Podcasts about pastor taylor

This week, Pastor Taylor encourages us and speaks on the armor of God, but specifically the importance of not only the Sword of the Spirit, but with it, the Shield of Faith.follow us on instagram @reallifechurchwa 8:30 | 10 | 11:30

We live in a world of self help and self care. The truth is that none of us can help ourselves. We need a God big enough to save us. We need to face the truth that we are not okay on our own. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about false Gospels and putting your hope in Jesus from 2 Peter 2:1-10a.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Pastor Taylor kicks off our new series on a People of Faith with a message on how our faith needs substance and how faith is confidence, assurance, and faith spreads. follow us on instagram @reallifechurchwa 26201 180th Ave. SE Covington, WA 98042

Luke 22:31-34,31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” 34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” Luke 22:39-4639 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” 41 He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. 45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

Tucked between the assurance of Romans 8 and the practical guidance of Romans 12-16 lies what Pastor Taylor calls "the monster in the middle" – the challenging theological territory of Romans 9-11. But far from something to fear, these chapters contain profound truths about God's mercy and our mission.The sermon begins with a powerful contrast: how can Paul transition from the triumphant declarations of Romans 8 to expressing "great sorrow and unceasing anguish" in Romans 9? The answer reveals the heart of true salvation – when we genuinely experience God's grace, we become burdened for those who haven't.Through a recent baptism story, Pastor Taylor illustrates the difference between inherited religion and personal faith. Skip didn't receive salvation merely by being born into a Christian family; he reached a point where faith became truly his own. This perfectly parallels Paul's message that being physically descended from Abraham isn't enough – one must be spiritually connected through faith.The most compelling moment comes through a thought-provoking analogy: Imagine having a coupon that could instantly pay off someone's mortgage but being too afraid to share it because you might explain it poorly, face difficult questions, or offend them. How absurd! Yet we often withhold the infinitely more valuable gospel for these very reasons."I love the gospel articulated poorly more than anything else articulated well," Pastor Taylor declares, challenging us to overcome our hesitation in sharing Christ. The sermon concludes with a practical challenge: identify one specific person in your life who needs Jesus, pray for an opportunity to share, and when that opportunity comes, set aside your fears and trust the Holy Spirit.Changed lives desire to see changed lives. Changed lives understand that only God's mercy changes lives. And changed lives boldly proclaim the truth that changes lives. Who is that person God has positioned you to reach?

Pastor Taylor brings us God's Word from Acts 3:1-4:31 with a sermon called Spirit-Empowered Boldness. How often do we shrink back when the name of Jesus comes up in conversation? Boldness can feel foreign in a culture that prizes comfort, safety, and tolerance. Yet in Acts 3-4, we meet the early church in its infancy—weak in numbers, but strong in the Spirit. What transformed ordinary fishermen into fearless witnesses was not personality, position, or power, but the presence of the Holy Spirit.Time:MorningMinister:Rev. Taylor KernTexts:Acts 3:1—4:31Belgic Confession: Article 36Series:Acts: The Church on Fire

Introduction: John 3:36 - whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Ephesians 2:3 – were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Enter By the Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:13-14) It's Hard to FIND. (Matt 7:14) John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Luke 14:33 – So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. It's Hard to WALK. (Matt 7:14) It's Hard to DISMISS. (Matt 7:14) Matthew 11:12 – From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 7:13-14What was your big take-away from this passage / message?How would (specifically) you answer this question: How do I know which gate I entered?We are saved by grace. But are things like repentance, counting the cost, and entering the kingdom violently considered “works”? Why or why not?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT I'd like you to just bow your heads for a moment,and I'm going to ask that you would please pray for meto be faithful to communicate God's word accurately as I should.And I will pray for you to be ready to receivewhatever it is the Lord wants to teach you today.Alright? Let's pray.Father in heaven, you are greatly glorifiedas transformed people by the power of your Holy Spirit.Our obedient to what you've revealed in your Word.That's all I'm asking for today, Father,for your glory to be on display as we respondto what you've told us in your Word.Manifest your grace and your goodness here today, Father.We ask in Jesus' name, amen.If you haven't already opened up your Bibles to Matthew chapter 7,we're just going to be looking at two verses today.For some of you, these could be the mosttwo important verses you ever hear.When I was a kid growing up in Shakura,we attended the Little Methodist Church.And when you're - I don't know if it's still the case in the Methodist Church,but at that time, when you're 12,you go through confirmation classes.You go to the Methodist Church, and then they teach youabout doctrine and John Wesley and the books of the Bible.But one part of this