Intro: Wise or Foolish
April 16th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
We will spend the next several months walking through Jesus' longest single recorded sermon, The Sermon on the Mount. In this introductory message, we begin at the end of the sermon. Jesus' conclusion to His riveting teaching is challenging the listener with two options, wise or foolish. As we dig into Jesus' teaching, let's first decide how we want to respond. Will we be wise or foolish?
Hungry
April 23rd, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
The Sermon on the Mount is a teaching that separates the crowds of miracle seekers from the lifelong followers of Jesus. Jesus had begun to heal many who were sick or lame and His miracles had drawn a crowd. As we begin examining this teaching from Jesus, we first look at the audience Jesus saw on that mountainside. This was a people that were hungry for more than a moment around Jesus. Jesus responds to their hunger by delivering a clear teaching on what the lives of His followers could and should look like.
Set Apart
April 30rd, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' most extensive teaching on what it means to be His followers. This is a teaching on group identity or the code of conduct for His people. We must approach this series with a posture of humility that is willing to let Him set the standard for how we live our lives. As we dig into Matthew 5-7 we will discover that it is God's desire to have a people that are set apart from the ways of the world.
Blessed
May 7th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus begins The Sermon on the Mount with what has become known as The Beatitudes. This is a series of eight qualities that are commended and the blessing that accompanies those qualities. Before we do a deep dive on each of the Beatitudes, we spend some time defining what Jesus meant by "blessed" and how He is speaking to a restored way of living rather than a reward for good works.
Rags To Riches
May 14th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
The first of the Beatitudes is a beautiful summary of the gospel. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who recognize that they have no ability to qualify for it of their own merit and recognize their need for Jesus as their Savior. This first sentence in Jesus' sermon is one that we will need to come back to over and over in this series, as we continually recognize our inabilities and need for the righteousness of Jesus to cover us.
Mourning & Comfort
May 21st, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
The first blessing Jesus spoke of belongs to those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and their need for Him. This week we look at the emotional counterpart of that first blessing. Jesus lets us know that the blessed life includes mourning over our sin, but that His comfort outweighs the grief.
Humble
June 4th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus continues to reorient how His followers view a blessed life. When we live from approval, we live with humility.
Hunger & Thirst
June 11th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
The desires of our flesh can bring momentary pleasure, but ultimately leave our souls unsatisfied. As followers of Jesus, we should develop an appetite to live in accordance with His ways and desires. Our souls are most alive when the gospel cultivates a desire for right living.
Merciful
June 18th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
This week we will discover that our souls flourish when we walk in mercy. What does mercy look like, and who do we extend it to? We will discover the grace of Jesus as we answer this question.
Peacemakers
July 2nd, 2023 • Pastor Tucker Parman
This week, we look at the statement, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for the will be called the children of God”. What does being a peacemaker look like? In this message, we’ll answer that question and see how Jesus is our ultimate example of what it means to make peace.
Pure In Heart
July 9th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus continues to teach how His followers reorient their lives with a pursuit of hearts that are pure rather than following the hearts desires. In this message, we will look at how to fight for purity and the grace of purification that is found in Jesus.
Working For Peace
July 23rd, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
A life following Jesus is not a life free from conflict. Although conflict is to be expected, followers of Jesus are to work for peace. This week we consider how to grow into a life of peace internally and externally.
Partnering with the Kingdom
August 6th, 2023 • Pastor Spencer Powell
In this sermon, we take a look at what the reward system of heaven is and what it looks like to live a life in partnership with the kingdom of God.
Embracing Persecution
August 13th, 2023 • Pastor Tucker Parman
Jesus concludes the Beatitudes with perhaps the most tension filled statement yet - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. How do we see persecution as an invitation into a life of blessedness? Join us for this message and find out.
The Persecuted
August 20th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus is forward and honest enough to let His followers know that they will suffer persecution even when choosing to do what is right. He then goes on to say that we should be happy about it when it does happen! What?! This message considers the cost of following Jesus and how we can be happy about it.
Salt of the Earth
August 27th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus uses two metaphors to teach His followers the impact they are to have on the world. This week we look at the first of these metaphors, salt. We consider what salt is used for, how it loses its saltiness, and what this means for followers of Jesus today.
Light of the World
September 10th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
This we look at the second metaphor Jesus uses to describe the impact His followers are to have on the world. We are not just the salt of the earth, but also the light of the world. We will look at the impact followers of Jesus are to have on the darkness around us as well as where our light comes from and how we are to display it.
Law
September 17th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
In these couple of verses, Jesus introduces a few challenging thoughts. He speaks of commandments that are lesser than others and that there will be people that will be the least and others that will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Who is the least and who is the greatest? It comes down to how one responds to the call of righteousness given through the Word of God.
Loosening the Law
September 24th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
In the previous verses, Jesus affirms and points to His relationship to the writings of the law and the prophets. From that approval and stance on what we now know as the Old Testament, Jesus now teaches on the problematic tendency to reduce or loosen the biblical standards of right living. How do we fight this temptation and remain faithful to the teachings of Scripture?
Teaching a Loose Law
October 1st, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Last week we talked about how Jesus warned against the tendency to break, ignore, or loosen biblical standards of righteousness. He goes on to say that "anyone who teaches others to do the same will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven." How do we guard ourselves and our church from teaching a loosened version of God's Word?
Greater & Lesser
October 8th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus instructs His followers to not ignore the "least commandment" or they will be "called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven." This insinuates that there are greater and lesser commands and that there is some sort greater and lesser in eternity. In this message, we consider Jesus' teaching on these concepts of greater and lesser.
