The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 17
Awake Us Now
This week’s text is Matthew 12:3-37. Jesus continues to be challenged by the Pharisees' anger, bitterness and scheming as Jesus continues to show who He is. He shows us how a heart-change is needed!
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Dig Deeper - Week 13: Of First Importance...
Awake Us Now
Pastor takes us through an exploration of one of the earliest Christian statements of faith. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 Paul said, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.” Of FIRST Importance is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Jesus is the sacrificial victim who pays for the sins of the world. Only an innocent victim can pay for...
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 16
Awake Us Now
This week’s text is Matthew 11:13-12:4, with a continued study of John the Baptist as fulfilling the prophecy of “Elijah who was to come” as he points to Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophesied Savior. The class continues exploring Jesus’ identity through the teachings on repentance and forgiveness found in Jesus, as we learn that it is through Him alone that we can come to know the Father.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 15
Awake Us Now
In Matthew 10:29 - 11:15 we learn we are ambassadors for Christ with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit enables us to be effective witnesses wherever we go. We are called to live for Christ, and that has phenomenal consequences both for us and for others. In chapter 11, Matthew shows us Jesus’ identity.
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Questions - Week 25: What if the Shroud is Genuine?
Awake Us Now
This is a controversial topic. The Shroud of Turin is the most studied, most scientifically tested artifact in history. It has been subjected to literally hundreds of thousands of hours of intensive study by people of multiple disciplines. What do we know for certain…. The Foundation: 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.For what I...
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Daniel: When Kingdoms Collide (3) - God Reveals
Awake Us Now
Jesus never promised His followers an easy journey. What He does promise is a great destination, and He assures us of the presence of His Holy Spirit to uphold, to guide, and to reveal, so that His people may be equipped to lead the nations back to Him!
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 14
Awake Us Now
Pastor continues his verse by verse study of the book of Matthew. Today’s teaching is on Matthew 10:7-31. This section of Scripture is filled with some challenging instruction from Jesus that is filled with Divine Wisdom.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 13
Awake Us Now
Pastor continues his verse by verse study of the book of Matthew. Today’s teaching is on Matthew 9:18 - 10:10. This week’s study shows us Jesus as the Son of David, the Messiah. We also explore Jesus’ encouragement to spread the Gospel message to all, both Jew and Gentile.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 12
Awake Us Now
This week Matthew’s writings reveal the authority of Jesus; even the winds and the waves obey Him! This authority, His authority, identifies Him as the Living God.
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Dig Deeper - Week 12: What Did They See?
Awake Us Now
Dig Deeper - Week 12 - What did they see? Today we take a look at what John and Peter saw when the got to Jesus’ grave. John 20:3-7 ESV tells us, “So Peter went out with the other disciples, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen...
info_outlineThis teaching is from Matthew 24:36-25:30.
We pick up today’s class with Jesus and His teaching on His Second Coming. In these opening passages of today’s text we hear Jesus’ encouragement to not let the day of his final appearing catch us unaware. We can’t know the day or the hour of His return but, we CAN know Him! We can’t know the time of his return but we CAN know the importance of living by faith in Him. So multiple times Jesus encourages us to KEEP WATCH and to BE AWAKE to His return.
Next Jesus shares three parables all having to do with His return and us being ready - awake - when He comes.
1 - Owner and Thief - Jesus’ coming is unexpected
2 - Wise and Wicked - Jesus’ coming is sooner than expected
3 - Ten Virgins - Jesus’ coming is later than expected.
These three parables again speak to the fact that we just do not know when He will return so we need to be always be ready for His return!
After these three parables about being ready for His return, Jesus tells a parable: “Bags of Gold (often called Talents of Gold) from Matthew 25:14-30.
The story is of a Master entrusting His wealth to 3 of His servants. Each is given a different amount and then the Master goes on a journey. The servant that received 5 bags of gold puts his money to work and gains 5 more bags and the same thing for the servant given 2 bags of gold, he doubles his as well. But the man who received 1 bag dug a hole in the ground and hid the money. Then after a long time the Master returned and settled the accounts with the 3 servants.
Servants 1 and 2 each received these words from the Master, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This is what we each want to hear from God - that we used what He gave us wisely. The parable continues with the Master inviting them saying, “Come! Share in your Master’s happiness! (Eternal Life forever with Him).
We are to live by faith - serving and honoring God. We are not saved because we serve and honor Him - rather we serve and honor Him because we are saved through Jesus.
With the third servant who hid the gold - this servant said, “I know you are a hard Master so I was afraid and hid your gold, but here’s what you originally gave me.” (This is not a true statement by this 3rd servant. God’s character is one of goodness, He is pure, holy, just, faithful, true and loving.) This servant did not live by faith but was instead hard-hearted. The Master replies to him, “You wicked, lazy servant,” and this servant’s gold was given to the servant with 10 bags of gold and that 3rd servant was thrown into the darkness.
Jesus is returning and there is judgement - either to eternity with Him or to eternity without Him.
With Him forever is what we want - so be encouraged to serve Him with your eyes on Jesus, and eagerly anticipating His return!
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