FRCP Sunday Morning Sermons

In Matthew 21:1-27, we see Jesus doing a funny thing. Good jokes rely on context and cultural references to setup the punchline. In this passage, Jesus tells a very serious joke, not so much full of humor but full of joy and controversy. “A poor rabbi rides into a capital city on a donkey…” Those who knew the scriptures and the cultural context got the joke: Jesus was saying he is King of the King...

In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus and his group are on the move, and two blind men are bothering everyone with their calling out to Jesus. The crowd tells them to be quiet, but they disobey, and keep calling out to Jesus. Jesus’ attention is captured and he yells back to them, not to finally shut them up, but to give them permission to approach. When they tell him they hope for sight, it says he had comp...

In Matthew 20:17-28, Jesus predicts his death. He knows what is ahead, and as a good leader, he’s preparing his disciples for the reality of his ministry. This is contrasted with the next story of a mom trying to get some special treatment for her sons. Is Jesus annoyed? Humored? His response gives us a lot of information about his relationship with the Father, about the cost of being a disciple a...

In Ephesians 1:1-14, Paul lays out one of the most joyful descriptions of the benefits the Trinity has provided for us in the working out of the Gospel. Yet, this passage pulls the curtains back on a window that peeks into the outside-of-time mechanics of God's plan of salvation. In a couple of sentences, Paul touches on some concepts that will take an eternity to understand and unpack, namely pre...

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells us a story that is ultimately about the generosity of God. It’s provocative, though, because from our small, selfish perspective, God’s generosity to someone can seem like shortchanging others. God is a God of justice, but he will make exceptions to show mercy or grace. In our backwards thinking, we can see mercy or grace as unfair or unjust. So who should change? S...

In Matthew 19:13-16, we are reminded that Jesus loves kids, and that kids are an example for adults. Then in verses 17-30, a young man approaches Jesus with a big question, and in his reply, Jesus uncovers a deeper issue that is holding the young man back. Jesus tells him that if he “wants to be perfect”, go and sell everything you have and give to the poor, then come follow me. In the game “tradi...

In Matthew 19:1-12, we see that those looking for a way to make divorce easier completely miss the heart of God. Marriage is an incredibly valuable, costly, and powerful gift from God. It’s a carry-over from the Good Garden and the solution to the one imperfection: the loneliness of man. Therefore, we should regard it highly, work at it intensely, and guard it from anything that would diminish or...

In Matthew 18:21-35, we have another provocative teaching where Jesus pushes our limits by explaining to Peter that his view of forgiveness was way too small. In Jesus’ view, it essentially has no end. "But I won’t be a door mat!" we think to ourselves (maybe out loud). So what does it mean to be willing to forgive someone 77 times (or 490 if you go the 70x7 route)? Are there any caveats or bounda...

In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus tells us to get in each others' biz. Wait, aren’t Christians supposed to let sins go unnoticed and unaddressed? Isn’t that being nonjudgmental and forgiving? Actually, no. Jesus doesn’t want us ignoring sins in ourselves or in others, but there is a right way to handle the process, so that the desired outcomes (righteousness, unity, growth, love, etc.) can be achieved. B...

In Matthew 18:1-14, we see that Jesus loved kids. He valued them, gave them time, and saw in them a critical metaphor for all of us spiritually. So much so that he hinged heaven on us becoming like children. So what does it mean to have “childlike faith”? But beyond that, he also raised the stakes for the protection and spiritual direction of our kids. He describes some heinous consequences for th...

“Today was Fall Kick-off at FRCP. To launch us into the next few months of discipleship, we look at Ephesians 4:1-16 and how it helps us understand our church's SBS strategy. Sunday, Bible Studies, and Serving Somewhere. Kyle talks about how one of his chainsaws starting cutting crooked, and just sharpening the teeth was correcting the issue. Like our faith walk, chainsaw chains are systems that h...

