Journey Church Gillette

This sermon explores Jesus' radical redefinition of greatness in Matthew 18, where He responds to the disciples' question about who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Rather than pointing to power, position, or achievement, Jesus brings a small child forward and declares that true greatness comes through childlike humility and complete dependence on God. The message emphasizes three core themes: the humility of the little one (becoming dependent like a child), the care of the little one (treating God's children with dignity and taking sin seriously), and the heart for the little one (God's relentless pursuit of the lost). This sermon challenges believers to abandon self-reliance and worldly definitions of success, instead embracing a posture of humble dependence on God while actively caring for and pursuing those who have wandered away from Him.

This sermon explores Matthew 17:22-27, revealing how Jesus' payment of the temple tax foreshadows His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. The message emphasizes that while Jesus owed nothing—being the Son of God—He chose to pay both the temple tax and the debt of sin for humanity. The sermon unpacks three interconnected themes: the weight of Jesus' impending death, the identity believers receive as children of God, and the freedom that comes with that identity.

This sermon addresses the critical distinction between God's conviction and Satan's condemnation, challenging common "plaque Christianity" sayings that are often repeated but lack biblical accuracy. Pastor Grant emphasizes that while God disciplines those He loves to draw them closer, the enemy uses condemnation to create hopelessness and separation. The message explores the paradox of Christian faith—that in weakness we find strength, and that forgiveness doesn't require forgetting. Central to the sermon is the question: "Do you trust Him?" This challenges believers to move beyond merely loving God to fully surrendering and trusting His sovereign plan, even when it doesn't align with personal expectations.

This Easter sermon explores how the resurrection of Jesus Christ transforms our understanding of hope from wishful thinking into worshipful living. Drawing from 1 Peter 1:3-9, the message emphasizes three fundamental changes the resurrection brings: new birth through Christ, a secure eternal inheritance, and meaningful purpose in present suffering. The sermon challenges believers to move beyond passive hope to active faith, illustrating how the empty tomb represents not just Christ's victory over death, but the possibility of spiritual rebirth for all who accept Him. The resurrection power that rolled away the stone can also roll away the stone from human hearts, offering transformation from spiritual death to abundant life with great expectation for eternity.

In Matthew 17:14-21 we explore the contrast between spiritual mountaintop experiences and the messy reality of daily life. The central message emphasizes that effective faith is not about our strength, abilities, or spiritual performance, but about complete dependence on God. The sermon challenges the American cultural value of independence, calling believers instead to recognize their need for God's power in every impossible situation. Through the disciples' failure to heal the boy and Jesus' immediate success, we learn that ministry without dependence on God is doomed to failure. Even mustard seed-sized faith, when placed in an almighty God, can move the mountains in our lives—whether those mountains are broken marriages, financial crises, health issues, or addictions. The sermon concludes that God is not asking for bigger faith, but for deeper dependence.

This sermon explores the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain as recorded in Matthew 17:1-13, where Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus in His divine glory. The message emphasizes that God reveals His glory at crucial moments to strengthen our faith for difficult times ahead. Just as the disciples needed this glimpse of Jesus' true nature before His crucifixion, believers today receive holy moments that sustain them through trials. The message centers on understanding holy fear—not terror that drives us away, but reverent awe that draws us closer to God. The sermon challenges believers to recognize Jesus as the only voice we must listen to, not one among many religious teachers. It calls Christians to move from mountaintop spiritual experiences back into the valley to serve.

This powerful teaching from Matthew 16:21-28 confronts us with a challenging truth: authentic discipleship requires more than intellectual agreement with who Jesus is. While Peter boldly declared Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, he immediately stumbled when faced with the reality of the cross. We see ourselves in Peter's contradiction - confessing Jesus as Lord while simultaneously rebuking God's plan when it conflicts with our expectations. The message exposes our tendency toward a divided heart, where we acknowledge Jesus as Savior but resist surrendering control of our lives. It isn't about self-improvement or adding Jesus to our existing plans; it's about complete surrender - denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Him. The cross wasn't just Jesus's path; it's ours too. Every day we face the choice between exercising 'godship' over our own lives or stepping off the throne and allowing God to be God. The eternal reckoning makes it clear: gaining the whole world while losing our soul is the ultimate catastrophic loss.

This sermon explores the pivotal moment in Matthew 16 when Jesus asks His disciples the fundamental question of Christianity: "Who do you say that I am?" While many people have opinions about Jesus—viewing Him as a good teacher, prophet, or moral example—true discipleship requires a personal confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This confession of faith is not merely intellectual assent but the bedrock upon which the entire church is built. Peter's confession becomes the model for all believers, showing that genuine faith moves from observation to conviction, from borrowed belief to personal commitment. The message concludes with the sobering reminder that how we answer Jesus's question determines our eternal destiny.

This powerful message from Matthew 16 confronts us with a sobering reality: when our hearts grow hard, no amount of evidence will convince us of God's truth. We explore the dangerous intersection of spiritual blindness and cultural influence, examining how the Pharisees and Sadducees—two groups normally opposed to each other—united in their hostility toward Jesus. Despite witnessing countless miracles, they demanded yet another sign, revealing that their problem wasn't insufficient evidence but rather resistant hearts. The message warns us about the subtle leaven of false teaching that can permeate our lives through social media, entertainment, and cultural voices. We're challenged to examine what we're allowing into our minds and hearts—the podcasts we consume, the shows we stream, the influencers we follow. The ultimate invitation is to stop demanding God prove himself on our terms and instead surrender to the greatest sign already given: the cross and empty tomb.

This sermon explores Jesus' compassionate ministry to the broken and needy as depicted in Matthew 15. The message emphasizes that genuine healing begins when we lay our burdens at Jesus' feet and surrender what we have into His hands. Jesus doesn't just manage symptoms—He completely heals. The sermon challenges believers to remember past miracles during present crises and trust that God knows our needs before we even ask. This compassionate ministry extends to all people, Jew and Gentile alike, demonstrating that Jesus is the Savior of the world who satisfies the deepest longings of the soul.