Beyond Getting Even

“Don’t get mad, get even!” This may sound good, but it is directly contrary to the teaching of Jesus that we encounter this week. Jesus deals with both heart and actions, teaching us that we are not only to not return evil for evil, but we are to go even further and love those who mistreat us.

Promises

This week, Jesus moves outward from our hearts to our actions, specifically those that rely on integrity. While none of these sins are unforgivable, Jesus uses marriage and vows to illustrate the importance with which a kingdom citizen should view promises.

Matters of the Heart

As Jesus began explaining how He was fulfilling the law, He started with two of the most common areas where people thought they were not sinning. This was the first time He explained that sin is not just a matter of what we do; it is a matter of the heart.

The New Covenant

As He ate with His disciples during the Last Supper, Jesus said that He was offering His blood as a covenant for the forgiveness of sins. Bro. Meyers takes us through covenants with God leading up to this one, and show us how Jesus was able to bring all those to their fitting conclusion.

Christ Is the Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets

Jesus claimed that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. As we investigate what this means, we see that the Old Testament generally, and the Ten Commandments in particular, are still very relevant to us today.

Meant to Make a Difference

Jesus used two metaphors - salt and light - to describe Kingdom citizens. Both these items made quite a difference in their environments, but they had to be used to be effective.

The Truly Blessed Life (Part 3)

Today, we finish the Beatitudes by looking at peacemaking and persecution, both of which should be hallmarks of Kingdom citizens.

The Truly Blessed Life (Part 2)

Building on last week, we continue through the Beatitudes. While the cause-and-effect is not quite as much of a paradox as the first three, these next three were counter to the culture when Jesus said them, and they still are today.

The Truly Blessed Life

Jesus opened the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes. In the first three of these, we hear paradoxes; Jesus was already turning their understanding upside down. In a way, we need our understanding turned upside as well; we typically refer to being “blessed” as things that we have. But, how can we have a truly blessed life?

He Began to Teach Them

Today, our focus on the kingdom of God shifts from the parables to the Sermon on the Mount. However, there is much to learn before we even get to Jesus’ words starting in verse 3. What is required for us to be able to learn kingdom principles?

(NOTE: The first few minutes are scratchy again this week; our apologies.)