The Mountain Church

This morning we continue in our study through the gospel according to Matthew as we consider Matthew 4:12-25. Matthew describes Jesus beginning his ministry in Capernaum, calling the first disciples, and ministering to large crowds all through Galilee. Matthew tells us, "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). The gospel of the k...

This morning we continue in our study through the gospel according to Matthew as we consider Matthew 4:1-11. Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew shows us that Jesus is the sinless and faithful Israelite who is worthy of all of our trust and devotion. While Adam failed in the garden, the New Adam was faithful in the desert. While Israel failed to tr...

This morning we continue in our study through the gospel according to Matthew as we consider Matthew 3:1-17. Matthew shows us that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of what the prophet Isaiah said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight." John the Baptist is also the fulfillment of the prophecies of Elijah who would be the messenger of th...

This morning we continue in our study through the gospel according to Matthew, looking at Matthew 2:13-23. Matthew continues to give us the origin stories of who Jesus is and where he comes from. The flight to Egypt, Herod's attempt to kill him, and the return to Nazareth are shown to be fulfillments of what was spoken by the prophets. Matthew seems to be foreshadowing the kinds of things we might...

This morning we continue in our study through the gospel according to Matthew as we consider the visit of the wise men in Matthew 2:1-12. Our text shows us that Jesus is the Messiah who was born in Bethlehem, in fulfillment with what the prophet Micah had written. Jesus is the Shepherd King who was born King of the Jews. We see in our story that right from the beginning the arrival of Jesus was me...

This morning we continue in our study through the gospel according to Matthew as we consider Matthew 1:18-25. Matthew records the birth of Jesus and shows that Jesus is the Son of God conceived from the Holy Spirit. An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Sh...

This morning we begin what will be, Lord willing, a 57 week journey through the gospel according to Matthew. Matthew has beautifully structured this gospel account to show us who Jesus is. Matthew shows us that Jesus is the new Moses, the Messiah from the line of King David, the Son of Abraham, and Immanuel or God with us. We open our study as we consider the origins of Jesus from Matthew 1:1-17....

This morning we finish up our study through the second letter of Paul to Timothy as we consider 2 Timothy 4:9-22. If we desire to live our lives to the glory of God we find principles in the text that teach us what to expect, who to entrust, and who to enjoy. In a life of Christian ministry we can expect to be wounded by others relationally. As we experience hardship and trials, we can entrust oth...

This morning we continue in our study through the second letter of Paul to Timothy as we consider 2 Timothy 4:1-8. The Apostle Paul gives Timothy the ultimate charge to, "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2). If we want to be faithful to the end, we must heed Paul's command to be faithful to proclai...

This morning we continue in our study through the second letter of Paul to Timothy as we consider 2 Timothy 3:10-17. In contrast to the false teacher, the Apostle Paul encourages Timothy to follow his teaching, conduct, aim, faith, patience, love, and endurance. Paul calls Timothy to be faithful with the Sacred Writings, the Holy Scriptures. To be faithful with the Sacred Writings we can do the fo...

This morning we continue in our study through the second letter of Paul to Timothy as we consider 2 Timothy 3:1-9. The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. These times will be difficult because people will be marked by misguided, misdirected, and misaligned loves. They will be narcissistic, (lovers of self), hedonistic (lovers of pleasure), and ma...

Join us as we continue in our study of 2nd Timothy looking at 2 Timothy 2:14-26. Paul continues his letter and uses three more analogies to help further explain his message to Timothy. He talks about the unashamed worker, the honorable vessel, and the servant of the Lord. We can be servants of the Lord by being honorable vessels ready for every good work. By rightly handling the word of truth, we...

This morning we continue in our study through the second letter of Paul to Timothy as we consider 2 Timothy 2:1-13. Paul calls Timothy to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The grace of God is not just pardon, but power. God's grace both enables us to believe as well as empowers us for obedience. Timothy needs to depend upon, find strength in, and yield himself to be continually...

This morning we begin a new study through the second letter of Paul to Timothy. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter as he awaited execution. It seems in the providence of God that it's good for us to consider the end as we begin a new season in our church. As we begin something new, we want to be reminded of the call to be faithful to the end. We could summarize the first eighteen verses of 2 Timot...

This morning we celebrate the first Sunday in our new church building! We are overwhelmed by God's goodness and this wonderful evidence of his grace in the life of our church. Today we conclude our study through the words of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 as we consider the phrase, "with all your might." The word translated as might is the Hebrew word "me'od." The most common translation of this w...

This morning we continue in our study through the words of the Shema. We consider the call to love the Lord your God "with all of your soul." The word translated as "soul" in our English Bible is the Hebrew word pronounced "nephesh." While the most basic meaning of the word is throat or neck, it can also be used to refer to the whole person. We are a living, breathing, physical being. It's not so...

This morning we continue in our study of the well-known words of the prayer called the Shema. The people of God are called to love God with all of their heart. In the Bible, the heart is not just the center of feelings, but the very center of who we are. The heart is the center or seat of a person's cognition (thinking, knowing, believing, reasoning), volition (will, deciding, intending, committin...

Today we continue in our study through the Shema as we consider the phrase, "You shall love the LORD your God" from Deuteronomy 6:5. Through the text we explore what it means to love God, why we don't love God and need to be reminded to love, and how the person and work of Jesus activates love for God. Love is a feeling of genuine affection. It involves deep care for another. Love is not simply a...

We continue our study of the Shema by looking at the word "God" in Deuteronomy 6:4. We look at who God is and what the Israelites were to do with this information. Love and devotion to God was to be an all consuming endeavor in every area of life. After we consider what the text says and means, we explore what it means for us today as well.

Today we begin a new study through Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which contains words of the one of the most famous prayers in the Bible called the Shema. The Shema prayer gets its name from the first Hebrew word of Deuteronomy 6:4 - "Shema," which means "hear" or "listen." This prayer is thought of as the summary of the Torah, the law or teaching of Moses. According to Jesus, these verses include the first...

This Sunday in a stand alone message, we consider what's been called the Great Commission of Jesus from Matthew 28:16-20. Jesus' call to make disciples flows out of the call to be a disciple. When Jesus' first disciples were called he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). A disciple is a student of Jesus and a teacher on behalf of Jesus. Disciples are both l...

This morning we conclude our study through the book of Ecclesiastes as we consider Ecclesiastes 12:1-14. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes calls us to remember God before we grow old and die. Remembering God involves being continually mindful of God and consciously, intentionally having God shape your whole life. The Preacher then uses metaphorical and poetic language to paint vivid pictures of the dec...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 11:1-10. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes teaches that life is uncertain. We don't know what is going to happen. We don't know what business endeavors will succeed and which ones will fail. We don't know everything that God does in the world. We don't know when the days of darkness will arrive or what d...

This week as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 9:11-10:20. The Preacher observers that life is uncontrollable and life seems to be decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. The Preacher sees how in this life under the sun, wisdom is better than strength and foolishness, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.  Another...

This morning as we continue in our study through the book of Ecclesiastes, we consider Ecclesiastes 9:7-10. In light of the inevitability of death, the Preacher calls us to seize the day and live this life to the fullest. God has given us many blessings within our lives on this earth that we are meant to enjoy, but ultimately we are called to find our enjoyment in our relationship with Him. While...