What do you do when your beliefs are seemingly contradicted by your circumstances? Do you question your beliefs? Ignore or minimize your circumstances? Bro. Daniel Mboweni preaches to us from Psalm 73, which asks—and answers—this very question.
Jesus famously said that in this world believers will have trouble (John 16:33). We will all face pressure and even persecution because of our faith. The question is, in the face of opposition, will we shrink or stand? In our passage, Jesus is put on trial before the high priest. And yet there are really two trials going on. We'll see what we can learn from the strength of Jesus' faith in contrast with the weakness of Peter.
One pastor said that you’re either in a time of trouble now, you just got out of some trouble, or trouble is right around the corner. And if you haven’t had much trouble in your life yet, just keep on living. Indeed, sorrow is, or will be, a part of all of our lives. In our passage this Sunday, we'll learn how to remain faithful in times of trouble from the Lord Jesus, who endures great sorrow through his submission to the Father and ultimately secures our salvation.
Our culture surrounds us with messages of self-love and self-fulfillment, yet in our passage this Sunday, Jesus calls us to self-denial. After declaring the mission of the church to storm the gates of death, we'll see how the church is to do this. Surprisingly, we are to bring life by following Christ in death.
What blessings should we expect for following Jesus? Well, earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus called John the Baptist the last and greatest prophet (Matt. 11:7-14). What would his reward be? And what does his legacy teach us about following Jesus ourselves?
"Familiarity breeds contempt," as the saying goes. But why is Jesus really rejected by his hometown? As we begin Part 4 of the Gospel of Matthew, we'll see why Jesus is so offensive to so many people--including to you and me--and why that's a very good thing.
The Apostle Paul. Augustine of Hippo. William Wilberforce. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In Scripture and throughout church history there are certain people--most of them unknown -who uniquely devoted themselves to Christ's kingdom even at great cost to themselves. It raises the question, what is the fuel that powers such great sacrifice? Jesus' last three parables in Matthew 13 will show us how we can grow in seeking first the kingdom in our day-to-day lives.
Have you ever been disappointed with God? How do we respond when our expectations of God, the church, and our lives don't line up with the reality? This week we're diving back into the Gospel of Matthew. After Matthew introduces the promised King (ch. 1-3) and Jesus announces the kingdom (ch. 4-7) and brings the arrival of the kingdom (ch. 8-10), but now in Part 3 (ch. 11-13) we'll see the reality of opposition and rejection of Christ's kingdom.
Are you a patient person? In our passage this Sunday, James urges us over and over again (three times!) to be patient. But if you're anything like me, this is easier said than done--especially in the midst of challenging circumstances. Fortunately, James gives us both the secret of Christian patience and examples of Christian patience to follow. This week we'll strive to grow in patience, since "we count as blessed those who have persevered" (v. 11).
