The immediate reaction to the words of Jesus at the end of his famous Sermon on the Mount was astonishment because of the authority with which he taught. In this message, we see that Jesus was more than a great teacher, more than a prophet, he was in fact the Son of God, the Messiah, and therefore our King. Matthew 7:28-29
In the second part of our Advent-Themed Worship series, Noel shows us how the Bible instructs us to bring our praises to God.
Matthew 16:21-28. Jesus instructs his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. By Noel Piepgrass
In Matthew 10:40-42, Jesus wraps up his sermon on mission with a specific word to those who receive other Christians. In this teaching, Noel Piepgrass explains that to receive a Christian brother or sister on mission is the same as receiving Jesus himself or even God the Father.
In Matthew 7:7-12, Jesus teaches that we can persist before the Father in prayer because he is the giver of good gifts. By Noel Piepgrass
In Matthew 14:1-12, we find out that Herod has been hearing about the deeds of Jesus. In fact, Matthew tells us Herod actually suspects that John the Baptist has risen from the dead and is the one performing these deeds. In this passage, we learn that John was killed because he took a stand against Herod’s illegitimate marriage and sensual lifestyle. Noel Piepgrass shares how we ought to be willing to take a similar stand against our culture’s wayward views on gender, marriage, and sexuality.
Jesus sums up his teaching on marriage by elevating the call to celibacy and a life of self-denial for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 19:10-12. Noel Piepgrass