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Am I KNOWN by God?
It’s not either doctrine or action. It is informed action down with a heart toward God.
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Free from worry
Freedom from worry isn’t found in simply the absence of thinking about stuff. It is the addition of WHAT to pursue. Pursuit is our choice.
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Treasuring Jesus and leaving Mammon
It’s the Kingdom you seek, not the stuff of life.
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The difference of the Kingdom’s power
Resolution for 2014: Live out the power of the Kingdom. Subset: Love those who have no desire to love you. Drive them crazy in the process. It may be a “win/win.” It may also cost you a lot. Either way, live out the Kingdom’s power.
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The Great Invitation of the King
While I haven’t paid as much attention to the liturgical calendar for preaching, I have kept our congregation on track with our readings every Sunday. Along with that it is the realization that this is the last Sunday of the liturgical year and it is Christ the King Sunday. Not being raised in the liturgical tradition, and still on the…
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Are you finished being God?
Matthew 7:1-6 gives us the ultimate excuse to tell people to back off. We usually don’t like others prying into our messes, so we say something like, “Don’t judge me.” The Kingdom ethic is, of course, a bit more involved than us just trying to get people to back off. Scot McKnight’s new commentary, The Sermon on the Mount, gives some…
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No place for worry
When we really take in what Jesus is saying about the power of the Kingdom, we come to his amazing “guarantee:” you won’t worry. No matter how many times I read this passage in Matthew 6, I still choke on this passage. Worry. Anxiety. Things that keep me up. Things that wake me up. Things that give me nightmares. Worry. Anxiety.…
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What if Jesus really meant it?
What if Jesus really meant all that stuff in the Sermon on the Mount? You could love your enemies. You could bless those that curse you. You could live in spiritual maturity. You could live with peace and without anxiety. Not only could you… but the implication is you should. What if Jesus really meant all that? No more excuses. He has given…
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Anxiety and the Kingdom of God
There is a place of freedom we can truly find in the Kingdom of God. It’s often seen as “beyond reach,” or for when we “get to heaven,” but when Jesus talks about the abundance of the Kingdom of God he is speaking directly to tremendous benefits. Benefits NOW. Expectations NOW. In Matthew 6:25-34 he talks about freedom from anxiety. Grab…
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Understanding the Discipline of Giving
1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do- blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they…
Tag: Sermon on the Mount