Anger = Murder
October 15th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus has affirmed the law and told His followers not to loosen from even the least of the laws. He now begins to show how He has not come to abolish the law by interpreting it in a way that shows that righteousness is an inward heart condition, not an outward behavior. He starts with a call to deal with anger in our hearts rather than just the worst possible expression of that anger.
Lustful Desires
October 22nd, 2023 • Pastor Tucker Parman
Jesus continues his efforts in going deeper than simple outward obedience to the law. This time, he targets adultery. Adultery is the act of breaking the covenantal commitment of marriage, however, adultery is often if not always fueled by a deeper and powerful desire - lust. In this message, we’ll examine how lust has a crippling impact on healthy relationship, how it permeates today’s culture, and how the Gospel of Jesus gives us hope to not be bound to it.
Lust = Adultery
October 29th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus continues His teaching against our tendency to loosen the law by teaching on adultery and lust. Just as anger was the heart issue behind murder, Jesus now teaches that the heart issue behind adultery is lust. As followers of Jesus, we must not conform to the ways of this world but approach sex and sexuality in a way that honors the life of purity that Jesus calls His followers to live by.
Divorce
November 17th, 2023 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Divorce and the factors leading up to such decisions are so personal, painful and often complex. But what does Jesus have to say about divorce? Jesus gives a very direct statement that can be challenging, but I am convinced that God’s Word & the directives of Jesus only lead to life.
Vows
January 7th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
We all battle desires for dishonesty. Sometimes in major ways, but often in subtle ways. Jesus teaches that His followers should not need to swear by anything, because we are representing the Person of Truth.
Revenge
January 14th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Revenge is a reflex of the flex, but not the way of Jesus. What then are we to make of the concept of 'eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth'? This message will look at Jesus' desire that His followers would trade the reflex of revenge for Kingdom minded self-sacrifice.
Love Your Enemies
January 21st, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus' previous teaching to resist the relex of revenge was challenging enough. Now He tells His followers that what sets us apart is when we love and pray for those that have treated us the worst. How are we ever supposed to accomplish such a tall task?
How Are You Different?
January 28th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus teaches that loving those that love us is no different than pagans who have no concern or desire to please God. Followers of Jesus are called to be a people set apart. One distinct way we are to be different in this life is by extending the same love that Christ extended to us towards those who could easily be defined as enemies.
Halftime Huddle
February 4th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
We have just concluded walking through Matthew 5 and are about to dive into chapter 6. Before we do, we are taking this week to pause and recall the purpose of this teaching series. We will look at the setting with which Jesus delivers the sermon as well as the dramatic call for His followers to put His teachings into practice.
Private Disciplines
February 11th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus continues His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6 by addressing the all too human condition of seeking the approval of man. He challenges His followers to watch out for the trap of having the right behavior, but doing it with the wrong motives. We are called to live from God's approval, not seeking out the approval of man. A true life of worship means developing private spiritual disciplines as a response to the love of our Father.
Giving to the Needy
February 18th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus tells His followers not to do good deeds in order to be admired by others. He then follows up by giving three examples of private spiritual disciplines. The first example is giving to the needy, and how followers of Jesus are expected to be generous in ways that honor God.
Generosity
February 25th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Jesus speaks to His followers with an expectation that they would be generous. This week we look at the close relationship between godliness and generosity and how we can grow in this private spiritual discipline.
How NOT to pray
March 3rd, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
We are moving on to Jesus' second example of wrong motives behind right actions. This second example is in our prayer lives. Before teaching His followers the proper way to pray, Jesus teaches how NOT to pray. We must be aware of the danger of praying in order to be seen by others or with meaningless repetition.
How NOT to pray (Part 2)
March 10th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Last week we looked at how Jesus taught His followers of the danger of praying in order to be seen by men. This week we look at the second way that Jesus told His followers not to pray. He doesn't want us to ramble on in prayer as though He is impressed with our many words or to mindlessly repeat memorized prayers. Prayer is intended to be so much more intimate and powerful than many people experience.
The Lord’s Prayer
March 17th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
After giving His followers examples of how not to pray, Jesus now turns and teaches a proper outline for prayer. This message gives a general overview of what has become known as The Lord's Prayer. A 9 part deep dive teaching on this content can be found on our Youtube channel by looking for the "Pray Like This" series.
Fasting
April 7th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus has been warning us about the danger of taking right actions with the wrong motives. This week we turn to fasting, the third example given by Jesus of spiritual disciplines that can easily fall into the category of good actions done with wrong motives.
Treasures
April 14th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Our human nature is to fall for opportunities of short-term gratification over what is best in the long run. Jesus challenges this tendency when it comes to our "treasure." As followers of Jesus, we recognize that this life is brief when compared to the eternal existence we will enjoy in heaven. Therefore, we ought to utilize our temporary resources for the greatest eternal impact.
Do Not Worry
April 28th, 2024 • Pastor Tucker Parman
As chapter 6 winds to a close, culminating with the call to not worry, we see that Jesus’ teaching here isn’t removed from the message he’s previously developed. Often, we can trace our worry directly back to the source and object of our worship. It is only when our eyes are fixed on our Heavenly Father that we find the ability to live a life free from worry.
How Not to Worry
May 5th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Some of us are more prone to worry than others. This may be due to our differences in personality, experiences, or current circumstances. We do not have control of many of these contributing factors. However, we do have a part to play in our spiritual condition which is the foundational component of how we can respond to life with faith and peace instead of worry and anxiety.
Worry & Unbelief
May 12th, 2024 • Pastor Kyle Smith
Worry is the norm in our culture, but Jesus says three times in just a few verses that His followers are not to worry. He goes as far as saying that worrying is what the unbelievers do. It is a bit of a painful realization that we can be a follower of Jesus but live in worry like an unbeliever. What do we do as followers of Jesus who are also battling worry?