12/01/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – A Cruel Mockery of a Coronation (27.27–31) A Struggle Shared by a Stranger (27.32) A Malicious Façade of Mercy (27.33–34) A Game for Christ’s Garments (27.35–36) A Sarcastic Sign of Respect (27.37) Condemnation with Criminals (27.38) Scorn from Those Surrounding Him (27.39–44)

11/24/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Pilate Ignored Jesus’s Innocence (27:11–14) Pilate Dodged the Decision (27:15–17) Pilate Disregarded Discernment (27:18–19) Pilate Capitulated to the Crowd (27:20–23) Pilate Attempted to Absolve Himself (27:24–26)

11/17/2924 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – The Sins and Sorrows of Those Who Reject Christ (Matthew 27:1-10) The Condemnation of an Innocent Man (Matthew 27:1-2) The Conscience of a Tormented Betrayer (Matthew 27:3-5) The Corruption of Hypocritical Leaders (Matthew 27:6-8) The Confirmation of Biblical Precedent (Matthew 27:9-10)

11/10/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – From Boastfulness to Brokenness (Matthew 26:69-75) The Problem of Peter’s Pride (Matthew 26:33-35; 41) The Failure of Peter’s Faith (Matthew 26:69-74) The Failure of Peter’s Conscience (Matthew 26:75)

10/20/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – A False Charge (Matthew 26:57-61) A Silent Savior (Matthew 26:62-63) A Bold Confession (Matthew 26:63-64) A Corrupt Verdict (Matthew 26:65-66) An Unmerited Mockery (Matthew 26:67-68)

10/13/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Hiding Hostility Behind Devotion (Matthew 26:47-50) Relying on Force Rather Than Faith (Matthew 26:51-54) Masking Motives in Darkness (Matthew 26:55-56)

10/06/2924 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – The Sorrow of the Savior (26.36–38) The Struggle with Submission (26.39, 42, 44) The Disappointment of the Disciples (26.40–41, 43) The Acceptance of Arrest (26.45–46)                                                   Summary: In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus showed his strength of character as he embraced submission to the Father’s will and surrendering to the inevitable suffering of bearing the sins of the world, in contrast to his disciples, whose spiritual weakness left… read more

09/29/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – The Prediction of Apostolic Abandonment  (Matthew 26:31) The Guarantee of Gracious Restoration (Matthew 26:32) The Protest From Peter’s Pride (Matthew 26:33) The Description of Peter’s Denial (Matthew 26:34) The Capacity of Collective Blindness (Matthew 26:35)

09/22/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – A Bread That Symbolizes His Sacrifice ( Matthew 26:26) A Cup That Symbolizes Our New Covenant (Matthew 26:27-28) A Promise That Anticipates His Kingdom (Matthew 26:29) A song That Celebrates God’s Victory (Matthew 26:30)

09/08/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – The Preparations for the Passover (Matthew 26:17) The Precautions for the Passover (Matthew 26:18-19) The Predictions of Betrayal (Matthew 26:20-24) The Pressures of Loyalty (Matthew 26:25)

09/01/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – 1. God’s Providence Allowed the Plot Against Jesus (26:1–5) 2. Christ’s Memorial Magnified Mary’s Devotion (26:6–13) 3. Judas’s Betrayal Revealed his Blindness (26:14–16) Matthew presents both the Divine sovereignty and the irony of a deceptive plot to betray Jesus against the backdrop of beautiful act of devotion towards Jesus by a woman in the days leading up to His arrest and crucifixion.

