Awake Us Now

Scripture:  Exodus 20:13, Genesis 4, 2 Samuel 11-12, Genesis 9:6, Matthew 5:21-22, 1 John 3:15 Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.” Many believe they have not broken this commandment - but what we will discover is that we have all broken it. This will be a message that will offend many and we will see our incredible need for a Savior. We will also recognize He is giving us direction for our daily lives. The Ten Commandments were given as a Curb Mirror Guide There are so many stories of murder in the Bible: Cain and Abel - Genesis 4, David and Uriah - 2 Samuel 11-12. In Genesis 9:6 we see that God considers life to be sacred, precious:  “Whoever sheds human blood,
    by humans shall their blood be shed;
for in the image of God
    has God made mankind.” Murder is a violation of the very heart of the Living God. Jesus defines murder in greater detail in Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell

Romans 13:4 exhorts believers to "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ." But what about the old clothes, the "desires of the flesh?" How do we remove sinful behaviors and keep them off for good?

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 1 Scripture - Matthew 20:17-19, Mark 10:32-34, Luke 18:31-33, John 11:55-57 Jesus is the most courageous man who ever lived.  He knew what lay ahead and yet He chose the road that led to the cross anyways!  Clearly, we matter to God. God loves us each individually so much that He was willing to go Up to Jerusalem. Up to Jerusalem      1.    Biblical     2.    Jewish     3.    Chronological     4.    Teleological (meaning it is by design - God’s deliberate plan) In Matthew 20:17-19 we read “Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way He took the Twelve…. “ And He shares that the Son of Man (Himself) would be arrested, condemned to death, mocked, flogged, crucified and on the 3rd day He will be raised to life. Jesus is up front with telling of His death and resurrection but the disciples did not understand what He was saying.  In Mark 10:22 and 32 Mark reports that they were on their way up to Jerusalem and Jesus told them what was going to happen to Him. There is a sense of fear

This teaching is from Matthew 21:10-23 and continues a study of Holy Week - Jesus’ final week before His resurrection. In today’s story, people recognized Jesus as a prophet, but He was much more than a prophet! Over the next few weeks we will be exploring: The heart of the Gospel as the heart of God’s message of salvation, and that message is at the heart of who Jesus is. Let’s dig into what that means for us. Following Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, in today’s text picks up with Jesus entering the temple courts and how he drives out all who were buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. Jesus says, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” Pastor shares the perspective that this is the second tine Jesus cleansed the temple, the first was at the beginning of His teaching ministry and the account in Matthew brings the second time Jesus does this. Pastor talks in detail about the temple at this t

Matthew 20:17-34, Matthew 21:1-11, Exodus 12:3, Isaiah 62:11, Zechariah 9:9, and Psalm 118:25-26. Jesus lets us know that He is the fulfillment of all the Hebrew Scripture had predicted and all that the Father had dictated. Until we receive Jesus as Lord, this is only head knowledge.  The disciples had heard Him speak what was coming multiple times, but they just did not grasp what Jesus was saying about Him being the long awaited Savior. They didn’t understand what was ahead for Jesus in the next weeks. Jesus shares the sacrifice He’s going to make explaining what is coming: suffering, death and rising on the 3rd day. It’s at this point in the Matthew narrative that there is a story of Jesus’ Aunt wanting her sons to be on each side of Jesus in heaven.   But Jesus uses her request to teach us we are to be individuals that reflect the heart of our heavenly Father who reflect the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, and reflect His example and sacrifice. We are to put aside the things that the world so greatly treas

This teaching is from Matthew 19:13-30 and Matthew 20:1-16. This teaching starts with a focus on children. The disciples didn’t like that people were bringing little children to Jesus, these children were babies, infants, toddlers, and the disciples were thinking Jesus is trying to talk to the adults and they’re bringing kids to him, taking time away from Jesus speaking, that they were noisy and disruptive and that it just wasn’t appropriate. But Jesus says, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” What’s Jesus saying? He’s saying kids matter to Him, They are part of His kingdom! The question is how does a child believe? But then, how does an adult believe? The answer is in 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul says that no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. It’s only when the Holy Spirit moves in a person’s life (adult or child) that they can believe. Many times we act like the disciples, looking at things from a human standpoint and pe

This teaching is from Matthew 18:21-35, the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor, and Matthew 19:1-12 on the topic of Divorce. Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive someone seven times. Jesus responds with seventy seven times. The meaning of Jesus saying seventy seven times is that forgiveness in the face of genuine repentance does not keep track of numbers and Jesus is calling us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Then Jesus tells this “Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor,” a story where a servant of a king owes millions of dolors to the king. When the king call the debt to account and be paid, the servant begs the king to be patient with him and that he will repay it. The king has compassion and forgives the entire debt! But then this servant of the king has a man that works for him and this man owed the king’s servant a few thousand dollars and the king’s servant calls this man debt to account. When the man pleads to the king’s servant for time to pay but the king’s servant has the man thrown into jail until

Matthew 17:22-18:20. Topics: children of the Living God; kingdom of the Living God; the miracle of the four drachma coin; greatness is based on humility; childlike vs childish; total dependency on God; spiritual growth and maturity; binding and loosing - by speaking that when one comes to faith he/she is forgiven and saved vs. those deciding against God, that it is a decision with eternal consequences; God desires all to come to know Him; His love is great; the warning of being of the world and following the worldly culture; that of following natural instincts vs following the Holy Spirit.

