God's people give thanks to God because it is what He desires, what He deserves, and what brings Him glory.

Pastor Eric encourages us to -Enter every room seeking to serve those in it.- This comes as once again Jesus presents life in the Kingdom as the polar opposite of the way things are usually done in this world. The greatest in the kingdom are those who serve the most, and Jesus is the ultimate example.

-For I the Lord do not change.- -Mal. 3-6- God began by creating everything with proclamations. He made covenant promises to our forefathers using proclamations. He predicted His great salvation plan using proclamations through the prophets. And all these proclamations pointed to Jesus. So what would He do- Proclaim, of course- Fulfilling prophecy, Jesus continued the proclamation of the Good News, and so does his church. What the world considers foolishness, God has chosen to bring good news, to draw the line between life and death, and to assemble for himself a people for His glory.

Pastor Eric describes the great truth found in Jesus' parables. This time we see that God looked at the world, and for the joy brought by those who would believe, he gave his only Son to die for the sins of the world to purchase them, his treasured possession, his precious pearl-

Jesus hid things on purpose- Jesus used parables to teach spiritual truths about the Kingdom of God for a fascinating reason - to hide things from some and reveal things to others. Seriously, he did it on purpose- In this sermon, Pastor Eric goes out on an interpretational limb to reveal great truths about the age in which we live. The encouragement- Things are just the way Jesus said they would be.

Bad Fish, Weeds, and Angels. That may seem a strange mix of elements, but Jesus uses them all in his parables in Matthew 13 to illustrate important truths concerning his church and this age in which we live. Jesus revealed that in this age, believers and non-believers would exist side-by-side, even in the church, but God will sort them out in the final judgment.

The work of the kingdom is to spread the Word of God to all people- some will receive it gladly and join in the work, but many will reject it for various reasons.

Jesus showed us that the priority of Kingdom Citizens is doing the will of the Father.

Jesus breaks down all barriers between himself and those that will believe.

What is a human being's most significant need- Hint- It's the primary reason Jesus came. It's the forgiveness of sins, and it can only come from God himself. Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, and he will forgive the sins of all who come to him in faith.