08/25/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Jesus Will Return to Reign on the Earth (Matthew 25:31-33) Jesus Will Reward Merciful Compassion for His People (Matthew 25:24-40) Jesus Will Recall Uncaring Rejection of His People (Matthew 25:41-45) Jesus Will Render Eternal Judgement Over All (Matthew 25:46)

08/18/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -The earthly return and reign of Jesus will begin with His judgment of all people based on their faith, which, in part, is manifested by how they respond to the persecuted people of God. Jesus will Return to Reign on the Earth (25.31–33) Jesus will Reward Merciful Compassion for His People (25.34–40) Jesus will Recall Uncaring Rejection of His People (25.41–45) Jesus will Render Eternal Judgment Over All (25.46)

08/04/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – There is a responsibility for Gospel Knowledge (Matthew 25:14-18) There Will Be Reward for Gospel Growth (Matthew 25:19-23) There Will Be Reckoning for Gospel Neglect (Matthew 25:24-30)

07/28/2024 – Sunday Sermon on Matthew – Shane Koehler – The Carelessness of the Bridesmaids  (Matthew 25:1-5) The Crisis at Christ’s Return (Matthew 25:6-9) The Consequences of Being Shut Out (Matthew 25:10-12) The Call to be Prepared (Matthew 25:13)

05/12/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane continues to explore the Olivet discourse on the return of Jesus. You cannot know the timing. You can know how to prepare.

05/05/2024 – Sunday Sermon- Shane Koehler- Don’t Ignore the Signs (24.32–33) Don’t Embrace the Skepticism (24.34–35) Don’t Misjudge the Swiftness (24.36–42)  Summary: Jesus warns us not to ignore the certainty of the signs of His coming return and judgment, even in light of the unpredictability or the exact timing of those events.

04/28/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane continues through the Olivet discourse concerning the Second Coming of Christ.

04/21/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -The Temple will be desecrated. The Tribulation will be severe. The time will be shortened. The treachery will be multiplied.

04/14/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -Persevere through persecutions and defections. Preach the Gospel to all the nations.

04/07/2024 – Sunday Sermon- Shane Koehler -Do not be led astray by false Messiahs.  Do not be troubled by international conflicts.

03/17/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Worthless religion cultivates contempt for God’s true messengers.

02/11/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -It promotes personal impurity. It hides hypocrisy behind morality.

01/28/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -Worthless Religion masks Deception as Devotion. It ignores Important Truths.

1/21/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -It prevents people from entering Heaven. It converts people to more corruption.

01/14/2024 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -This passage reveals the characteristics of a true leader. Genuine leaders align their lives with their teaching. They assist the weak. They avoid self-exaltation. They accept lowly service.

12/17/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -who is the Christ? Whose son is he?  A defining question that all must answer at some point. A deficient answer reveals lack of understanding. A Decisive truth silences His critics.

12/10/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -while being tested by a Pharisee, about the greatest commandment, Jesus reveals the truth about the two greatest commandments.

12/03/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -Trying to embarrass Jesus, the Sadducees reveal that they have a lack of true understanding about the Resurrection and God’s power.

11/26/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler –Responding to an attempted trap from the Pharisees, Jesus responds to their question about taxes.

11/12/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -Using a parable, Jesus compares those who ignore the Gospel call, or respond inappropriately to the Gospel call, to invitees to a king’s wedding invitation.

11/05/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – In a parable Jesus reveals how Israel has continuously rejected the word of God and his messengers, then, had the Kingdom taken from them.

10/29/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Through a parable, Jesus makes the the distinction between true repentance which shows Regret after brokenness, and false repentance that reveals Resistance after Boastfulness.

10/15/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler –In the temple, Jesus is confronted by illegitimate priests, endowed with inflated conceit, insincere motives, and inadequate judgment, who question His authority.

10/01/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -Jesus uses the fruitless fig tree to emphasize the power of true faith and prayer.

09/24/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane expounds on Jesus’s cleansing of the temple.

09/17/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – When Jesus came to Jerusalem during the Triumphal Entry, people were expecting a conquering war king to expel Rome, not a sacrifice on a donkey.                

07/23/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane unpacks the story found in several of the Gospels, of the blind men asking for and receiving healing from Jesus at the entrance to Jericho. God has compassion on those who the world has no compassion.

07/16/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane expounds on this passage, as James and John seek high places in Heaven, the importance of humility, and being the servant  of all.

