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Engaging the Kingdom — The Two Builders
Matthew 7:24-27 What determines the true follower of Christ? Right knowledge? Right answers? Some insight on who is “in” and who is “out?” Jesus is fairly plain about this. Storms. Storms determine the quality of the workmanship. If you heard and obeyed what Jesus taught and entered into kingdom life, the storms can’t bring down the house. If you spent…
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Engaging the Kingdom — Ask, Seek, Knock
Matt. 7:7-11 Jesus seems to lay down the impossible before us when it comes to being in the Kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount can be read as incredibly demanding and grueling. The King doesn’t ask his disciples to do the impossible. He lays out the means to climb to what seems impossible. It lies in those very simple words:…
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The Bitter in Soul Welcome Here
2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.(1 Sam. 22:2, ESV) If there is anything I could tell anyone at any time it is this: your discontent is welcome at our church. The…
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A Pro-Life Ethic in a Sexually Charged Culture
This story really caught my attention for several reasons. 1. It’s in Iowa. I thought this might be something from New York or California or Florida. But this case happened in Iowa. 2. The court’s decision was 7-0. No dissenting votes. The boss could actually fire his employee because she was too attractive. But beyond that, I thought about the…
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CAN We Live Differently?
In light of the violence of this world, I offered some thoughts yesterday regarding the fact we don’t need to live this way. There is a way that is different. But the question to us, as believers, is this: CAN we? Do we WANT to? I see as many believers posting things about “shooting back” as I do believers who…
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Advent — Righteousness and Justice
14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days…
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The Sermon on the Mount and a Pro-Life Ethic
Jesus was serious about the Kingdom bringing a righteousness back into play that would exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. The goal of a true pro-life ethic in the Kingdom of God should be to move away from the emphasis on the regulations of the Law and return to the character of the Law. The Kingdom ethic demands more of us. A true pro-life ethic may…
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The Purpose of the Following Christ
As I am working my way through the Sermon on the Mount in studying a true pro-life ethic, I was caught by Craig Keener’s words in his work on the background of the New Testament. This particular quote on Matthew 5:13-16 is incredible: A disciple of the kingdom who does not live like a disciple of the kingdom… is worth…
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The Kingdom Can Touch Anyone
I am working on a message about the church looking like the riders on a city bus. It draws me back to Dallas Willard and his take on the Beatitudes. The Divine Conspiracy continues to be one of the most influential books in my life. The Beatitudes isn’t a list of things to do to become spiritual giants. It’s a list of…
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The Sermon on the Mount and the Process of Discipleship
For years I have taught that the Sermon on the Mount is the clearest teaching on the Kingdom of God in found in one place in Scripture. Going through Matthew this time as our church prepares for Sunday, I’ve walked through the passage again to find if that still holds true as a statement for me. The pattern I have…
Tag: Sermon on the Mount
