Today is part 2 of our Christmas series. I am going to follow up on the theme of the incarnation that I introduced briefly last week. But today as we wrap up the new year, it’s also going to be part reflection, part confession, part hope for how things might be different in the new […]
religion
Matt 15: Religion is Outside In, Christianity is Inside Out (pt3 of 3)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged […]
Matt 15: Religion is Outside In, Christianity is Inside Out (pt2 of 3)
What about the ordinances? There are 2 ordinances or traditions that Christ himself ordained for us to observe. One is the Lord’s Supper and the other is baptism. Catholics observe the Lord’s Supper every Sunday and many Protestants look at that and say, that’s just a meaningless ritual. So why bother observing it? Attending church […]
Matt 15: Religion is Outside In, Christianity is Inside Out (pt1 of 3)
Let’s start with a moment of silent prayer for the families who lost loved ones at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut where 20 children as young as 6 years old and 6 adults were killed this past week. Please turn with me to Matthew 15. These are the 3 different people who encounter […]
Matt 12 – The Lord of the Sabbath and the Promised Messiah (pt2 of 3)
1) Jesus shows that religion is all about rules. 1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on […]
Matthew 7:1-6 – Judging Without a Judgmental Spirit (pt2 of 4)
When we read about the narrow gate and the broad gate in v13-14, we probably think those on the broad road to destruction are completely irreligious drug addicts and prostitutes who love listening to heavy metal bands like Megadeth and Black Sabbath. If you follow Jesus’ argument throughout the Sermon on the Mount, it seems […]