06/25/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler -Jesus tells his disciples that His love for us is so strong, he will willingly suffer and give up his life for us.

6/18/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – In the parable of the land owner and the  field workers, Jesus reveals God’s salvation and mercy to all who believe, no matter at what point in their lives they believe.

06/11/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane finishes up his exposition on this passage of the rich young ruler who is seeking to enter heaven by his works.

06/04/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane unpacks the story of the rich young ruler who was trying to earn his way into heaven. Heaven is gained by heart and faith, not by deeds.

05/28/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Jesus’s insistence on sharing a blessing on children, reveals that God has a special favor for children who have not yet reached an age of accountability.

05/14/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane continues in Matthew 19, as Jesus expounds on God’s plan for marriage, and although not encouraged, the only acceptable reason for divorce.

05/07/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Jesus deals with the question of divorce by explaining God’s original design for marriage and its intended purpose in creation, while recognizing the rare circumstances where that purpose is undermined by the sinful desires of mankind.

04/30/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – In this passage from Matthew, Jesus uses a parable to remind believers that because God has forgiven us an unobtainable debt, tha5 we should in turn forgive debts owed to us.

04/23/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane continues with Jesus’s precise explanation of the process and the importance of trying to restore a believer by the church.

04/16/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – In these verses, Jesus reveals the process for dealing with fellow believers who are in sin, with an emphasis on trying to restore this person to the body.  

03/26/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Through Jesus’s words in Matthew, it is revealed the importance and value that God holds for every believer, and how straying believers need to be sought by all.

03/19/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – This passage of Matthew reveals the perils of sin, tempting others with sin, and the preference to avoid that which tempts to sin.

02/26/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – As the apostles jostle for who is the greatest in heaven, Jesus reveals that one must have some characteristics of a child to even enter heaven.

01/29/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – As Jesus heals a boy possessed by a demon, he rebukes the father and others about their lack of faith, and that His time here on earth is short.

1/22/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus reveals to the apostles, a glimpse of what is coming to instill hope and confidence to them.

1/15/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Jesus describes to his apostles, the extreme sacrifices that must be made to be a true believer.

01/08/2023 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – As the end of Jesus’s earthly teaching draws near, He reveals to the disciples, events that must happen, leading up to His death. As Peter tries to intervene, he gets a sharp rebuke from Jesus.

12/04/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – In one of Jesus’s final teaching before heading towards Jerusalem, He warns the disciples about the doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus describes as leaven.

11/27/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Jesus once again heals and miraculously feeds thousands, but this time to gentiles.    

11/20/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane reveals in Matthew 15, the characteristics of great faith as revealed by the Canaanite woman whose daughter was demon possessed.

10/09/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – In an interaction with the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus warns of religious formalism that elevates traditions to the level of God’s Word.

9/25/2022 – Sunday Sermon- Shane Koehler – After feeding the 5,000, Jesus performs another miracle of walking on water, revealing the untrusting unbelief of the apostles.

9/18/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – In the chapter in which Jesus feeds the 5 thousand, it is revealed that when in ministry, one must always be prepared to minister to others even when seeking times of solitude. It also gave the Apostles a lesson in faith.

9/11/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane unpacks how guilt can eventually be your undoing, as it was for Herod Antipas.

8/21/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane explains how and why Jesus was rejected in Nazareth by the peopl3 he grew up with.

8/07/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane finishes up Jesus’s parable teachings of Chapter 13 with the command to “cast a wide net” for believers, then let God sort out the righteous from the unrighteous.

7/31/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Jesus again is using parables to explain the extreme value and worth that people obtain when they find the Kingdom of Heaven.  

7/24/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane explains Jesus’s next parables about the small mustard seed and the effects of leaven.

7/17/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – We look at how Jesus explains the parable of the Weeds growing with the wheat.

7/10/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane continues our study of Matthew by explaining why Jesus often taught using parables.

6/12/2022 – Sunday Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane continues his exposition of the soils, with an explanation of the seed and the good soil.

