Pantano Christian Church

When we lean into doubt we learn to decide what matters the most.

When we anticipate what will happen we bring others along to be a part of the journey.

Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action. Our faith is demonstrated through how we love others, especially those who are different from us.

God challenges Peter to break through cultural and religious barriers to bring the message of Jesus to Cornelius, a Gentile. This story illustrates that God’s love transcends all human divisions, and we are called to embrace and love those who are different from us, recognizing that God’s grace is for everyone.

Jesus shows us that no one is beyond the reach of His love. We are called to extend grace to those whom society labels as unworthy or untouchable.

Jesus teaches that how we treat the “least of these” is a direct reflection of our love for Him. We are called to recognize and serve those who are often overlooked or marginalized, showing them the love of Christ through our actions.

Jesus tells Pilate before he is crucified what his Kingdom is all about. Pilate wants the truth, can’t seem to see the truth, even though the truth is in front of him…literally. All he can see is his earthly kingdom and politics. He cared more about popularity and his job security than the truth. Some of you care more about your candidate and your party than you do the truth of Jesus and the Kingd...

Jesus again says that “You have heard the law that says.” This time it is the law that says love your neighbor and hate your enemy. However, Jesus says love your neighbor and pray for your enemy. If we spend more time praying than hating…the world would be a better place.

Resist the urge to retaliate with revenge.  Main Idea: Jesus says in the sermon on the mount “you have heard the law that says”. He talks about the law of a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. Yet, what he never says is to overthrow or go rebellious in a negative way towards the law, but to resist the urge to be revenge givers.

The big question Christians always have is who do we serve? If we serve Jesus, then do we simply rebel against the government? Jesus says to give to Caesar what is his. How do we reconcile what he tells us to do to our allegiance to Christ?

The context of “where two or three are gathered together in my name” has to do with church discipline and the confrontation of the wayward sinner. In verse 16, the principle has been invoked of needing “two or three witnesses” in making an accusation. It seems that the mention of “two or three” in verse 20 echoes that principle; the “two or three” are confronting sin in the church.

While one of the most taken out of context scriptures, it does tell us that we as individuals are being selected by God and he is going to spoil us extravagantly. This text is written to an exiled people and while the sentiments we have created are nice…they are not for our context.

For years this text has been used to thwart people defacing the body. But it goes so much deeper than that. You are not your own means God purchased you and now possesses ownership of your body. We were once slaves to sin and death, but Jesus “gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds”

Burn The Ship of Living. We have lived most of our lives thinking we aren’t gifted enough, have enough time, enough resources, etc to help people see Jesus. Jesus calls us to leave all behind to follow him.

Burn The Ships of Giving. You think you don’t have enough to give. How can I give out of nothing? God says test me in this and watch me provide.

Burn the ships of serving. We have sometimes felt we are not worthy to serve. We have bought the lie that Jesus would not want to use us because of our past and present.

The only way our “neighbors” hear about Jesus is if we will rub elbows with those that need Jesus.

If we are going to be able to transform and be more like Jesus, we have to be more committed to being in and doing life with other people. 

When we understand our commitment to Christ, we can’t help but be committed to the church and her mission.

We live in a world where people are experiencing hell on earth. However, Jesus says “on earth as it is in heaven.”

In a world where the harvest for peace is large…the workers are few. We need to be working to bring peace and hope to the world around us.

We live in a world that wants to repay evil for evil. Jesus says that we conquer evil by doing good.

At Pantano Christian Church we are unapologetic grace givers that love people to Jesus and launch passionate Difference Makers around the world.

We get clear eyes when we look to the Father for help.  Full hearts; we struggle when we’re losing faith.

In a world that is not black and white, the church and culture have become even more separated. How do we go from racism to unity?