This morning we find Jesus talking about the institution of marriage and the habit some people have of swearing oaths. We’ll cover some very interesting stuff this morning, but let me give away the surprise before we even get started, this really isn’t about divorce and marriage and what you can and can’t say, it’s an attempt to expose what’s going on in your heart that would lead to these outcomes. It’s about the disease that produces the symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves.

This morning we find Jesus talking about the institution of marriage and the habit some people have of swearing oaths. We’ll cover some very interesting stuff this morning, but let me give away the surprise before we even get started, this really isn’t about divorce and marriage and what you can and can’t say, it’s an attempt to expose what’s going on in your heart that would lead to these outcomes. It’s about the disease that produces the symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves

Christmas Eve Celebration at the City Gates Church in word and song

God is concerned with our desires, not just our deeds, and encourages a radical response to causes of sin.

We’re going to be dealing with a sensitive topic today: the issue of lust and adultery – things we see at the top of our news feeds and headlines each day.  And, we’re going to see what God has to say about this kind of behavior.  We’re going to do our best to address things directly, bluntly, but tactfully and tastefully in a way that exposes and explores the issue so that those who need to change can, and the rest can be equipped to help those in need.

Jesus wants us to know that murder is actually just one symptom, one expression, of a deeper and wider disease. Murder is just the ugly offspring of anger. No one ever said, I'm so grateful and thankful and appreciative for you, I just can't wait to hurt you. So what you really need to do is go after the anger that produces murder and that anger lives in each of us.