5/29/2022 – Matthew Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane continues to explain the parable about the seed and soil and how that relates to your heart.

5/22/2022 – Matthew Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane talks on the familiar passage about the growth of scattered seed and how it is a parable about men’s hearts.

5/08/2022 – Matthew Sermon – Shane Koehler – Shane explains family relationships in a spiritual sense.

The word Hypocrite means “an actor.” But in ancient Greek, the term also carries the idea of acting behind a mask. That concept is used in Matthew as Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their saying one thing but doing another. However, Jesus also has a warning for us and the judgment of our words. What does our speech reveal about the real us?

The Pharisees’ rejection of Christ wasn’t for the lack of evidence or for the absence of information. They simply reached a point where they hardened their hearts towards the gospel. What does this mean for those today who reject God’s truth?

In Christ’s earthly ministry, He continually faced animosity, rejection, and hostility from the Jews and religious leaders. Yet, instead of engaging those who rejected Him, He understood that the gospel goes forth not by human effort, but by supernatural power and means. In Matthew 12:15-21, God affirms Christ as His beloved servant who sows the gospel in seeds of gentleness and quietness to the weak and wavering of the world.

Some of the most debated and burdensome realities in Israel at the time of Christ were the laws surrounding the Sabbath. Even today, Jewish communities struggle with adhering to these laws. Most of the volatile encounters Jesus had with the religious leaders centered on the adherence to Sabbath laws. In Matthew 12, Jesus exposes their hypocrisies and misinterpretations of the Sabbath.

One of the most debated and burdensome realities in Israel at the time of Christ was the laws surrounding the Sabbath. Even today, Jewish communities struggle with adhering to these laws. Most of Jesus’s volatile encounters with the religious leaders centered on the adherence to Sabbath laws. Here in Matthew 12, Jesus exposes their hypocrisies and misinterpretations of the Sabbath.

The four gospels give us a wealth of information on Jesus’s life. Stories of his birth and interactions with people, first-hand accounts of miracles and supernatural occurrences, as well as factual data like his genealogy. Even Christ’s death and resurrection have been well recorded. But in all the Gospels, there is only one place where we get a glimpse into Jesus’s heart, and that is here, in Matthew 11.

The brutality and debauchery of past cultures are well documented. Civilizations like Nazi Germany, Rome, and the Aztecs show us examples of how cruel, greedy and inhumane mankind can be. Two of the most infamous cultures, Tyre and Sodom, are mentioned here in Matthew as Jesus gives a warning to those who have heard the truth of the gospel and rejected it. – 01/09/2022

In this passage, Christ enters a season of criticism and disapproval. Many who face this type of rejection begin to adapt or change in the face of opposition. Instead, Christ exposes the excuses of unbelief and their fickle, frivolous, and foolish hearts. 12/19/2021

Shane Koehler – In light of what Jesus told his disciples in chapter 10 on the nature of “True Disciples” and on the heels of answering questions posed by John the Baptist, Jesus defends the character of John, who himself is an object lesson of what you may face in this world in sharing the Gospel. In this passage, Jesus highlights two standards in the life of John that would apply to all of Jesus’s disciples, both then and in the ages to come. 12/12/2021

“Are you the one who is coming, or should we wait for another?” John the Baptist asks this essential question of Jesus while languishing in prison for two years. These were not the results John had expected. When we can’t see God’s complete plan and hardship and trials come, doubt begins to creep in. However, Jesus’s reply to John confirms he is the One through fulfilling the works of the prophecies foretold. An answer to bring hope to a demoralized prophet.

How an ambassador is received directly reflects what a person thinks or feels about who they represent. Christ tells the disciples in Matthew 10:40, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” We are ambassadors of Christ, and we proclaim the truth, a message of grace and mercy.

