Sunday Sermons

In last week’s passage, we were given a taste of what it costs to follow Christ. But for this week, Matthew gives us a fuller view of the one we are following. Through the three stories presented to us in this text, we see a display of power that separates Jesus from anyone or anything before him.

Last week’s passage gave us a glimpse of the authority that Jesus has from his healings and miracles. This week, we get a look at what it really means to follow him. From the response that he gives to two different people, Jesus bluntly describes the nature of discipleship.

As we turn the page from the Sermon on the Mount, we are immediately confronted with three different stories of Jesus’ miraculous healing work. But the reason for the recording of these healings goes far beyond Jesus being kind to the people around him. The people who he serves and the way he does it tells us a great deal about the nature of our Lord.

This week's passage concludes the Sermon on the Mount. And in it, we are given an illustration that sums up the consequences of what we do with it. It is a passage that certainly holds a warning for the reader, but also serves as a great encouragement.

Matthew 7:13-23 presents to us some of the most difficult teaching from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. It is a passage that draws attention to the fact that real followers of Jesus must be a transformed people and that there is no room in the kingdom for mere pretenders.

In verse 12, Jesus wraps up a major section of his teaching with one of the most quoted portions of the Bible. The “Golden Rule” is a text that is known well beyond the walls of the church, but it serves to bring a proper close to a great portion of what Jesus has already taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

As we start to wrap up Jesus' teaching on how we treat others in the Sermon on the Mount, we come to another passage about prayer. But instead of teaching us how to pray, our Lord gives us a word about the confidence we ought to have when we pray. It is an encouraging word about the level of access we have to our loving father in heaven.

This week, we shift from the personal nature of what our hearts are serving and depending on, to our interactions with those around us. As we consider the concept of judging whether someone else is right or wrong, Jesus had strong words for us to consider before engaging in casting that judgment on others.

Last week, we looked at Jesus’ teaching on earthly versus heavenly treasure.  In this Sunday’s passage, Jesus addresses a consistent pitfall that everyone experiences: anxiousness over necessities. Jesus provides a perspective that serves to free us from the worry that takes our eyes off the kingdom.  He encourages us to remember that God knows us better than we know ourselves and that our daily needs do not take him by surprise.

After multiple weeks focusing on the Lord’s Prayer, we now move onto the next part of the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus begins to teach on money and possessions. And although the way we view and spend money is not a popular idea to be confronted with, it is indicative of what our heart truly values.