This Sunday we welcome Rev. Dr. Ron Bouthillette to preach to us an encouraging word from Ephesians 3. Ron was a member and ministry intern at Ruggles back in the 1970s, and he loves our church. Currently he serves as a professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and as Associate Executive Minister of The American Baptist Churches of New Hampshire and Vermont.
Why do people climb mountains? For some it's to get a new perspective. When you climb a tall mountain you see the world down below differently, but you also see yourself differently as it makes you feel small. In our passage this Sunday, Jesus takes three of his disciples up a mountain, because they needed a new perspective--on the world, on themselves, and on Him. And of course, this is a new perspective that we need, too.
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.
This has been one of the most volatile years for the church, and our church, in a long time. The global pandemic, a racial justice movement, a contentious presidential election, and more have contributed to confusion and discouragement over the nature and mission of the church. In God's providence, this is the perfect time for us to jump back into the Gospel of Matthew and receive Jesus' triumphant, and comforting, promise: "I will build my church."
Ronald Wagogo, member of Redeemer Fellowship Church in Watertown, will complete his short series--Promises Made, Promises Kept--exploring two glorious Old Testament prophecies that have powerful application for today. This week we'll see God's promises for us from the book of Jeremiah.
We're taking a short break from the Gospel of Matthew to explore some glorious Old Testament prophecies that have powerful application for today. Ronald Wagogo, member of Redeemer Fellowship Church in Watertown, will preach a two-week series from the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah called "Promises Made, Promises Kept."
Have you ever been led astray? In our passage this Sunday, Jesus warns us about the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. But what exactly is this false teaching? Why is it so destructive? Why does he compare it to bread baking? And finally, how should we guard ourselves against it and walk in truth?
What did you expect? In this week's passage, we see God's heart for the nations and for outsiders. Through a curious interaction between Jesus and a desperate mother and a repeated feeding miracle, we'll see that great faith can reside in unexpected places, and people.
Is your heart really in it? That's what this Sunday is all about. It's so easy for us to just go through the motions in our spiritual lives! This week we have the privilege to sit under our brother Daniel Mboweni's preaching. He will show us from Matthew 15 the eternal importance of devoting not just our religious habits, but our hearts to the Lord.
This last year has been an unexpected storm for all of us. When we're surprised by the circumstances in our lives, how can we survive--or even thrive? Matthew is the only Gospel writer to include Peter's attempt to walk on the stormy water with Jesus. So we'll explore how we might find faith not only to step out of the boat but to stay above the water as well.
It seems that our nation is more divided than ever. It has become second nature to vilify those who are different from us or in disagreement with us. But in Sunday's passage recording Jesus' feeding of the five thousand, we see the Lord show a supernatural compassion for an undeserving people. And one group of the undeserving is the disciples themselves! We'll learn how we're not just objects of Christ's compassion but also instruments of it, too, for others.
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.
In his third and fourth parables, Jesus reveals something about the nature of his kingdom: it starts small. Jesus was born in a manger, wandered mostly around the rural areas of Israel, and was barely known by the powers of his time until after his death. What's true of Jesus and his ministry is true of how the kingdom works in us and through us--even though it starts small, it ultimately has incredible impact.
We've been reminded vividly this week about the reality of evil in our world, even in the church. In God's providence, our passage for this Sunday--the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds--addresses this very reality: If Christ's kingdom has come then why is there still so much evil in the world? And what should we as the church do about it?
Do you have family or friends who don't believe the gospel? I'm sure you do. Or perhaps you're seeking but struggling to believe the gospel yourself. Have you ever wondered, if the Good News is so "good" then why do so many people reject it? Why does it seem so hard to believe? Well we come to the teaching portion ("discourse") in Part 3 of the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus explains why so many people aren't seeing the "good" in his good news. From his famous parable of the soils, we'll hear Christ's defense of his message and see both the root and the fruit of true belief in him.
Wouldn't it be nice if God always gave us a clear sign when we asked? Then we would always know the right job to take, the right place to live, the right person to marry, and the perfect time to speak up. Yet in this week's passage, Jesus says asking for a sign is only a sign of unbelief, not belief. Through the continued opposition he endures in Matthew 12, Jesus will show us where we should look for faith, assurance, and wisdom.
Have you ever said something you wish you could take back? As the opposition to Christ and his kingdom continues in Part 3 of Matthew, Jesus' response to the Pharisees reveals a timeless principle about the connection between our words and our hearts.
