Why does Jesus actively discourage would-be followers? Two encounters give Jesus the opportunity to bring clarity. Following him is costly. Join us as we consider the humility, the rejection, and the paradox of following Jesus. He is at once both the suffering servant of Isaiah and the Son of Man of Daniel 7. What will you do with the challenge he lays before you?

Hard words from Jesus about where our hearts lie as he confronts us with two treasures, two visions, and two masters. While we may think we can follow Jesus part time, he bids us choose—and reveals to us the slavery inherent in pursuing earthly wealth. Join us as we weigh his words and their challenge, and join us next week as Jesus goes on to address the anxiety that his commands may produce in us.

How would Jesus transform our response to adversity? Where can we find the strength to show the meekness he calls blessed? Join us as Jesus confronts our confusion of justice and revenge, as we explore the meekness he requires, and as we look to him as our example and so much more.

What would it look like if we consistently loved the truth in thought, word, and deed? In this passage Jesus puts his finger on the problem of broken word and broken oaths, lays bare the aggravation of mincing words and finding loopholes, and calls upon us to love the truth in thought, word, and deed, even as he who is the way, the truth, and the life helps us by his Spirit.

Jesus calls his disciples the salt of the earth and the light of the world, but what do these images mean for us, and how do we make sense of the enigmatic warnings that come with them? This morning we examined the usefulness of disciples, the temptation of persecution, and the outcome of our discipleship. Join us as we continue to make our way through the Sermon on the Mount!

As Jesus begins the most famous sermon ever preached he begins by meeting objections his teaching will raise, asserting blessing for his disciples, and offering us three windows: into the character of his disciples, into the content of the kingdom, and into the persecution of believers. Join us as we consider these Beatitudes and the comfort that precedes command.

As Matthew turns to the first major block of Jesus’ teaching we encounter a two-verse preface. Easy to overlook, this preface nevertheless orients us to what follows with important reminders and observations. As we consider it this morning we are reminded that Jesus teaches for the world, Jesus teaches his disciples, and Jesus teaches with authority. Join us as we consider both the encouragement and the challenge that these observations bring!