We are in a culture where we want everything to just work, to be intuitive, and take little thought or perplexity. Unfortunately, that is how many today view Christianity. But Jesus tells us that discipleship is anything but intuitive. On the contrary, it is very much counter-intuitive. It demands a break from your natural alignments, goals, and the way you view the world. In this passage, Jesus warns us about the dangers of false discipleship. 11/14/2021 Sermon – Shane Koehler

Nothing strikes fear into many people more than speaking in public. Many of us have similar fears when sharing the Gospel or speaking about God at certain times. This isn’t new or unexpected by Jesus. In this passage, Jesus prepares his 12 apostles for their first evangelistic mission and how to deal with these fears and anxieties while remaining faithful and willing to share the Good News.

Nothing strikes fear into many people more than speaking in public. Many of us have similar fears when sharing the Gospel or speaking about God at certain times. This isn’t new or unexpected by Jesus. In this passage, Jesus prepares his 12 apostles for their first evangelistic mission and how to deal with these fears and anxieties while remaining faithful and willing to share the Good News.

The first time Christ commissions the disciples to go out and preach takes place in Matthew 10. In effect, a first edition of the lessons of Evangelism. There are obvious differences in this commission and the final “Great Commission” in Matthew 28. In looking at the similarities and the differences in these two commissions we can gain insight into Christ’s instruction on evangelism, not only for these disciples for us as well.

Recently, there have been many who claim the title of Apostle. But throughout church history, it was generally understood that apostles were a unique group of men with special authority and abilities, appointed for a specific time and a specific task. In this passage, we see Christ appointing and authorizing his apostles. Who were these men? Why they were appointed? What kind of authority were they given?

In contrast to the false shepherds who use God’s flock to feed and serve themselves, Jesus came as the True Shepherds who compassionately feeds, cares for, and lays down His life for the sheep.

At its core, unbelief Is not looking for validation. Rather, unbelief is looking for excuses. The healing of a blind man and a possessed mute teaches us about the nature of faith and of the heart of unbelief. Matthew highlights the fact that after all of the miraculous healings, the people still didn’t believe.

Regardless of a person’s wealth and status, or their shame or condition in life, Christ has compassion on those who approach Him with Fatih. Matthew gives us a beautiful picture of Christ’s mercy and love in this account of Christ’s interaction with two people with very different backgrounds.

God the Father is seeking people to worship Him – not in an external, ritualistic way, but from the heart, according to a New Covenant. In this passage, Jesus uses several analogies to explain this truth.

How do you reconcile being in the world but not of the world? How are we to love those in the world but not love the world? Jesus confronts this paradigm in Matthew’s account of Jesus associating with sinners. The “great physician” ministers to the spiritually sick while the self-righteous scoff. In the end, Jesus clarifies the purpose of his preaching and identifies the requirement for salvation.

In today’s context people often think of forgiveness in purely emotional terms, and not the concept of pardoning or forgiving someone from guilt or punishment. That implies something else – a position of authority.­ In this account, a paralytic is brought to Jesus, and seeing their faith, He declares the man’s sins are forgiven. Jesus then confronts the accusations and doubts of the Scribes through the physical healing of the man. By this miracle, Jesus demonstrates to the people His authority and power to forgive the sins of men. The crowds respond to Christ’s authority with reverence and awe.

When Jesus encounters two demon-possessed men, he displays his absolute authority over the supernatural realm and his great mercy toward sinful men.

The account of Jesus calming the storm reveals the deficient faith that often characterizes us when we encounter adversity. We fail to realize that Jesus is not only powerfully able to help, but that he cares deeply for us.

Jesus challenges the popular idea that the church’s goal should be to attract as many people as possible. In one interaction, he actually discouraged two followers from continuing with Him because of their shallow devotion. Jesus instead urges His followers to count the cost of true discipleship.

Those who are considered great in the world usually avoid the despised, cast-off, unclean, and defiled, thinking themselves above them. But Jesus, the holy, exalted Savior, actually delights in reaching out and touching the lives of those that society has rejected. Jesus’ interaction with a leper demonstrates his great compassion.

