When the riches of the King collide with the sinfulness of humanity, a whole new world is formed. All we have to do is ask for it. In Matthew 5:21-37, Jesus gives us a glimpse of God’s new world. It is a world of relationships. Relationships reveal the interior world of our hearts. In order for God’s new world to be a reality, we must change the string that is threaded from our interior world and into all of our exterior relationships.
When the standard changes, detox is necessary. To fail to detox is to fail to change. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus changes the standard of living. As followers of Christ, our soul must detox in order to accommodate the change. In this section of the sermon, we learn the standard that Jesus changes is that of righteousness. We do not become righteous by our works but by faith in the work Jesus has does for us. In this sermon, we explore what this means for our daily lives.
There are times where detox is necessary for growth and renewal. The Sermon on the Mount is a detox from the old way of living. It is also an introduction into a new way – the way of Christ. This is not something we can merely add to our lives. It is something we must change for. In this sermon, we detox from the spin cycle of independence to the spin cycle of dependence on God and one another.
Epiphany is an anniversary that reminds us of what was true in the past and what is still true in the present: The light of Christ still shines in the darkness. We are called to be his servants of light in the world. If that is who we truly are, then why is our light so hidden by the bushel of darkness? In this sermon, we explore the land of deep darkness – what is and what it does to us. But as we will find out, the land of deep darkness is no match for the light of Christ.
What does it mean to be a servant of the Lord? Sometimes it feels more like an attack from Satan than a mission from God. In this sermon, we are confronted with the reality the call to be God’s servant is a call to suffering innocently. At this moment our purpose collides with God’s purpose. We will attempt to self-serve in the name of God but eventually we all must surrender to the call to be God’s servants of light in the world.
There is a part of Christmas no one talks about, the part that follows Christmas. What happens when it is all over? In Matthew 2:13-23, we reminded that after Christmas was over Joseph and Mary are faced with a many different moves. Through it all, we are reminded that when we go we can go with God. God’s move always work for the best.
What would Christmas be like without songs? For most of us, these songs help us to get in the spirit of Christmas. But what happens when you find yourself on the outside of Christmas looking in? The Good News is that those who find themselves in an unexpected place (outside the Christmas story) Christ comes to invite you in.
Life is full of interruptions; good, bad, and divine. The story of Christmas reminds us that God comes even in the midst of our interruptions. There are moments where God’s plan interruptions our plan. When this happens, we are face with the decision to obey God’s plan or not. In this sermon, we discuss how Joseph’s faithfulness reveals God’s plan for all of humanity.
