Awake Us Now

Jesus warns against "people-pleasing" - the rewards there fade quickly. It is not having your name written on a plaque that matters; it is having your name written in God's Book of Life that brings everlasting joy!

Can we really love those who hate and oppress us? Yes, but only if our human will is governed by the Spirit of God.

"Turn the other cheek," "Go the extra mile" -- these are words intended not for the public at large, but for followers of Jesus. They are words that are life-giving, and that impart life to others as well!

When examined in light of 1st Century culture, the "scandal" of crucifixion, the visible empty tomb, and the transformation of lives in generations of believers, the Biblical evidence for the Resurrection supports only one conclusion: Christ is risen - He is risen indeed!

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 7 Scripture - Matthew 23:1-39, Mark 12:41-42, Matthew 24:1-16, Psalm 51:10, 2 Timothy 3:11 Class opens with a teaching from Jesus on humility and His warning against hypocrisy. The Seven Woes - spoken against hypocrisy:     1.    Verse 13 - roadblocks to the kingdom of heaven for people     2.    Verse 15 - produce more hypocrites     3.    Verse 16-22 - make a show of d...

Jesus always told the truth; in fact, He said He was The Truth. His command to tell the truth is an attack on hypocrisy, and a defense of honesty!

In a society obsessed with sex, the answer to how to live for God is not "Let's see how far can I go without sinning," but rather, "I'm going to go as far from sin as I can possibly go."

"Did Jesus ever get angry?" Yes, but Jesus' anger was always controlled and never inappropriate. He shows us the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger.

Jesus said He did not come to abolish "the Law or the Prophets" (i.e. the Hebrew scriptures) but to fulfill them. He is the Messiah to whom the entire Bible points!

Jesus is the true "Light of the World" (John 8:12), but He also calls us to reflect His light in our lives so that others may see and come to Him. In that way, we also become "the light of the world."

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem in fulfillment of scriptural prophecies, He was announcing that He was Israel's Messiah and the hope of the nations!

2 Year Gospel Study - week 64 (Friday, 03–21-25) Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 6 Scripture - Matthew 21:45-46, Matthew 22:1-45, Revelation 7:9-17, Job 19:26, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, Exodus 3:6, Mark 12:28-34, John 14:6, Micah 6:8 Today's teaching centers on Jesus' encounters with the religious leaders in the temple as recorded in the 4 gospels and enlightened by some of the latest findings of arch...

When people are truly living for the Lord, others who are simply "religious" are often offended by it, embarrassed by it, and angered by it. Jesus warned His followers to expect opposition and persecution, yet promised them a greater reward in Heaven because of it!

Those who know the wisdom of God, who walk by faith, and who renounce what is evil and listen to the Holy Spirit, become peacemakers through the power and blood of Jesus, who is *The* Peacemaker!

You and I are to desire a pure heart, because that is what God desires of us! Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God effects a "heart cleansing" in believers, purifying and lifting us up.

Even when we are going through the most trying of days, God is merciful, and He frees and enables us to be merciful to others!

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." When we seek God, He fills our hunger for Him - not just once, but daily so that each of us becomes the person He desires us to be!

Is the grave our final destiny? Scripture says, "no!" At the Lord's return, the dead will rise, the living will be changed, and for those who belong to Christ, there will be a glorious and eternal life with Him!

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 5 Scripture - Mark 11:19-33, 1-14, Matthew 21: 28-45, Isaiah 5, Psalm 118 Pastor takes time to discuss the chronology of Jesus' ministry, the length of His ministry, and the questions of Palm Sunday or Pam Monday along with Good Wednesday, Good Thursday or Good Friday. Our teaching covers:     ⁃    The rest of the story about the fig tree     ⁃    The cleansing of the Te...

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Jesus' words may sound strange at first, but He assures us of comfort - comfort that comes from knowing that Jesus has triumphed over the grave, that because He lives, you and I live as well.

Whether we recognize it or not, we are all "poor in spirit" and need what only God can give. We are truly blessed when we realize how much we need a Savior.

Each of us needs what only Jesus can offer - new birth and new life. It hurts to be re-born, but to be reborn is to be transformed!

What does Jesus mean when he offers us "living water?" What deep thirst of the soul does He promise to quench if we believe in Him?

Scripture - Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-14, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19, Psalm 118, Zechariah 9:9, Galatians 5:22-23 We explore Palm Sunday – the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of hosanna. It was the 10th day of Nissan on the Jewish calendar. The day when the Passover lambs were herded in and prepared for sacrifice in Jerusalem at the temple. Palm Sunday on Nisan 10 - recorded...

"Am I a good person?" Many in our culture have been taught to answer "Yes," but the Bible says "No" -- we are all born sinful, and our best efforts still fall far short of God's perfect holiness. Only salvation through Jesus Christ can make someone a child of God!