Salt + Light Fort Worth

This sermon draws from David's life in exile and his response of worship amidst idolatry (Psalm 59). It’s common to find ourselves invited to worship MANY people / themes / ideas / philosophies. AND, we’re often taught that we have to have it all together — even in a confusing, broken world. But “God desires for us to draw near to him with our whole hearts and to pour out whatever is in our hearts...

Scripture encourages believers to see themselves as exiled people in a world that often contradicts the teachings of Jesus. Through the stories of Moses and Jesus, we see two people who chose exile despite it being costly to them. Moses' identifed with his oppressed Hebrew people despite his privileged upbringing, and Jesus' identified with mankind in leaving the presence of the Father in heaven a...

The word "exile" isn’t new, but it’s often misunderstood. Exiles are people barred from their true homeland, sent to a different land, and thus find themselves living differently than that foreign culture.  Throughout the Bible, God uses the term “exiles” to refer to his people – and the theme is also true of God’s people throughout history. 

Salt & Light's overarching goal is discipleship: we want to see people come to know Jesus, AND we want everyone to continue growing up in him throughout our lives. That's discipleship. BUT, the objective reality is that we cannot accomplish that goal on our own: we are utterly dependent on God to do what only God can do; we are 100% reliant on God to accomplish that goal. That's dependence.   ...

Ben Fort teaches about Jesus' compassion and John the Baptist in Matthew 14. 

Bethany Fort teaches on Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1.

Guest speaker Bill Clem teaches on joy. 

Many followers of Jesus in our cultural moment say that the gospel is “good news.” But amidst competing worldviews, everyday busyness, and a context that prioritizes values over beliefs, it’s easy to leave that “good news” on proverbial “church shelves,” relegating it to Sundays or Christian conversation. In this, we functionally live as if other forms of “good news” are better, more impacting, an...

After Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to many people. Four in these chapters responded differently to Jesus’ resurrection: Mary, Peter, John, and Thomas were among the many whose hope was lost at Jesus’ crucifixion — despite hearing multiple times that Jesus would return! Resurrection is, by nature, supernatural: so doubt and disbelief are a common response today. But God gives faith when faith is h...

In three parables — told in the mixed company of self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees alongside despised tax collectors and sinners — Jesus shares the extent of God's pursuing love, and his willingness to leave the people a religious teacher would be expected to be with, for the sake of those far away — the hurting and the lost. We later see the extent of Jesus’ love in his Gethsemane prayer: he e...

After seeing Jesus as good news for the helpless and oppressed, we also consider how he is also good news to the other end of society’s spectrum: the rich and powerful. In Luke’s Gospel we read contrasting stories about people in similar social situations: both the anonymous “rich young ruler” and Zacchaeus are wealthy and powerful; both engage with Jesus; he challenges their actions, and also the...

On the night before Jesus’ death, he promises his disciples to send the Holy Spirit as “another advocate.” While the New Testament talks about the work of the Spirit in many ways, this title Jesus proclaims offers good news in two ways. First, Jesus says that throughout our life, the Spirit speaks to us on God’s behalf: the Spirit reminds us what is true despite our circumstances, and meets us in...

In two very different scenarios, Jesus speaks with two very different sisters, his close friends Mary & Martha. In the first scene, an exasperated Martha wants Jesus to put Mary to work, while Mary merely wants to be with Jesus. In the second, both women are grieving their brother’s death. In both scenes, we see Jesus’ different responses to each sister’s personality & each one’s specific...

In a brief but poignant encounter, Jesus is put to the test by religious leaders, regarding the right response to an anonymous woman caught in adultery. Rather than condemn the woman for her sin, Jesus shows her grace  and offers forgiveness. But he concurrently invites the religious crowd to consider their own sin, and the forgiveness they had received from God. Everyone — in that crowd and acros...

Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding feast.  John calls this event a “sign”; it pointed to something greater. By making wine in jars used for purification water, Jesus was looking toward his own death, at which his shed blood would cover a deeper shame, redeem all broken, & forgive all sin. Jesus’ coming suffering & death had a greater purpose: eternal joy — for hi...

Nathanael was invited to follow Jesus, but responded with scoffing. Jesus engaged him by valuing his skepticism & questions, but didn’t “prove” himself intellectually. Rather, he showed Nathanael truth & beauty: Jesus is the true Logos , the only bridge between heaven & earth, & the answer everyone is truly seeking. We engage skepticism (our own & others) by seeking the true qu...

The first of our Fall series about being a Good News People. Jesus prays a shocking prayer during his Last Supper: that God would not remove his followers from the world, but empower & protect us as they go into it. Jesus still sends his followers into the world to share this good news! The gospel is utterly counter-cultural, even offensive! God's answer starts with remembering who we are in C...

When you are fluent in a language, you're able to live and communicate clearly without an abundance of effort. With that definition in mind, what does it mean to be fluent in the gospel? How would our lives be different if we had an understanding and an awareness of the gospel that was as deep as our understanding of our native language? This August, Salt+Light will consider what a gospel-fluent l...

When you are fluent in a language, you're able to live and communicate clearly without an abundance of effort. With that definition in mind, what does it mean to be fluent in the gospel? How would our lives be different if we had an understanding and an awareness of the gospel that was as deep as our understanding of our native language? This August, Salt+Light will consider what a gospel-fluent l...

When you are fluent in a language, you're able to live and communicate clearly without an abundance of effort. With that definition in mind, what does it mean to be fluent in the gospel? How would our lives be different if we had an understanding and an awareness of the gospel that was as deep as our understanding of our native language? This August, Salt+Light will consider what a gospel-fluent l...

This is the final message in our summer series about the significance of understanding God's character as depicted in Exodus 34, highlighting that it serves as a reliable predictor of His actions and guides our relationship with Him and our reflections of His character as “imagers”. The character of God is explored in greater depth, with attributes such as compassion, graciousness, being slow to a...

The series introduces the significance of understanding God's character as depicted in Exodus 34, highlighting that it serves as a reliable predictor of His actions and guides our relationship with Him and our reflections of His character as “imagers”. The character of God is explored in greater depth, with attributes such as compassion, graciousness, being slow to anger, loyal in love, and forgiv...

The series introduces the significance of understanding God's character as depicted in Exodus 34, highlighting that it serves as a reliable predictor of His actions and guides our relationship with Him and our reflections of His character as “imagers”. The character of God is explored in greater depth, with attributes such as compassion, graciousness, being slow to anger, loyal in love, and forgiv...