Matthew 6:19-21

19 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

• We are natural hoarders. We naturally seek security in material wealth. No matter how much we have, we desire more and more stuff.
• God wants us to focus on our treasures in heaven. Heaven is a place waiting for us that is filled with things of real value. Complete paradise. No sin, no pain, no struggle, just the holiness of God and the opportunity for us to see him face to face!
• The things of this world were not meant to last. We were not meant to live forever and yet we try to hold on to life and material things as though they were meant to satisfy us in some way. They do satisfy us temporarily but God provides true happiness and complete satisfaction.
• When we put our treasures in heaven our hearts follow. We cannot have a heart for God and a heart for the things of this world. You must choose!
• Where are you storing your treasures? Where is your heart?

Isaiah 43:1-4

Isaiah 43:1-4

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
    I gave Ethiopia[a] and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
    I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
    You are honored, and I love you.

• When you have paid for something and own it you tend to take care of it. We are Gods possession and he paid a heavy price for each one of us.
• When he speaks we should listen and trust in his motives and believe his intentions.
• We will not be spared from troubling times. It say "when" and not "if" you go through deep waters, difficult rivers, and walk through fires.
• Although God allows us to go through tough times, God loves to deliver us. He loves to show his power and great love for us.
• God will not allow us to drown or be consumed by the fire. We can trust in God that he will not give us more than we can bear and will always be there for us.
• Vs 3-4 is past tense. Remember in years past how God delivered you. Look back see what God has done in your life and how he has spared you. Use those truths in your life to help build your faith going forward. God has proven time and time again that he will not forsake us.
• We are precious to God and honored in his sight. We must never forget that. Satan wants us to devalue ourselves but we must not allow him to convince us that we are not precious in Gods sight. Remember that you were bought and paid for with precious blood of Jesus.
• Regardless what happens in your life from that day forward you are blessed with salvation! Praise God!

Romans 7:1-5

Romans 7:1-5

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[a] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

• Laws are a good until they are broken. The Old Testament laws were very cumbersome and the religious leaders put many extra burdens on the people as well.
• What a relief to know that God has done away with the legalism of the law and has provided grace and mercy through Jesus.
• I no longer have to live in fear of breaking the law. My motives to serve and love God are based in Jesus and not on trying to be perfect which is I am unable to do.
• What a burden that has been lifted!
• The law is still right and just but God has provided a new way for me to live out his laws without being condemned for one infraction.
• Under the law we are able to only produce fruit that leads to death.

• By serving in "the new way of the spirit" I am free from the law and free to bear spiritual fruit for God.

Hebrews 2:10-11

Hebrews 2:10-11

10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.

• God has chosen us as his children. His intention is to bring us into his glory to one day be with him. 
• We cannot approach God the way we are. We need to be refined. Refined the way silver and gold are refined. Through the fire to remove all the impurities in our lives.
• Jesus was molded by God into the savior of the world by his suffering. How do I view suffering? Do I see it the way God intended it? As a tool to mold and refine my character so that I can be more like him.
• Jesus as my brother or sister. Think about that statement. Jesus is God and at the same time the Son of God. Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. By lowering himself to become human and also elevating us to the status of his equals by calling us brothers and sisters, He has set the ultimate example of humility
• Jesus is not ashamed of who we are. Are you ashamed of who Jesus is? Does your life profess Jesus as Lord? He is our savior and one true king and the whole world should hear his praise coming from our lips!

Repentance and supplication

Repentance and supplication

Repentance: sincere regret or remorse.

Supplication: the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or HUMBLY.

Luke 11:4 forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

God free forgives and yet he wants us to ask for forgiveness.

Vs 4 When we confess through prayer and ask for forgiveness it clears our hearts and sets our minds for action.

Vs 4 When you see and acknowledge how sinful you are it's easier to forgive others when they sin against you.

Let's focus our hearts and our minds towards repenting in the areas we need to grow and forgiving our brothers and sister around us as we pray...amen!




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1 John 3:1-6

1 John 3:1-6

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

• Children of God! As sinful as we are God still considers us his children. When a prince knows he is a prince he holds his head up high. He walks in confidence because he is the Kings son. Similarly we have received authority from the Almighty God and are heirs to His throne! As God's children we too should walk in confidence and appreciate what it truly means to call God father and to have him call us his sons and daughters!
• The world will never acknowledge us as God's children and that is okay. We are not seekers of the worlds approval. We live to honor and please God and knowing him calls us to give up our life of sin.
• We are trapped in our earthly bodies; however, there is coming a time when Jesus will return and we will be transformed into our true state. We should work to purify our selves and die to sin in the hope that we can be like Jesus here and now.
• By nature we are law breakers and sinners who have no hope of change. Through Jesus we are able to die to sin and live for him. In Jesus there is no condemnation for sin. Although we must strive to live pure lives and let go of our sinful desires, where we fall short, Jesus rescues us.
• Sin pulls us away from Jesus and keeps us from knowing God. This is why it is so important that we stay honest with ourselves about sin in our lives and confess to one another so that we can be held accountable and truly repent.
• What sins have been pulling you back into the world that you need to confess and repent of today?

