Our wounds (emotional, physical, psychological, spiritual) in no way disqualify us from ministry. In fact, God often uses our healing experiences to assist others who are suffering from similar wounds. Dwayne affirmed this truth for us by appealing to its scriptural basis and by sharing a personal experience as a wounded healer.

Greg read the story in Luke of the prostitute who interrupts Jesus' dinner at a Pharisee's home to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, kiss his feet, and anoint them with oil. The Pharisee looks down on her because he considers her sin greater than his own, but when God is the standard, neither he nor the prostitute has any advantage over the other. They both fall infinitely short. We too must relate to the prostitute because of how short we all fall compared to the perfection of God's standard.

God designed us to work both for our livelihood and for the Kingdom of God. Consequently, we will be held accountable for our work both individually and corporately as the body of Christ. The book of Revelation includes a “report card” of sorts given by God to seven churches; following this example, Greg reported on how Woodland Hills has been Growing in the Spirit over the past year.

In this sermon, Greg responded to the top five questions he received while preaching “The Cross and the Sword” series. Maybe you've been asking some of these questions: “What's the difference between turning the other cheek and letting yourself be abused?” and “Are you saying that the church is politically irrelevant?"

Human beings have deep and fallen passions that propel us into continual conflict with one another, the theme behind “Troy,” the movie based on Homer's “Iliad.” We are stuck in a pattern from which we can be freed ONLY by embracing the paradoxical kingdom of God. Christians are to imitate Christ, period; we are not called to create another version of the kingdom of the world.

We were created to worship God and through worship to proclaim the wonder of God, engage in spiritual warfare and act as witnesses who testify to who God is. During this teaching time, Kevin's discussions about the three Ws of worship were interspersed throughout an extended worship time as a church.

The Cross and the Sword series continued with this sermon, which covered the final effect of failing to distinguish between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world: we Christians begin to see ourselves as the “protectors” and “fixers” of social morality, as the moral standard bearers. But our only job as the body of Christ is to look like Jesus, the one sinless human, who stood in unity with others and met their needs. Greg also addressed the idea that America is a theocracy.

The Cross and the Sword series continued with this sermon, which covered two more consequences of fusing the kingdom of God with the kingdom of the world. To illustrate the damage this can cause, Greg discussed using the Kingdom of God approach with abortion: don't limit ourselves to the options given by the kingdom of the world, but ascribe unsurpassable worth to others (mother and baby) at cost to ourselves. This is the unique mission of the Kingdom of God, and it's not easy.

The kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world are two very separate things. One uses the sword (power over) to influence people; the other uses love (power under). To understand this distinction is much easier than letting it affect the way we live. Greg continued to discuss the differences between these kingdoms and how we are to live within the distinction.

Greg questioned the slogan “Taking America Back for God” by discussing the differences between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God. As Christians, we are to belong first and foremost to God's Kingdom, yet live under the governments of this world. How does that work?