Saint John Community Church

Pastor Tom Grieb concludes our From the Mount series.

We wrap up our study of the Sermon on the Mount this Sunday with Jesus challenging us about the direction of our lives.  He states that wide is the gate that leads to destruction.  It is the gate chosen by far too many.  Jesus also talks about another gate,  It’s the narrow gate that, while relatively few chose to walk through, leads to new life.  How we choose not only has consequences for this life, but for the next.

From there Jesus goes on to talk about false prophets and how we need to be on the lookout for them.  What they say has a certain appeal, but their lives just don’t measure up.  Jesus asserts that when it comes to those who speak into our lives, we need to consider the fruit they bear, more than any flowered speech they might make.

Jesus doesn’t stop there.  He goes on and challenges us to consider our own lives.  We too need to consider the fruit we bear.  If we seek to faithfully offer ourselves to Christ, we will bear the sort of fruit that befits those who are given over to him.  We will also find ourselves joyfully walking through a narrow gate that promises abundant life now and eternal life later on.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our From the Mount series.

We will be talking about one of the great promises of our Lord regarding prayer.  We will be studying Matthew 7:7-12 as we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount.

Regarding prayer, all of us have struggled, thinking that answers are all too slow in coming.  We have even wondered if God is hearing us.  Into that mix, Christ encourages us by saying, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

We need to stay at it when it comes to prayer, particularly during this time in which we find ourselves.  Speaking in the imperative, Jesus wants us to ask and keep on asking.  He wants us to seek and keep on seeking.  He wants us to knock and keep on knocking.  Jesus wants us to stay at our prayers.  As we stay at our prayers our hearts will certainly be changed and we’ll find ourselves drawing closer to God’s will for our lives.  We will also experience our prayers being answered in God’s time and in his way.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our From the Mount sermon series.

Christ’s words are just as current today as they ever have been.  He speaks a challenging word to the whole of life, and he does so in his Sermon on the Mount.  In that sermon Jesus goes from “preachin’ to meddlin’” when he says, “Judge not, lest you be judged.”

When it comes to judging others, we all do it.  We realize, though, that there is a distinct difference between making assessments about people and judging hypocritically or self-righteously.  Jesus knew full well that a judgmental spirit has a way of building walls, closing off conversations, and hurting relationships.

Presently, we are well-aware that our country is characterized by such a spirit.  People are divided along socio-economic, racial, ethnic, and political lines.  Such divisions leave us tearing one another apart.  Even the church is in on the act.  Salvos are launched between conservatives and liberals, one more critical than the other.  Such disunity surely grieves our Lord.

In the end, we’d do well to deal with the “plank in our own eye” before we seek to deal with the “speck” in another’s eye.  Jesus has little patience for those who see flaws in everyone else but fail to see the flaw in their own eyes.  That’s why Jesus is so adamant about us dealing with our own failings, before we ever think about dealing with the failings of another.

Pastor Ashlee Adkins continues our series "From the Mount."

This week we visit a familiar passage from Matthew 6:25-34; one that states, “Do not worry.”  For some, those words only bring more anxiety because worry is a way of security; for others, they wonder why people do worry, because they feel as though they are in control--well, until they aren’t.

Jesus modeled a way of life for us to follow – one that was simple, devoted to others, and aimed for righteousness. Worry gets in the way of being disciples. After all, as Christians, we have the hope and assurance that we serve the King of Kings; his kingdom come. What do we have to worry about? Jesus says absolutely nothing. So how do we live life worry-free?

I hope we can discover together how to apply this beautiful goal to our lives so we can become more devoted disciples who are willing to risk it all to follow Christ.

Pastor Tom continues our series From the Mount.

In Christ’s great Sermon on the Mount he moves from a challenging discussion about how to fulfill the law to an even more challenging discussion about the life of piety.  It’s interesting that at the conclusion of that discussion he launches into a discussion about money.  Jesus was not at all shy about talking about such things.   He knew that how we use what we have is very much an indication of where our heart is.  In fact, nearly 15% of what Jesus talks about in gospels has to do with money and possessions.