Romans 6:6-12

Romans 6:6-12 

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live;[a] do not give in to sinful desires.

• Being crucified with Christ is a necessary step to your conversion. In order to live with Christ we must first die to our selves and die to the sins that have trapped us our entire lives. What sins have you been a slave to? What sins have controlled you for far too long? Put them to death!
• When we partake in Jesus's death and decide to crucify our selves and our sinful desires there is no power left in sin. Sin has no control over us.
• Living with Christ does not mean we are sin free. It means that we are no longer slaves to sin. There is a difference. When you are a slave to something you have no self control. You go where it wants you to go. You react the way it wants you to react. Being set free in Christ means sin no longer has that power over you.
• The fear of death is no longer a concern for someone who is alive in Christ. We know where we are going and what is waiting for us on the other side. When we were lost and filled with sin, death was an uncertain nightmare. Jesus has conquered death and has given us the power to conquer it as well!
• Jesus died once and for all. Jesus death was all inclusive and his resurrection gives us confidence to know that some day we will be with him in glory! The power of the resurrection has been passed on to us.
• Just as Jesus lives for the glory of God we too must lay down our lives and set aside our earthly desires and live for the glory of God in all that we do.
• Sinful desires will always remaining; however, the power to overcome and not be in slaved by them has been given to us! Praise God for providing the way of our redemption!

Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 9:6-7

"A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace. The authority of his rule will continue to grow. The peace he brings will never end. He will rule on David's throne and over his kingdom. He will make the kingdom strong and secure. His rule will be based on what is fair and right. It will last forever. The Lord's great love will make sure that happens. He rules over all."
‭
Jesus was a gift from God given to all mankind!

God gave Jesus all authority and he rules over us. It's time to step off your throne and acknowledged Jesus as Lord! There can only be one King and Jesus is the perfect King who brings peace and rules out of love, grace and mercy!

His kingdom and authority will continue to grow and his dominion will never end. He brings everlasting peace and sets our hearts free from bondage! Jesus is worthy of our worship. There never has been or never will be a King like him before! His lineage is strong and his throne is undeniable! He is the rightful King and we should surrender our all to him!

Jesus is fair and just! He doesn't show favoritism or partiality! His love and mercy are free given and offered to all with out reservation!

His kingdom will be strong and secure. Fortified and built to last eternity! You can be secure in knowing the Jesus will never leave you and will always be there to protect you and defend you in times of trouble!

Hebrews 9:12-14

Hebrews 9:12-14

12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

• The high priest could not enter the Holy of Holies without first cleansing himself. Jesus the ultimate high priest did not need to to do anything to enter the most holy place (Gods presence). Through his blood and sacrifice we too may enter freely.
• What freedom we have in Christ to commune with God directly and have a relationship with Him that is unencumbered. Freely we are able to go to God at any time and he will listen to us and accept us in his presence because of the blood of Jesus that makes us clean!
• Through Jesus, God released the requirements of the law and has allowed us to better serve God.
• As a priest, serving God consisted of many rituals that took a lot of time and effort just to be clean so that God could be near them.
• With all those rituals lifted and with Jesus's once and for all sacrifice; how much more time do we have to truly serve God in ways that directly impact the people around us.
• We can go to God in prayer immediately, serve God through loving our neighbor, carrying each others burdens, calling one another to righteousness, and holding each other accountable.
• This is now our acts of worship! Praise God and praise Jesus  for making this all possible
• How am I spending my time?
• In what ways can I use the time and freedom that God has given me to serve him more? 

Sermon on the mount

Sermon on the mount

Matthew 7:28-29

When Jesus spoke there was power and authority behind it. It was his words and his commands. He was speaking for himself and God at the same time! When Jesus preached he also talked about what was relevant for the day. Jesus did not hide from any topic!

What are relevant topics for today? Jesus did not hide from any topics or social issue of the day. He also talked about things that were not on the minds of his listeners but were needed in their lives!

Jesus talked about Gods law in ways that were relevant to their day

Matthew 5:17-48

Jesus speaks to some of the Jews most well known commands. He speaks on topics that they had debated for centuries! He cleared up all the misconceptions and contradictions of the day! Jesus connected gods law to the hearts of men.

Jesus never treated Gods law like a list of rules! Our nature desires rules and we love break things down into a list of rules. We hate following rules but we love to enforce rules on other people. Jesus showed them gods heart behind each law.

When you look at the heart behind a law it advocates for grace! When you just make a list of rules there is no place for grace!

