North Gate Church

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but the inn may not be what we understand it to be. The stable might have been a place closer to the heart of the home than we think. The implications may reach further than we've known.

Why would Jesus want us to pray that God's Kingdom would come? What does that mean? How does this relate to the Gospel? We live in a gap of frustration. Jesus knows, and He asks us to pray.

What is "hallowed"? Why does Jesus want us to pray that the name of God be hallowed? How does that impact our lives? Jesus teaches us how to pray. Benjamin helps us to understand what Jesus meant and God's heart for followers of Jesus.

As Jesus teaches us to pray, He uses a word that triggers some, brings rest to others, and can be missed by many: Father. Within the culture during the time of Jesus, the opening line to "The Lord's Prayer" may hold more than you know.

Culture is formed in part by language and story. In our culture, language and story are often dominated by themes of want and need. Our culture teems with invitations to spend and want more. Gratitude and thankfulness have a much lower financial ROI than other emotions and postures, yet gratitude and thankfulness are required of us as followers of Jesus. How do we walk in gratitude and thankfulnes...

Have you ever wondered if you pray right? Have you ever felt nervous to pray in front of others because you were unsure of your prayers? Jesus tells us the most important thing in prayer. How we pray matters, and Jesus makes it clear.

Having pure motives can be hard. We want to, but do we really? Jesus points out how doing the right things doesn't equate to righteousness, even if those things are really good. Find out what Jesus has to say about public religion and how to follow Him well.

There are some that leverage Halloween for fear and the worship of darkness. What if fear and worship were meant for Christmas? Retail stores are looking ahead toward Christmas already, and so should we.

How do you respond to conflict? Do you respond differently depending upon who the conflict is with? Jesus shares how we as His followers must respond to those we love and those that we call "enemy."

In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus gives His disciples instructions on how to live as people of His Kingdom. Quite frankly, to this world, they look pretty ridiculous. Receiving insult, giving whatever you have when asked, and giving more than what someone is trying to take from you... ridiculous! In this sermon, we discover the grace to live trust God for our justice.

What is truth? Do you stick by your word? How do you walk in truth? Does a "yes" from you mean "yes" or something else? Do you swear by anything to make a point? Do you know someone who doesn't stick by what they say? Jesus discusses oaths as He presents the heart of God behind His Word. The invitation: walk in Truth.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blows people’s minds talking about who will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven… it’s not those you would think… then, He proceeds to blow their minds regarding their understanding of Scripture. The battle between beliefs amongst the religious leaders came to a halt with the revelation of Jesus and His view of marriage. Jesus has grace and truth for each of us.

What is going on in your heart? This world promotes and exploits lust in what seems like an inescapable way. Adultery appears to be rampant. Jesus explains the weighty importance of lust and the fierceness with which we must move away from it. There are desires in our heart that must change direction.

We are running a race. There is opposition; there are obstacles. There is a call to run, but we do not have to run alone. There's a cloud of witnesses cheering us on, but we have to cast off weights that hold us back. Is today the day that we choose to cast off what's holding us back?

One of the biggest obstacles we will run up against in the journey toward forgiveness is grief. Jesus grieved and so must we. Grief is not always obvious, and it's not always easy. What are you feeling and experiencing? It may just be grief.

There are journeys in life that take more effort or energy than others. Jesus models for us the journey of forgiveness and invites us to walk this impossible journey to the end. The obstacles that have stopped you might just be the steps that you need to take.

We know that living above the law (as if it doesn't apply to you) comes with very real consequences. We also know that living under the law can feel oppressive. Jesus, in describing the kind of righteousness that He expects, gives us a glimpse of living below the law. What does that mean? This sermon invites us to get to the heart of the law and the heart behind our behavior.

How are we to interact with the Old Testament? What does Jesus mean when He says that He fulfilled the law and that we are to be even more righteous than the Pharisees? This sermon unpacks the heart of Jesus for us today.

Jesus is the light of the world, so why does He call us that? In Matthew 6, Jesus tell us not to do righteous works before others, but in Matthew 5, He says to do acts of righteousness for others to see. So what are we to do? This sermon digs deeper into the words of Jesus to help us to know how to be a light in this world.

What did Jesus mean by calling us the salt of the earth? Historical context provides an overwhelming number of meanings as to what the disciples might have heard, but they all point to one thing for us to do...

We have all felt unfairly treated at one time or another. But what is persecution? Is that really a thing that we need to think about anymore? How can someone who is persecuted be blessed? This sermon examines the final Beatitude of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.

There are peaceful people. There are peaceable people. There are even peacekeepers. In a world crying out for peace, Jesus asks us to be peacemakers. How do we make peace? A look into the ministry of Jesus and some historical and Scriptural context reveals how.

Who is blessed? Those who have a pure heart. Is that possible? Can you have a pure heart at all? Can you see God? Jesus requires a pure heart from His disciples. This sermon shares the path to a pure heart and how to see God's face.

Have mercy? Does it leak out? Is that good or bad? How do you show mercy? Why does it matter? This sermon unpacks the promise of Jesus that it goes well with those who are full of mercy... even when it makes no sense.

We live in a world that promises that goods, services, and experiences are guaranteed to provide 100% satisfaction, but research shows that they fail to deliver. Jesus sheds light on this human condition. Satisfaction is within reach.