When we see an impressive structure, the foundation is not something we usually focus on, but it’s the most critical aspect of a building when it comes to its ability to withstand the forces of nature. Jesus uses this analogy to help us understand the importance of building our spiritual lives on God’s truth, as the storms of life and of God’s judgment will inevitably reveal the integrity of our lives.

Just like a placebo makes people feel better while not actually treating an illness, there is an easy, false gospel that promises salvation in Jesus, but has no spiritual reality, no transforming power, and doesn’t deliver from sin, judgment, and hell. Jesus warns his hearers to evaluate the genuineness of their faith.

Jesus alerts us to the threat of spiritual dangers that appear to be harmless and even helpful, but are actually out to sabotage our souls. Specifically speaking of false spiritual leaders, Jesus gives us a warning system to discern these dangers before they harm our souls.

The path to true life and salvation is narrow, troublesome, and hard to find. The path to destruction is broad and easy, and those who walk on it receive widespread approval from the world. The key difference is the destination. Jesus calls us to consider what path we are we are walking.

At first glance, the Golden Rule seems to be a sort of common sense principle regarding how we should treat others, but upon deeper reflection, it is a profound summary of the entirety of God’s revelation, law, love, and plan of salvation.

In view of God giving His own Son for us, as well as giving us every good spiritual and material blessing, why do we still doubt God’s willingness to answer our prayers? Jesus reminds us of the generosity of our Father and calls us to faithfully bring our needs and burdens to Him.

Judge not lest you be judged” is possibly the most misunderstood verse in all of the Bible. A deeper understanding of what Jesus meant is necessary to understanding how to deal with sins and differences when they arise.

Worry demonstrates too high a view of ourselves and too low a view of God. When we worry, we forget how limited we are in controlling our own lives, and we forget How powerful, loving, and caring our Father is. Jesus calls us from worry to trusting our God.

Worry demonstrates too high a view of ourselves and too low a view of God. When we worry, we forget how limited we are in controlling our own lives, and we forget How powerful, loving, and caring our Father is. Jesus calls us from worry to trusting our God.

Jesus’ teaching that “no one can serve two masters,” along with the rest of the NT, clearly teaches that all people are slaves of some kind of master. The question is, are we slaves owned by God who live for His purposes, or slaves of something else?

A desire for money and earthly treasure dulls our vision of God’s glory and fills our heart with self-destructive desires. Jesus calls us to seek treasures that last and that draw us nearer to God.

The problem with pursuing material, worldly treasures is that the things we want to possess quickly come to possess us. Jesus calls us to be consumed with God’s glory and a life lived in pursuit of treasures that will truly satisfy and can never be lost.

Ongoing repentance and confession of sin is essential in genuine prayer. Although believers are forgiven and cannot lose their salvation, indwelling sin still constantly threatens to distance us from fellowship with God and effectiveness in the Christian life.

One of the heart attitudes central to genuine prayer is dependence on God for all things. Even when we are not living day-to-day, the prayer “Give us this day our daily bread” forces us to acknowledge His providence, His generosity, and to respond in gratitude for all He has given us.

Genuine prayer is marked by exaltation of God and a debasement of ourselves in humility and submission. Prayer is not about petitioning God on behalf of our will and our desires, but His will and His kingdom.

In contrast to those who prayed for show or because they thought it earned them favor with God, Jesus presents us with a roadmap for how God wants his people to pray to Him. It begins with understanding our familial relationship to to an infinitely holy God.

Religious practices such as fasting and prayer are intended to draw us nearer to God. In our sin and pride, we twist them into means of getting others to recognize our supposed spirituality. Jesus exposes our sinful tendencies and calls us to true devotion.

Does the way we pray reveal a heart that desires to glorify God, or to glorify ourselves? How do we pray when we have nothing to gain from it or when no one sees except God? Jesus describes the wrong and right approach to this critical spiritual practice.

The way we participate in religious practices like giving, prayer, and fasting displays whether we are truly seeking God’s glory or seeking glory for ourselves. It’s not enough to do the right things if our hearts are still bent on self.

