Text: Matthew 6:9-15, 18:21-35
This message covers one of the most challenging topics in all the Bible – forgiveness. While we understand what forgiveness is and often request this from God when we have sinned, we may find that we struggle to extend this to others when they have sinned against us. Jesus, though, gives us a powerful parable to help us better understand His forgiveness in our lives to that through Him we can live in freedom. We invite you to listen and be encouraged today.
Text: Matthew 6:5-13
Prayer is a vital part of the disciple’s life, but it is sadly something that we often misunderstand and misuse. In this message, we discover that Jesus gave a model prayer to illustrate that prayer is not about mindless repetition but meaningful requests that we ask of our loving Father in Heaven. God instructs and invites us to come Him, not on the basis of our works and merit, but on the basis of what Jesus has done for us. We encourage you to listen to this message today to examine your relationship with God and to consider how you approach Him in prayer.
Text: Matthew 6:1-8
In Matthew 6, Jesus was fully aware that the religious influence of the Pharisees was misleading many people. Because of their religious and “righteous” conduct, they were convinced they were in a right relationship with God, but their “righteousness” was a manmade form that was only skin deep. This message explains Jesus’ powerful warning about the deceptiveness of our outward appearances, even when we are committed to good things. He calls us to take intentional time to examine our hearts to make sure that we are truly in a right relationship with Him and that this is the motive for our actions. We invite you to listen today and to carefully consider the three probing questions presented.
Text: Matthew 5:38-48
We all face conflict in relationships and difficulties in this fallen world, but let’s be honest – some people are difficult to get along with. There can be personality conflicts, communication conflicts, unrealistic expectations, and a host of issues. Jesus does not ignore this hard reality of life, but instead instructs us how to treat difficult people and demonstrate God’s love. In fact, He even shows that our treatment of others reveals something very important about our relationship with God. If you have ever dealt with a difficult person or situation, or think that you will in the future, then this message is for you. We pray that it will encourage you and challenge you as you examine what it means to be like Jesus.