. There are a lot of different reasons one may be experiencing anxiety.  With that being said, the basis for a lot of anxiety problems is spiritual: misplaced priorities and trust issues. Not surprisingly, Jesus had some really important teachings about anxiety, misplaced priorities and trust issues...instructions that could really make a difference in your life!   To discover what he had to say, check out sermon number eight in our Sermon on the Mount series. 

Everyone likes Jesus' teachings about love, mercy and prayer. However once he starts getting to the difficult ones about our enemies ("turn to them the other cheek" and "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you") we all find ourselves pushing back. How are we supposed to live out these difficult teachings, and what is the point? How can our turning the other cheek really make any difference to our enemies except they get another free shot at our face? To discover Jesus' vision for why loving our enemies is so important, check out the latest on The Sermon on the Mount.

We've all had this experience where you go to the medical clinic with some type of physical problem. You take a few minutes to describe the symptoms and maybe even suggest some type of self-diagnosis--only to have the doctor begin to ask seemingly unrelated questions. Even poking around in an area where there are no apparent problems. What the doctor knows that you obviously don't know, is that the true problem often lies some place else. The same can be said with our pursuit of righteousness. We may think that to be righteous we must keep the rules and generally be a good person. However, according to Jesus, that's like putting a Band-Aid on a person suffering a heart attack; it doesn't get to the source of the problem!    In this sermon we will move into a very challenging section of The Sermon on the Mount where Jesus exposes people and their assumed "righteousness". Instead, Jesus like any good physician, goes to the source of the problem...the heart.

A lot of us, myself included, feel decent about who we are morally. Our reasoning? Well, at least we haven't murdered anyone. Let's be honest, murder is right up there at the top of the list of "The Worst Crimes to Commit". However, Jesus says, "Not so fast!" Here are his exact words:  "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell." ~ Matthew 5:22  What is Jesus even talking about? How can my disdain for another person actually be equated to murder, and what am I supposed to do about it? To learn more about what Jesus is describing in this section of The Sermon on the Mount, check out episode #3. We hope you find it helpful!

People wear uniforms for a variety of reasons; identity, sense of belonging, and professionalism. For example when you see a person in a small white truck, blue pants and jacket roll through the neighborhood, you know your mail or package is about to be delivered. What is the uniform of a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven? In the Beatitudes, Jesus welcomed in rag tag bunch of nobodies into God's Kingdom. The truth is they weren't much to look at...they were a pathetic, powerless bunch. Yet Jesus invites them into the Kingdom and in Matthew 5:13-16 he describes what their uniform looks like: Salt & Light.  What is Jesus even talking about? More importantly, how are we supposed to "wear that uniform" in our world today? To learn more about what Jesus is describing in this section of The Sermon on the Mount, give a listen to part two of The Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount. The greatest sermon ever given. It is also the most quoted. In it we find the epitome of Jesus’ teaching—radical, sensible, spiritual, and almost vicious in its demolition of hypocrisy. It flies in the face of every culture it enters. It pierces every heart that hears it. We attempt to analyze it as if using a microscope, only to find that we, not the text, are under examination! In this sermon we begin a 12 week journey through Matthew, chapter 5-7. In this study we will realize that not only does Jesus know us better then we know ourselves, he offers a better option of what true life can look like...even if it appears to be backwards, and upside down! Take a few minutes and check it out, we hope you find it to be helpful! 

Jesus called people to follow him. Not just believe he exists or like some of the things he taught--he literally said, "Follow me." One of his followers, the apostle Peter, reiterates this command: "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." ~ 1 Peter 2:21 In this series we have focused on the different places Jesus went that we likewise should go, as his followers. One place Jesus went regularly was to secluded places to pray to his Father.  Another place Jesus went was to the broken & lost. The gospels are full of examples of Jesus engaging those far from God.  In this sermon we wrap up this series by looking at how Jesus used a majority of his time intentionally pulling away from the crowds so he could relationally pour his life into a few people. Jesus prioritized disciple making.  In this teaching we will discover why disciple making is so hard, and then focus on two manageable steps you can take to begin following the simple pattern of Jesus. 

We all remember the game of our childhood, Follow the Leader. However, if you missed out (or have forgotten) here are the basics. You first choose a leader and have the other players line up behind them. The leader moves around, and the other players mimic their actions. Players who don't follow are out of the game. The last player standing becomes the new leader and the game starts again. Now, while one might consider this simply a child's game, the truth is we never really stop playing Follow the Leader.  All humans have this innate part of our nature which seeks to follow someone; whether it's for validation, a sense of belonging or simply to find purpose. We are always seeking to align ourselves with others who we deem as being knowledgeable, influential or successful.  When a person becomes a Christian, they are pledging their allegiance, not to a religion or to a church, but to a person...Jesus; the one who lived, died, and rose again. To be a Christian is to follow a leader, King Jesus.  In part two of this series, look at another place Jesus went on a regular basis: To the lost and broken. The question we need to ask ourselves is simple, "Do we follow our leader to those places too?"

Being a Christian isn't complicated. It may not be easy, but it's not complicated. A Christian simply does the things Jesus did. In this new sermon series to start 2025 we will focus in on four places Jesus went on a regular basis. As his disciples we want to replicate these four rhythms into our weekly routines so that we can become more like Jesus.  To kick off this series, one of our elders, Jerry Anthony will be examining how Jesus made a regular habit of going to secluded places to pray to his Heavenly Father. To to learn more about how this can dramatically impact your relationship with Jesus check out part one of Following The Way.