Jesus doesn’t pull any punches.  He succinctly states that instead of storing up treasures here on earth, we’d do well to store up treasure in heaven.  Jesus is of the mind that it is much more important, in fact ultimately important, that we are rich toward God even at the expense of being rich as the world defines rich.  That’s just the nature of God’s economy.

Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  He knew that a divided heart gets us nowhere.  He knew the futility of serving two masters.  In fact, he went so far as to say, “You cannot serve both God and money.”  All of this gives us a lot to think about in this hyper-materialistic world we live in.

Pastor Ashlee Adkins continues our series From the Mount.

Discipline is hard. Some of us need outside accountability, some of us can knock things out with checklists and reminders, while others of us struggle to do the basic everyday essentials to survive. As Christians, God calls us to righteousness, which may feel impossible when paired with our humanity and shortcomings. But he doesn’t leave us alone to do the work; we have the Holy Spirit to help us along.

When we do the right things for the right reason, we will receive the right reward; the Father’s reward. I can’t wait to dig into Matthew 6:1-18 with you on Sunday. I also unveil a brand new word – you don’t want to miss it!

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our series From the Mount.

Jesus’ teachings were nothing short of revolutionary.  They challenge everyone who hears them.  That is particularly true when it comes to Christ’s teachings on the fulfillment of the law.  Jesus knew it was not the letter of the law that was important, but the spirit of the law.  He knew that relationship trumped religion and the inside was always more important than the outside.

The Apostle Paul was all about that as well.  He writes in II Corinthians 3:6, “Christ has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  Paul knew that only Christ provides restored relationship with God.  He is the one who puts us in the embrace of a new covenant where his perfection covers our imperfection every time.

Of all the laws Jesus talks about in Matthew 5:17-48, he sees their fulfillment in the challenge of love.  Whether it is murder, adultery, divorce, integrity, or retribution, it is love that brings fulfillment to what is God’s design for our lives.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our series From the Mount.

Coming to grips with who we are is an important part of life. In some regard, that’s a lifelong journey. “Who am I?” is a deep question that bears answering.

I am known in some circles as a United Methodist pastor, in others as Cheryl’s husband, and in still others as Brian and John’s dad. Hopefully, in all circles, I am known as a person deeply devoted to Christ. Knowing who we are and, even more importantly, whose we are, is an important issue for life. How is your identity defined?

Jesus was quick to talk about identity as he spoke From the Mount. Regarding those who sought to follow him he said, “You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world.” Those who are “the salt of the earth” are always ready to serve, always ready to make a witness, and always ready to reflect God’s good work in their lives. They are never flashy or boastful but seek to put Christ first. Those who are “the light of the world” shine with the light of Christ in an otherwise darkened world. That light “pierces the darkness” and has tremendous effect.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our sermon series "From the Mount."

We are indeed a blessed people.  God is constantly at work to shower his blessings upon us.  What is key to all of that is a heart ready to receive those blessings.

Jesus speaks to the tie between experiencing God’s blessings and the disposition of the heart in what are called the Beatitudes.  The Beatitudes provide a profound introduction to the Sermon on the Mount.  They give us a lot to think about, particularly when it comes to living a “well-built” life.

When we are humble before God and others, when we are full of grief over our sin, when we exude the right kind of meekness, when we hunger and thirst for the things of God, when we show mercy, when our hearts are pure, when we work for peace, when we endure the pangs of persecution for the sake of the gospel, then we are truly blessed.  That’s just the way it is for those whose lives mirror the life of Christ.

The characteristics for those who align themselves with God’s Kingdom are just different than those espoused by the world, yet when we live them out, we are blessed to no end.

Pastor Ashlee Adkins begins our new series "From the Mount."

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus took the opportunity to teach his disciples and the crowd.  What he offers is not a one day fix It’s a lifetime instruction playbook of how to be a disciple, God’s intended way.  Jesus needed the people to know so they could later teach others. The playbook is opened with God’s grace that we accept through belief; it’s heard with faith that God is the giver of all things, and it’s lived out by action of the gifts God has given us to use for his works.