Eternal life is a nice idea, but in the face of war, pandemics, inflation, and personal problems, eternal life seems to have no immediate relevance. Today we continue to unpack the promise of eternal life and we explore the significance it has for our lives today.

Eternal life is a nice idea, but in the face of war, pandemics, inflation, and personal problems, eternal life seems to have no immediate relevance. Today, and next week, we unpack the promise of eternal life and we explore the significance it has for our lives today.

The sermon unpacks Jesus' teaching on divorce and marriage. Certainly, a difficult topic, but let's dig in to the redemptive beauty that surfaces from a subject that touches us all.

At the center of the Christian faith is forgiveness. What sets apart Christian forgiveness from other religions is the forgiveness we give is a response to the forgiveness we received.

Since the beginning, God has been forming a community of people for Himself -- first Israel, now the church. Critical to this community of newly-born humans is how we live and relate within this community. In this sermon we look at the steps to lovingly deal with sin in the community, and how this reflects the beautiful redemption and life we have in the Kingdom.

This sermon unpacks what is true greatness in the Kingdom of God, and how there can only one who is the greatest.

Matthew continues to put more focus on Jesus' identity as the Son of God. In this passage we see Jesus' discussion of death and taxes affirming his identity as the Son of God. And in a deeper way, he teaches a beautiful truth of how we all as "God's sons and daughters" are free to live a life so confident in our identity as one of God's kids, we actually exhibit the Kingdom of God in the here and now.

Really? All things? This sermon unpacks one of the most promising and most frustrating promises Jesus makes to his followers. It's promising because it removes limits and connects us with the extra-ordinary. But it's also frustrating. We all have been frustrated by unanswered prayer, and where the impossible remains impossible. Nevertheless, once we see what is truly impossible, we will see the beauty and good news what is truly possible.

All through out the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has been revealing God’s kingdom and himself as the King. He healed people, cast out demons, taught through parables and called people to repent and follow him. People regarded him as a prophet sent from God. In today’s account, Jesus reveals himself as more than a prophet, and he does it in an extraordinary way. It is a glimpse of who Jesus is and also a glimpse of what it will be like for us.

How do you follow Jesus in 2022, and beyond? Unfortunately, for all the type-A people, Jesus doesn't provide a checklist of how to follow him. However, he does tell us one thing that is necessary if we are to follow him -- we must die. In step with the counter-intuitive nature of the Kingdom of God, the way to victory is defeat, the way to gain is loss, the way to life is death.