Scripture:  Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1-3, Lue 2:51, 1 John 3:1, Matthew 11:28-30 Do the ten commandments feel like just a negative list of “thou shalt nots?”  Or like God’s trying to take away your fun, or trying to limit your enjoyment of life, trying to make you feel guilty? Well, nothing is further from the truth. God is good and He is gracious! Today’s commandment doesn’t have a “shall not,” but it does have a promise: Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”  As it comes with a promise, God considers this an important command. Family is of primary significant importance.  We even see that when the Living God took on flesh as Jesus, He came to a family. And we see Jesus obeying this command in Luke 2:51 “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.”  Even the incarnate son of God was obedient to His parents. Clearly it’s important to our Creator but

Colossians 3:12-14 tells us about God's "dress code" for believers: We are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, so that others may see the very image of Jesus in our lives!

Scripture - Luke 24:36-49  “What Is Written”.  Other scripture: Exodus 15:2,Isaiah 52:7, Psalm 27:1, 1 Chronicles 16:35  Our story today continues with the two disciples in the story, “Road to Emmaus” from last week who once they understood that it was Jesus they had been talking with, immediately returned to Jerusalem. Our story picks up after they have arrived back in Jerusalem and are with the others in a private, locked room when suddenly Jesus Himself is with them in the room and greets them, “Peace be with you!” Peace… The peace we receive from Jesus is life transforming. Peace or the Hebrew word, Shalom, means everything is right with the world because everything is right with God because when Jesus rose from the grave it shows that now everything is now right with God and with those who have repented and received Him by faith.  As those people with God’s peace, we know that ALL things are going to work together for good, we know God has won the victory and that we will be part of His final triumph - s

Matthew 16:24-17:22. Topics: Discipleship is more than having head knowledge, it is complete surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ and living for Him. Jesus continues to reveal who He is. Jesus’ transfiguration and the words from heaven, out of the cloud from God the Father says, “This is my Son...Listen to Him!” These are words for us today, too!

This week’s text is Matthew 16:1-23. Topics: A growing opposition against Jesus and who He says He is; Peter’s confession; a discerning teaching on who/what the “Rock” is on which Christ will build the church; an insightful look at the “gates of Hades;” and Jesus shares predictions of what is to come.

This week’s text is Matthew 14:34-15:39. Topics: Jesus heals both Jews and Gentiles; an examination of some of the traditions in light of what God’s Word says; the feeding of the 4,000, and how this event differs from the feeding of the 5,000 that took place earlier.

This week’s text is Matthew 14:4-33. A fascinating look at 24 hours in the life of Jesus and His disciples: John the Baptist beheaded, the feeding of the 5,000, and Jesus walks on water.

This week’s text is Matthew 13:40 - 14:7. Pastor explores several more parables of Jesus; there will be a judgement and evil will be destroyed, only things of God will remain; the narrative of the entire Bible holds together from beginning to end, the Old and New Covenants, ending with the story of Herod, Herodias and John the Baptist.

Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Jeremiah 6:16, Matthew 11:28-30, Mark 2:27-28, Colossians 2:16-17, Romans 14:5, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8. Is going to church what this commandment is about? Or is there something deeper than simple church attendance? Is this command requesting Compliance with an order without the Comprehension of who God is? How do we “remember” the Sabbath Day? By worshiping and praising and acknowledging God as our Lord, King and Savior. However, some have a false understanding of worship. In the Old Testament they see worship as attending Saturday Synagogue and in the New Testament they see it as attending Sunday Church.  The Sabbath is all about RESTING - let’s take a dig into what resting means and is. Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Stand at the crossroads and look: ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Rest

In the midst of life's sorrows and fears, Jesus promises to sustain us in His strength -- the strength to not only endure but to triumph -- when we give Him our worries. "Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will sustain you."

Scripture - Luke 24:13-25  “Surprise Encounter”.  Other scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:20, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 13:20-21 The first day of Jesus’ Resurrection was a day of surprises!   Today’s story is one of the most incredible stories in the Bible. It is one of the most incredible acts of historical reporting found anywhere in all of literature and all of history!  It is the story of two disciples on the road to Emmaus and their surprise encounter with the One who is risen from the dead! The last day of the week is the Jewish day of the Sabbath Day which is a Saturday. Today’s story takes place on Sunday, the first day of the week. But this was a special “first day of the week” because this particular Sunday was the first day after the Sabbath of Passover and thus a festival day: The Festival of First Fruits. Why is this significant? The Bible tells us Jesus is the First Fruits of those who rise from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:20). So there’s nothing accidental about God the Father choosing this particular da

This week’s text is Matthew 13:10-39. Jesus' parables on the Kingdom of Heaven - a sower spreading seed, a wheat field with toxic weeds mixed in, a sprouting mustard seed, yeast in bread dough; Jesus explains the parables to the disciples but not to the crowd; His parables conceal truth from those unready or unwilling to receive it, but reveal the Kingdom of Heaven to those who truly hear and understand.