When the gospel is shared, it can be met with many different reactions. Some reject it out of a hardness of heart. Some are excited about it but then lose interest when it doesn’t fit their own agenda. Some receive it sincerely but find it difficult to live out amongst the busyness of life. And some receive with their whole heart, striving to live out a life of faith daily. Jesus tells a story of these four reactions as he teaches his disciples - and us - about the kind of heart God is looking for among His people.
Humility comes from recognizing our sin and need for a savior. In an incredible display of humility, a woman washes Jesus’ feet with her tears and hair, recognizing her own sin and Jesus’ power to forgive. As the self-righteous religious leaders look down on her, Jesus gives them a reality check and reminds us all that his forgiveness is for everyone, but only if we’re first willing to be honest about our own sin.
What happens when God doesn’t meet our expectations? Maybe it’s an unanswered prayer or a situation doesn’t go the way we’d like, but we’ll all encounter times when we realize we’ve put an expectation on God. As Jesus confronts the expectations of the people around him in his day, he reminds us that true faith avoids false expectations. Instead, he calls us to expect God’s plan and purposes to be revealed in His way and in His timing, trusting in faith that God’s way is always the perfect way.
Jesus’ miracles came from both a response to people’s faith as well as his compassion for those who were suffering. As he traveled from place to place, he was revealing the Kingdom of God - a kingdom free of sickness and suffering, where even death has been overcome. As his followers, Jesus asks us to share his compassion for the lost and broken as we tell others the good news about the Kingdom of God.
God designed us to be in relationship with others. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to be personally connected to other followers of Jesus to build one another up, bear one another’s burdens, pray for one another and more. As culture and technology pushes us toward isolation, it’s more important than ever to intentionally engage in community within the church family.
The Bible is God’s Word and in its pages we’ll find a firm foundation for how to live a life of blessing. Devoting time daily to study and meditate on God’s Word is a necessary practice to balance out the flood of noise we take in from the outside world. In our busy lives, it’s harder than ever to make time for intentional time in God’s Word, but it’s also more important than ever to ensure that the loudest voice speaking to us is God’s voice.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That simple statement by Jesus formed a foundation of generosity for his followers since the earliest days of the church. When we recognize that everything we have - our time, our talent and our treasure - is a gift from God, we’ll start to recognize the opportunities we have each day to use those gifts to help and serve others for the glory of God.
God designed us to require regular rest in order to function at our best. But as the world gets busier and busier, finding true rest can seem almost impossible. How can we find rest when the pace of the world moves so fast? What’s the difference between rest that rejuvenates us and hollow pursuits that merely distract us? What role does rest play in our personal walk with Jesus? The Bible has lots to say about rest, and what we can learn from it is more important than ever in the midst of our modern culture.
Communication is the foundation for any good relationship. That’s why prayer is such an essential part of the Christian life. So why do so many Christians find it hard to pray? What does the Bible mean when it says to “pray without ceasing”? What kinds of misconceptions about prayer do we carry with us from past experiences? Guest Kyle DiRoberts unpacks a biblical view of prayer and encourages us into a simple, regular and habitual practice of prayer for everyday life.
The first step in strengthening any relationship is honesty. Confession is the process of, in humility, being honest with God about who we are and where we struggle. Through Christ, our shortcomings are met by the incredible gift of grace and we receive forgiveness. When we understand the amazing truth about who God is and what He’s done, it should always lead us to a place of thanks and praise.
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Sermons by: Thomas Slager
The Heart of the Matter - Anger
While religious leaders were concerned with following the letter of the...
True Happiness - Part 2
Jesus calls us to be merciful, pure in heart and peacemakers in our...
From Genesis to Jesus
The Bible clearly shows us the family lineage of Jesus, revealing God's...
Our Good and Sovereign God
God is never surprised by any circumstance we may face, and He uses...
The Surrender of Jacob
Jacob went from a life of control and manipulation to a life of...
A Story of Faith and Faithfulness
Have you ever asked God for a sign? Sometimes God answers prayers...
Walking With God
God called Abraham to "walk before me, and be blameless". But how do...
The Promises of God
God's promise to Abram was that he would become a great nation. Despite...