We have been unpacking Jesus' teachings from His famous Sermon on the Mount for several weeks. It will take a lot longer than that to faithfully apply those teachings to our daily lives!! They were spoken in the revelation that Jesus is the ultimate authority in the Kingdom of God and that He desires us to live under His loving authority with other Kingdom Seekers. I'm one of those Seekers and I bet you're one too.

In Jesus’ most famous sermon, on a day when He could have talked about anything, Jesus chose to talk about worry. This reminds us that even 2,000 years ago, people worried about stuff. As long as there have been people, worry has been a constant companion. The reason is simple. Life is uncertain, and that makes us very uncomfortable. We like a sure thing, and we worry when we bump up against uncertainty.

Baptism is a picture of a new life! This weekend we have the amazing opportunity to celebrate what God is doing here at SCC through the ancient practice of baptism.

We’re used to thinking that baptism day is about us or the other people who made their declaration of faith alongside of us, but nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism is a celebration and picture of Christ’s loving work of salvation on the cross. It points us to His grace and power in our lives.

In Jesus’ most famous sermon, on a day when He could have talked about anything, Jesus chose to talk to Jewish peasants about worry. When it comes to worry, there are three kinds of people.

As we continue looking at the sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes an absolutely insane statement. "Don't worry about your life."

If only Jesus knew what I had going on! Does He know my schedule or what's on my plate? Does He understand what it's like living in 2023?

In John 20, Jesus shows up right in the middle of the terror and confusion of His disciples. And He brings calm, assurance, and peace with Him! I wonder, what does Jesus need to show up in the middle of in your own life? The resurrection means that Jesus shows up, right in the middle.

We’ve talked often about the Kingdom of God being the backdrop and context for the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus talked about the Kingdom more than any other subject, but His next favorite topic might surprise you. He often talked to Jewish peasants about something they had very little of, and that is money!

Did you know that what we traditionally call “The Lord’s Prayer” was taught as part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount? Have you been noticing that a lot of what we have heard people say as we have grown up has its roots in Jesus' historical sermon? I trust that this Sunday’s message will uncover some new nuggets too. I think I can assure you that it won’t be boring!

Matthew, the author of this book wrote to a Jewish audience. Many of Jesus early followers were Jewish. As we look at the opening verses of chapter 6, Jesus speaks directly to three Jewish practices: giving, praying, and fasting. Jesus really challenges the hearts of those listening. Is what you do for righteousness or reputation? Is what you do a show to impress others or is it for you to draw near to God?

Jesus really goes after the heart. After motives. After intentions... It's a great reminder for us to consistently check why we do what we do.

As we continue through Jesus’ most famous sermon, we come to two of Jesus' most famous, most misunderstood, and least applied commands of the entire sermon. Both commands illustrate how we are to love those who would hurt, shame, or mistreat us. The reason they are so sparingly applied in our world is because the natural bent of our hearts is toward revenge.