Margin for the Marginalized (Leviticus 19:9-10)

This week is our annual stewardship Sunday, the one week every year when we consider how the Lord calls us to steward our finances for his kingdom purposes. This is also the season when we invite you to plan out your giving to the church for the next year, which serves to grow each of us in generosity while also helping us plan our church budget for the coming year. On Sunday, we'll open up the book of Leviticus and see how God's call to holy living applies to our money.

Why Jesus Healed (Matthew 8:1-17)

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Jesus is known, even by his skeptics, as not only a great teacher but a miraculous healer as well. Yet what was the purpose of Jesus healing people as part of his ministry? And what can we learn from Jesus' healings in the first century as we endure a plague of disease in the 21st century? This Sunday, we move into a new section of the Gospel of Matthew as we transition from learning about Christ's kingdom to seeing it in action.

The Test of True Christianity, Part 3 (Matthew 7:21-29)

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This week is Vision Sunday! It's the one Sunday per year when we acknowledge God's faithfulness in and through our church since our founding in 1870. And this year marks our 150th year of gospel ministry in Boston! We will celebrate our past and focus on our present and future mission to invite Boston and beyond into a life-changing relationship with Christ and his church. We'll open the final words of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and see Jesus' test of a true Christian.

The Test of True Christianity, Part 2 (Matthew 7:15-20)

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Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount with a powerful invitation into his true kingdom in contrast to counterfeit Christianity. In Part 2 this week, we'll look at the importance and value of teachers--those who guide us along the path of discipleship. Jesus warns us about "false prophets" and gives us some advice for discerning whether a teacher is true or false.

The Prayer-Empowered Kingdom Life (Matthew 7:7-12)

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Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is chock full of blunt, challenging teaching that can leave even the best of us feeling discouraged at our lack of righteousness. If you've ever felt like a failure, this week's passage is for you. Jesus concludes the main body of his sermon with one of the most encouraging--and empowering--passages in all of Scripture.

How (Not) to Judge (Matthew 7:1-6)

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In this Sunday's passage, Jesus has a stark warning for us about a self-righteous and overly critical spirit. How easy is it to see the faults of others and yet overlook our own flaws! The answer, however, isn't to avoid all judgments, but to exercise judgment with humility and care.

The Disciple's Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)

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It's easy to feel insecure or even guilty about your prayer life. But what is Jesus' vision for our communication with the Father? We have the privilege to welcome Pastor Jonathan Moseley from King's Hill Church on Mission Hill, who will preach to us from Jesus' most famous teaching on prayer.

The Danger of Doing Good (Matthew 6:1-4)

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"Humble-bragging" and "virtue-signaling" are 21st Century phrases, but the concept is as old as, well, sin. Our hearts are so corrupt that we can turn even a righteous deed into an opportunity for unrighteous pride. As we continue to the learn the character of Christ's kingdom in his Sermon the the Mount, Jesus teaches us that we need to repent not only for our sinful deeds but for our righteous ones, too.

Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With? (Matthew 5:27-32)

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We come to one of Jesus' most famous teachings about sex. You'll see why God cares so much about this--both in your heart and body. And Jesus will give us some very practical (albeit challenging) ways that you can fight sexual sin in your own heart and life.

*The sermon title is taken from a book by Pastor Sam Allberry.

Click here to view the sermon on Facebook.

No Small Anger Problem (Matthew 5:21-26)

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We all get angry sometimes. But what about those times when it sticks with us, when we're tempted to hold onto anger and resentment against someone who has hurt us? Jesus has some challenging words about the serious reality of this kind of anger. But he also gives us tangible steps to overcome it as he teaches about his kingdom of heaven that has come to earth.

Seasoning and Shining for the King (Matthew 5:13-16)

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Christianity is not a spectator sport. From the start, we’re called to make an impact. Specifically, Jesus gives us two pictures (salt and light), two warnings, and one goal. Last week, we saw Jesus’ vision for a new kingdom community in his famous Beatitudes poem. And this Sunday, we’ll see that we’re called to bring the blessing of Christ to the world around us.

Blessings of the Kingdom (Matthew 5:1-12)

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Has God blessed you? Do you have some savings in the bank, educational opportunities, a loving family? Is this what it means to be blessed? This week, we arrive at perhaps the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus introduces his sermon with a poem about the blessing of God, though it is perhaps not quite what we would expect when we think of being “blessed.” Jesus shows us here where God’s blessing is found: in his kingdom.

How the Kingdom Advances (Matthew 4:12-25)

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The Gospel of Matthew is all about Christ’s kingdom coming, but how is his kingdom expanding today? In the midst of the chaos of our world and the anxieties of our lives, how can we see God making progress? And how can we join him in bringing light to the darkness around us? This Sunday’s passage is about how Jesus’ ministry starts and spreads. We’ll see the surprising power of where he begins, who he recruits, and how he works to inaugurate heaven’s reign on earth.

The King's Test, and Ours (Matthew 4:1-11)

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What is the hardest test you’ve ever taken? In our passage this week, Jesus goes from being declared beloved by his Father and empowered by the Spirit, to being led into the wilderness to be tested (or tempted) by the devil. We’ll see in this rich text the reality and strategy of our adversary and the power we have to pass the spiritual tests we encounter in our lives through the victory of Christ.