In this most famous message of Jesus... the sermon on the mount... He asks us to assess what we TRULY treasure. What do we most value? Is anything more important than God in your life? We often take this to be a passage strictly about money (and money or "mammon" is certainly a big part of it) but what if your treasure was even a good thing... like your spouse? Your kids? Your church? What if we aren't supposed to make good things... even great things into our ULTIMATE thing... our treasure?

Special Guest: Joel John

Apart from the new diet trend of "intermittent fasting", the concept of fasting for spiritual purposes isn't really something that fits our 21st century "Uber Eats" culture. And yet Jesus says "WHEN you fast..." Not "IF you fast..."

It seems he expected this to be a normative part of the Christ followers life.

We talked a few weeks ago about the wrong motivations we can have for fasting (along with praying and giving) but what about the discipline of fasting itself?

What's the point? Whose it for? Does it really make a difference? Does it have to be food?

This might be the hardest year in most of our lives. Hope seems diminished. We've come to the end of ourselves in many ways.

Does this story of a resurrected Jesus make any real difference in our lives? Is it more than just a "feel-good" story... a "Phoenix rising" type metaphor?

Find out how the resurrection of Jesus makes a tangible difference for you TODAY!

Hope is alive. Death is defeated. His victory can be your victory.

The most famous prayer ever... the prayer that Jesus taught his followers to pray. So much is packed into this brevity of words. Come to the "Lord's prayer" today with fresh eyes and fresh ears and hear how Elizabeth - someone who truly practices the discipline of prayer - is living this out herself

Today is a unique service of not just TALKING ABOUT prayer but actually DOING it! You can use and re-use this service video for your own prayer practices - a toolkit of some creative prayer ideas that may give you some new intimacy with Jesus. Pray along.

Christians have to be especially careful that their acts of worship and obedience to God don't become "spiritual theatre" for the applause and approval of other people. Jesus call these folks "hypocrites". Instead of looking for the "applause of heaven" many want the affirmaiton of men and Jesus says, "If that's what you're looking for, that's all the reward you'll get". See how this applies particularly to things like giving, praying and fasting.

For an Instagram generation, it's good to remember that it's not about who follows you but who YOU are ultimately following.

In our continuing series on the greatest sermon ever preached, Jesus now calls us to perhaps the hardest characteristic of a disciple... not just to love people who love us (that's easy) but to love people who are mean, antagonistic, working against us... in short, our enemies. As relevant in 2021 as it ever was

What if Jesus was serious about being a person of truth? Once again, the so-called most religous people of the day - the Pharisees - had found a loophole to get out of their oaths and promises. Jesus says "How about instead of swearing on a Bible or your Mother's Grave or any other performative trick, just be a person whose word is rock solid".

Continuing with our series on the sermon on the mount: "What if Jesus Was Serious?" and Jesus has already addressed all kinds of cultural landmines and controversial issues but this one hits close to home, perhaps because sexuality is so intrinsic to our humanity. Jesus calls out the pious who thought their sexual ethic begins and ends with obeying a strict definition of adultery. Jesus comes along and says; "Hey, could we talk about your wandering eye? Your fantasy life? Your flirtatiousness? Your vulgar thoughts? Could we talk about your HEART?"

Have you ever seen a more angry culture? Even a time where CHRISTIANS seem more identified as angry people? Me neither.

The Pharisees were deeply concerned about the external... good behavior. For instance... "Do Not Murder!"

Easy-peasy, right? Well, Jesus comes along and says "Hey, could we have a conversation about your anger? You think your hiding it but God knows and you seem to have a murderous heart. Your judging, condemning, raging and unforgiving."

Once again the law of Christ... the law of LOVE asks so much more of us. How in fact can you think you'll maintain a vertical relationship with God when you have a broken horizontal relationship with someone created in God's image?