When defining true righteousness, what really matters is not man’s definitions, but God’s character and God’s Law. The essence of true righteousness is to love as God Himself loves. But God’s love is much different than the world’s conceptions of love – it is extended even toward enemies. Pastor Shane Koehler describes the love that God demands.

True followers of Jesus are characterized by a willingness to be personally wronged without retaliating. Believers do this because they trust that no injustice, attack, or insult will ultimately go unpunished by God, but it is not our role to bring that about in our timing or our way.

In the era of big tech, it’s difficult to know what to believe and whom to believe. But this is no new problem. The bent of sinful human nature has always been toward using words to twist the truth to suit our desires and agendas. Jesus reinforces the call for honesty that has always been central to the Law of God. Being a trustworthy person begins with trusting God’s will and God’s ways over our own.

Jesus’ teaching on divorce exposes our tendency to avoid the true intent of God’s law in attempts to legitimize what we want to do. He calls us to repentance and shows us God’s wisdom for the married, divorced, and unmarried.

God’s will for every Christian is to be sanctified, which is growing in holiness and diminishing in sinfulness. This requires taking decisive, practical actions agains temptation and sin, prioritizing eternal values over worldly, temporal ones.

Jesus’ words about lust strike at the heart of the corruptions of our society. Our actions condemn us, but God’s law points even deeper, to the level of our lustful motives, intentions, and deceptions. Only the power of Christ can deliver us from the destructiveness of our lust and cleanse our hearts.

Every fallen person has a tendency to justify their own behaviors, attitudes, and emotions. The Law of God was intended to reveal God’s view things, but our tendency is even to twist the Law to justify ourselves. Jesus cuts through all of this by revealing the true nature of our hearts and of God’s Law as it relates to our anger.

What is the role of the Old Testament and the Law in the Christian life? Has Jesus’ work completely done away with our obligations to the OT Law and its commandments? Pastor Shane Koehler explains Jesus’ teaching on this critical issue.

How are Christians to understand their relationship to the Old Testament and to the Law of God? Has the law been done away with, or do we still have any obligations to it? Jesus describes his fulfillment of the Law and how the Christian is to relate to it.

When we live according to the Beatitudes, our lives ought to have a purifying effect on society that points people to God.

The Beatitudes teach us that we can be poor in spirit, meek, and peacemakers, and yet the world will still oppose Christians because they oppose Christ. Ultimately, the only way to avoid persecution is to conform to the world and adopt its message. Rather than responding to this with discouragement and depression, Jesus says that the persecuted Christian is blessed to share the name and nature of Christ.

Peace between people in our nation and our world is in short supply. Genuine believers are those who pursue peace with others rather than stoking conflict. Peacemaking reveals a heart that is no longer centered on self and gratifying selfish desires. But biblical peacemaking is not avoiding conflict or people-pleasing, so how should we understand it?

Every person is born with a polluted, impure heart. What we need desperately is to be cleansed. Genuine believers are distinguished by a new, internal love for God and His ways.

Understanding the depth our own sinfulness and God’s mercy toward us in Christ, nothing would be more contradictory and inconsistent in a follower of Jesus than a lack of mercy, kindness, and concern toward others in sin and need. Jesus says showing mercy toward others must be a defining characteristic of Christians.

It’s the universal condition of fallen man that we are constantly, vainly trying to satisfy self with things that can never satisfy. The true believer is marked by a new blessedness that comes from an internal hunger for God and His ways. He gives is this hunger and He satisfies it.

When we understand that we are sinners who have nothing to offer God, and when we mourn over our sin, the result will be an attitude of meekness toward others. We will turn from the aggression and retaliation that come from focusing on our self-importance to attitudes of gentleness, humility, and consideration of others.

Our culture is bent on avoiding sorrow and sadness. And when we do mourn, much of it is caused by not getting what we want. In contrast, Jesus says that those who mourn experience life as God intended, but we need to be careful to distinguish between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. What does Jesus say should cause us to mourn?

Today’s sermon by pastor Shane Koehler is “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit” from Matthew 5.