confirmation class,it took place over several days,but one part was the pastor would take you into the auditorium,just you and him.And I'm assuming that his conversation with the others went as it did with me.I remember the pastor took me to the auditorium and he said,"Jeff, you don't want to go to hell, do you?"And I'm like, "You mean today?Because mom's expecting me home for dinner."He's like, "You don't want to go to hell, do you?"And I was just like, "No."He goes, "Well, then you want to accept Jesus Christas your Lord and Savior, right?"And I'm like, "Okay.""Great."And he sent me back with the other kids.And then every time this pastor saw me after that,he would say, "I remember the day you gave your life to Jesus.""Oh, Jeff, I remember the day you gave your life to Jesus."And I was like, "Yeah, that was awesome."Is that what it means to follow Jesus?You see, since February we've been going through the Sermon on the Mount,the greatest sermon ever preached.And over the next four weeks, we're looking at how Jesus closesthe greatest sermon ever preached.All of the content leads to this.Over the past several months, we've looked at the heart of the discipleand the beatitudes.This is what a Jesus follower looks like.We talked about the heart of the law.Jesus didn't come to get rid of the Old Testament.He said, "I came to fulfill it."We talked about the heart of religion.Look, it's not about doing things for showto get a pat on the back from people.We talked about the heart towards the world.How should we interact in this world with money and stuff and people?And now we get to the close of Jesus' sermon, and here he's saying,"Now what are you going to do about it?"Now that you know what I call you to,is your heart ready for judgment?Look at verses 13 and 14.Jesus says, "Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide,and the way is easy, that leads to destruction,and those who enter by it are many.For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard,that leads to life, and those who find it are few."Everybody's heading to eternity.I don't need to sell anyone on that, do I?Everyone's heading for eternity,and Jesus said there are two gates.There's exactly two options,and here Jesus is calling for an urgent choice.He commands, that's the first sentence in verse 13,"Enter by the narrow gate."That's a choice literally between heaven and hell.Jesus says, "Make your choice."Who would choose hell?I mean, really.Who would choose hell?I mean, yeah, I've shared the Gospel with a lot of people over the years,and I've met the guy, probably you have to.It's like, "Well, I'm going to hell,and I know I'm going to hell, and I don't really care,because all my buddies will be there."But I'm like, "You are clueless."You meet that joker.But who would really, honestly, seriously choose hell?Why wouldn't you choose heaven?I mean, really.See, my friends, that's the thing.That's why this message is so urgent,because no one thinks they are choosing hell.Everyone thinks that they are going to end up in heaven.Somehow, some way, I'm going to end up in heaven.Everyone thinks that.Everyone is, according to Jesus.In fact, it's even worse than we think it is.As we saw in the video, we have this mindset that most of us are good,and we're going to heaven, and there's a few really bad people that are going to hell.Jesus didn't say that.Notice Jesus said the exact opposite.He said many are going to hell, to destruction,and he said few are going to heaven.Few find life.So do you know what you have to do to go to hell?Do you know?Nothing.You don't have to do a thing.And that's where you'll end up.John 3.36 says,"Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life."Look at this."But the wrath of God remains on him."How do you get the wrath of God?He's already on you.Paul says the same thing in Ephesians 2-3.He says, "We were by nature children of wrath,like the rest of mankind."That was our default mode.And I want you to notice in these two verses,Jesus didn't say, "Choose which gate."He didn't say that.You already did choose a gate.There's no language here that says,"Well, tell me, how do I go through the wide gate?"You already did.Notice with the narrow gate, look at the very last phrase in verse 14.Jesus said, "Those who find it are few."The wide gate is something that has to be found.The wide gate, Jesus never said you had to find the wide gate.It's wide.It's easy.And you're already on it.Heading to destruction.So what we have here in these verses is a command.It's a command to enter the narrow gate.Look at verse 13 again.Enter by the narrow gate.It's a command. It's a call to action.Meaning it doesn't happen by accident.It's worth noting that Jesus,we're going to see this in these upcoming messages as well,there are people that are going to be shockedthat they're going to hell.But you know, the Bible never says that there are peoplethat are shocked that they end up in heaven.That guy doesn't exist.That guy doesn't exist where Jesus says,"Come on in to glory."Like, wow, I didn't know I was coming here.Wow.That guy doesn't exist.The gospel is a command.Listen, it's a command.It's not just an invitation.It's not just a suggestion.You really ought to think about maybe turning to Jesus.It is a command.Look at the words that are used to describe coming to Christ.They're all commands.Words like "repent."You're commanded to repent.Believe.Receive.Believe.Here, the command is "enter."This is the big takeaway from the Sermon on the Mountaccording to Jesus.Because of everything that He said,going back to the Beatitudes,leading to this point,Jesus commands us to choose narrow.It's not enough to listen to sermons about the narrow gate.It's not enough to study the narrow gate.It's not enough to even kind of like the narrow gate.Jesus said, "You have to make the choice