In Matthew 17:24-29, Peter is confronted about paying the “Temple Tax”, and Jesus uses it as an opportunity to teach about God’s true family as well as His provision. Jesus also demonstrates wisdom in not causing offense: there are times when we go along with other people’s rules, not because they matter, but precisely because they don’t really matter. In our imperfect world, t's okay to just get...

In Matthew 17:14-23, we have another example of the “hard side” of Jesus, who is fed up with little faith of the disciples. Is that all that he’s tired of? Or is he tired of the sickness and oppression of a fallen world? A world where demons can throw little boys into the fire. But Jesus solution is both easy and severe. Just have faith! Even small faith! Why don’t we have more faith? What are we...

In Matthew 17:1-13, Jesus is transfigured on the mountain. Peter, James and John get to witness this and it’s so astounding, Peter doesn’t know what to do. This was a moment where what is truly real was able to be seen. The curtain hiding heaven was pulled back for a second, and we were given a glimpse into something magnificent. But why was Moses there? Elijah? And what does Peter's foible tell u...

In Mark 14, there is another episode of human failure with Jesus' prediction of Peter's denial. Why are there so many recordings of human failure in the Bible? Is that really a selling point for Christianity? Maybe not from a human perspective, but God in his wisdom is doing more than just marketing a religion. Instead, he's a truthful God that is promoting his grace and plan of salvation. That is...

In Matthew 16:13-28, Jesus is now starting to get more direct with helping his disciples understand who He really is, and what that identity entails. Peter is the point person for Jesus’ questions, and he’s taught a hard lesson. He gets it but he doesn’t and Jesus pulls no punches to make the truth stick. One moment confessing Jesus as the Son of God, he then tries to prevent the necessary sufferi...

In Matthew 16:1-12, Jesus is tested by the religious leaders. They ask for a “sign”. Where have these guys been? He then points out that they are able to predict the weather to a reasonable degree by looking at the “signs”, but they are playing dumb with what Jesus has been doing in his ministry. He then says that a “wicked and adulterous generation” looks for a sign. Only one sign will be give to...

In Matthew 15:29-39, Jesus again goes up a mountain and people come to him for healing: the blind, lame, crippled, mute. He heals them and teaches them and by the end of three days there are more than 4,000. The text says Jesus has compassion on them, because they would be hungry going home. This sermon explores some of the details of this story that highlight Jesus' power and glory, the compassio...

Matthew 15:21-28 “Dogs are People, Too” A Canaanite woman pesters Jesus and his disciples. Everyone wants her to go away. Even Jesus seems to ignore her and says that his purpose does not include her people group. Is this true? Didn’t Jesus come for all people? Is He testing her? In the end, her sincerity and perseverance win out and Jesus compliments her faith. This is an important story about wh...

In Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus is questioned by an envoy of religious leaders from Jerusalem. They have an issue with him not following the tradition of handwashing before meals and become poster boys for promoting religion without God. Jesus points out to them that if they loved God, they wouldn't invalidate His commands for their tradition. Jesus continues to instruct us about purity of heart and how...

Kyle shares about his twelve day motorcycle trip to Montana, closing with Psalm 148 and glorifying God for the experience of riding through God's epic creation and connecting with his Dad and brother.

Student Ministries Intern Hayden Axe shares that pursuing God's peace is better than chasing comfort. Even in discomfort, God's peace can be found.

This week, Pastor Steve teaches us some Latin.

In Matthew 14:22-36, we have a miraculous prank (or flex??). Jesus had sent the disciples ahead of him in a boat, probably so he could get some time alone in prayer. As he begins walking along the shore to meet up with them, he can see they are struggling due to the wind. So he walks out to them. On the water. On. The. Water. The disciples sometimes get a bad rap for being dumb, obtuse, simple. Bu...

In Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus is broken hearted from both a personal rejection and personal loss. Understandably, he just wants to get away and cry and pray and recharge. But people get wind of the location of his retreat and chase him on foot to be near him. And here we see one of the clearest windows into the heart of our Messiah. In a moment of deep grief and exhaustion, he’s asked for more. Rathe...