Jesus did not replace the law with conscience. The law is not a loose set of guidelines that are directed by your conscience. Jesus came to for fill the law. "Always let your conscience be your guide" was never Jesus intention! The law is the law and should be followed. Jesus said that he would not remove one pen stroke from the law. A clean conscience means nothing when your in disobedience to Gods word. Your conscience is not the moral authority of the world!

Jesus addressed the heart with out changing the law. He took the law to a deeper level of commitment. Jesus freed us from the law so that there is nothing holding us back. So that we could give everything, be freed from guilt, and love with the right intentions, without a check list. How do you view Gods law? Are just a set of guidelines or do you look at it as a tool to reveal and shape your heart?








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Best sermon every -- Sermon on the mount!

Best sermon every -- Sermon on the mount!

Matthew 7:28-29

It was not just Jesus words that made it the best sermon ever. It was his life behind those words that set him apart. He talked about real issues of the day that were current and relevant. Jesus spoke on the law and connected the actions of the law with what God wanted to produce in our hearts! He defined Gods intent with the law!

Jesus talked about salvation and who would be saved! Jesus's salvation was a new concept for the Jews. Prior to Jesus teaching the only way to obtain salvation was to be born a Jew. Jesus opened salvation to the entire world.

Matthew 7:13-14

Salvation was opened up to the entire world and yet only a few will find salvation. There is only one road or another. Many of us don't intentionally turn off the road to salvation but many of us make a 1 degree turn that is barely noticeable. 1 degree off of flush over 10 years becomes a 90 degree turn. Either your on the path or not. There is no alternate route regardless of how close you are to the path.

Matthew 12:33

There is no need to argue or speculate who is on the rights path or not. By their fruit you will know who is a disciple of Jesus and who is not! Your can argue doctrine but you cannot argue a changed life that has been impacted by Jesus! If your bearing bad fruit you are not apart of the good tree! That's a hard teaching to accept.

Matthew 7:21-22

Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" will be saved! Jesus is Lord is the most powerful statement we can make and yet just saying it will not bring salvation. Many people who are religious are not going to make it. Been religious is not Gods standard.

Matthew 7:24-25

Everyone who puts these words of mine into practice will be saved! Words that lead to action! The Jews were know for knowing Gods word and yet many of them had hearts and actions that were far from it! We have to be willing to put every word into practice. This should be our life long goal as a disciple of Jesus!

It's not about how good of a builder you are, it's about what you are building on! What is your foundation? What are you building your house on? Life is going to happen no matter what you build on. Building on the rock does not keep you from facing trials and hardships, but it will give you the foundation to whether any storm!




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Repentance and supplication

Repentance and supplication

Repentance: sincere regret or remorse.

Supplication: the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or HUMBLY.

Luke 11:4 forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

God free forgives and yet he wants us to ask for forgiveness.

Vs 4 When we confess through prayer and ask for forgiveness it clears our hearts and sets our minds for action.

Vs 4 When you see and acknowledge how sinful you are it's easier to forgive others when they sin against you.

Let's focus our hearts and our minds towards repenting in the areas we need to grow and forgiving our brothers and sister around us as we pray...amen!




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Sermon on the mount

Sermon on the mount

Matthew 7:28-29

When Jesus spoke there was power and authority behind it. It was his words and his commands. He was speaking for himself and God at the same time! When Jesus preached he also talked about what was relevant for the day. Jesus did not hide from any topic!

What are relevant topics for today? Jesus did not hide from any topics or social issue of the day. He also talked about things that were not on the minds of his listeners but were needed in their lives!

Jesus talked about Gods law in ways that were relevant to their day

Matthew 5:17-48

Jesus speaks to some of the Jews most well known commands. He speaks on topics that they had debated for centuries! He cleared up all the misconceptions and contradictions of the day! Jesus connected gods law to the hearts of men.

Jesus never treated Gods law like a list of rules! Our nature desires rules and we love break things down into a list of rules. We hate following rules but we love to enforce rules on other people. Jesus showed them gods heart behind each law.

When you look at the heart behind a law it advocates for grace! When you just make a list of rules there is no place for grace!

Jesus did not replace the law with conscience. The law is not a loose set of guidelines that are directed by your conscience. Jesus came to for fill the law. "Always let your conscience be your guide" was never Jesus intention! The law is the law and should be followed. Jesus said that he would not remove one pen stroke from the law. A clean conscience means nothing when your in disobedience to Gods word. Your conscience is not the moral authority of the world!

Jesus addressed the heart with out changing the law. He took the law to a deeper level of commitment. Jesus freed us from the law so that there is nothing holding us back. So that we could give everything, be freed from guilt, and love with the right intentions, without a check list. How do you view Gods law? Are just a set of guidelines or do you look at it as a tool to reveal and shape your heart?








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