to enter the narrow gate."Have you made that choice?I want you to jot some things downon your outline.This is the command, "Enter by the narrow gate."What does our Lord say about it?First of all, number one, write this down.It's hard to find.It's hard to find.Again, in verse 14, Jesus says,"For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life.And those who find it are few."It's hard to find.It's narrow.What exactly do you mean it's narrow?Well, one thing that it means, that it's being narrow,is that it's the only way to be saved.Jesus made that claim.The Bible makes that claim over and over and over.In John 14.6, Jesus said,"I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me."The gate is narrow because it's the only way to be saved.Not every road leads to heaven.That doesn't even work in the physical world, does it?If you came to me after service and you're like,"Pastor Jeff, I really want to go to Cleveland.How do I get there?"First of all, I'm not sure you really do want to go there.But if you have to listen, you know how to get to Cleveland?Just pick a road. It doesn't matter.Get in your car and just pick a road.As long as you believe in your heart's that that road will take you to Cleveland,then you will get to Cleveland.Would that work?People are like, "I think I'll ask Pastor Taylor."Right?I mean, that's foolishness.So why do we think that any road is going to get us to heaven?Not every road will take you there.Because your problem is sin before a holy God,and the only way that that sin can be forgivenis through Jesus Christ, because He's the only onewho paid the penalty to take away your sin.It's narrow because it's the only way to be saved.It's narrow also because you're called to leave some things behind.You get a picture of this narrow gate almost like a turnstile,like walking into Kennywood.If you're going through that turnstile, you've got to leave some stuff behind.Like leave what behind?Your sin?Your self-centeredness?Your rights?Your pride?You've got to leave your old self behind,because listen, you're both not going to fit through the turnstile.You both won't fit through the narrow gate.Jesus said it costs to enter this gate.We don't have time today, but just write down Matthew 10, Luke 14.Jesus said there's a cost to entering the gate.Leave stuff behind.Like, well, what's the cost?Jesus said you have to love Him more than you love your own family.Jesus said you have to deny yourself.Jesus said you have to consider yourself a slave to Him.Oh, and you have to consider yourself a slave to everyone else.Jesus said things like you have to take up your cross.You have to be willing to lay down your life for Him.Listen, if you're unwilling to do any of that,then you're not going to get through the gate at all.To sum it up, Luke 14.33, look what Jesus says.Not the most secret, sensitive way to address a crowd.Jesus said, "So therefore any one of you who does not renounce all that He hascannot be my disciple."You willing to do that?You're like, "I don't know."Okay, then you're not going through the narrow gate.Back when I was in college, I had several jobs.Here's where two of them overlapped.I was pastoring a little country church,and I was also a magazine vendor for two Walmarts and two K-Marts.Is K-Marts still a thing?It was back then.But I would go in third shift to these stores,and I would stock the magazines.And at the one K-Mart, I got to be friends with some of the employees there.There were a couple cashiers that I invited to church.I'll never forget this.The one cashier, her name was Gina.And she came to church for probably three or four weeks,and then stopped.Well, the next time I saw her at K-Mart,I said, "Hey, I haven't seen you in church."I'll never forget what she said.She said, "I can't go to churchand live the kind of life that I want to live."It's sad.She got it.She got the fact that the gate is narrow.She got the fact that she can't come into the kingdom of heavenwhile carrying all her sin in with her.I don't want to talk about Gina though. I want to talk about you.What have you left behind to follow Jesus?Would you say that there's been a tremendous cost to youin deciding to follow Jesus?And if your answer is, "Well, you know,I haven't really given up that much to follow Jesus,really now that I think about it,I really haven't given up very much."Well, then you haven't found the narrow gate.It's hard to find.Secondly, write this down.Not only is it hard to find,it's hard to walk.It's hard to walk.The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.The way is hard that leads to life.You see what Jesus is saying?If you find it, and even when it's truly found,it's hard to enter.And when you enter it, it's hard to walk.And right now somebody's like, "Hard? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,hang on, hang on, hang on."I thought coming to Jesus was just belief.Just believe in Jesus.What are you talking about? Hard.It's just believe, right?Well, I would ask you,what do you mean by believe?Do you know how Jesus described what it means to believe?The Sermon on the Mount.This is how Jesus described what it means to believe.He described it with the beatitudes.When you're broken over your sin and you're meekand you desire righteousness and purity more than anything,you're a peacemaker.And then, if you're really living it, people hate you.That's what it means to believe.Jesus said believing is being salt and light.That means you're different than the world.You stand out because of what you believe.Is that what you mean by believe?Jesus said believing is turning from anger, turning from lust.Jesus said believing is a person who always keeps their word.Jesus said believing is never retaliating.Jesus said believing is when you love your enemies.Jesus said believing is when you choose to giveand to pray and to fast privately.So only God knows.Jesus says believing is giving to Godso that you lay up treasure in heaven.Jesus said believing is never worrying.Not being anxious for anything.Jesus said believing is not being critical of othersbut doing to others what you wish they would do to you.Now, you tell me what's easy about any of that.It's hard to walk.If you've been with us in any part of this journeythrough the Sermon on the Mount,has there been any of these sections that you've pointed atand went, "Oh, that's easy. I got that nailed down."Or have you been more like me every weektaken to the woodshed?Tour up?Or have you been more like meevery week taken to the woodshed?Or have you been more like me?Difficult is the standard.We're told on the front end,when you live different than the world,you're going to have people after you.You're going to suffer.It's hard to walk.That's why a lot of people bail, by the way.They weren't expecting it to be hard.They were believing in gospel that Jesus never taught.Because believing in the gospel,despite the lame way we want to package itin American churches,believing in the gospel is more than just acknowledging facts.And it's even way more than just agreeing with the facts.Believing in the gospel is having a faith in Jesus Christthat makes your decisions for you.Your life should be marked by this.Constantly saying, "You know what?I do this because of what Jesus said.This is why I do that."Your life should be marked by things you say,"You know what? I never do thisbecause God said I should never do that.My life makes my decisions for me."That's what it means to believe.In churches, dishonor the gospeland do a disservice to peoplewhen we make it easy to follow Jesus.Shame on us.We make it so easy for the peoplethat walk in the door and say,"Look, I just want to attend.I just want to come in on Sunday,in late, out early.I just want to attend.I don't want to get involved.I don't want to help out with the kids ministry.I don't want to be on the worship team.I don't want to give to the church.I don't want to do any of that.Look, just make it easy."Where did Jesus say the easy way leads?I want to talk about you again.You find it easy to follow Jesus?Maybe at 9 a.m. on Sunday.I want to ask about your Monday through Saturday.Is it easy for you to follow Jesus?And if your answer is, you know what?I don't know what he's talking about,but I haven't really found it to be that hardbeing a Christian.Then you haven't found the narrow gate.Because Jesus said it's hard.Enter by the narrow gate.It's hard to find.It's hard to walk.Number three, it's hard to dismiss.It's hard to dismiss.The gate is narrow.And the way is hard that leads to life.Man, this sounds like being a Christian is hard.Yeah, it is.So why would I enter the narrow gate at all then?Because of where it leads.And whoever doesn't think aboutwhere the path they are on is taking them is a fool.Throughout this section, throughout these verses,we looked at today Jesus said there's only two.There's two gates.There's two ways. There's two crowds.And there's two destinations.You're going to want to...Destruction and it's life.What's destruction?We've talked about that. That's hell.Yes, destruction here and now in this life,I've yet to meet the guy that has really benefited from their sin.But instead has experienced destruction in this life,ultimately it's destruction in hell.Why is hell referred to as destruction?Because it's eternally being destroyed,but never actually being destroyed.It's burning without being consumed.That's what hell is.And that's where the easy way leads.So if following Jesus sounds too hard for you,you have the option of having it a little easierin this life for 15 minutes,and spending eternity suffering.Not my opinion, Jesus' words.The other destination is life.Life, eternal, glorious life in heaven.Yes, of course, but also life here and now.Eternal life for the Christian isn't something that you get someday.It's something you experience now,and you take with you into eternity.This hard way is the way that Jesus took.And if we choose to follow in His footsteps,we will not only get heaven,but we will experience lifeas it was meant to be lived here and now.And that's hard to dismiss,just because it's difficult.It's over and over in the Gospels.Jesus challenged potential followers to count the cost.You have to count the cost of entering the narrow gatebecause there is a cost.But you also have to count the cost of not entering the narrow gate.You could leave here today and say,"I choose to stay on the wide gateway."What have you gained?What have you gained by staying on the wide gateway?An easier life here for however long that lasts.But what have you lost?You've lost eternity.So right now you need to ask yourself,"What way am I on?"Listen, you can't answer thatbased on something that happened in the past.That's what I mean for some people.It's like, are you a follower of Jesus?Well, I got baptized 30 years ago.That's not the test.The test is, how are we living right now?Are you seeking Jesus now?Are you turning from sin now?Are you denying yourself now?Your life right now proves what way you are on.I'd like to invite the worship team to come back up.We're going to have some folks join us up here.I'd like to invite them up too.We're going to have some people up here to pray,some elders, some members from our prayer team.I'd like you folks to make your way up here as well.In just a moment, the worship team is going to sing a song over you.But before we do that, I want us to consider one more verse.It's Matthew 11 and verse 12.Another staggering statement from our Lord.Jesus said, "From the days of John the Baptist until now,the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence."Look at his last phrase.He says, "And the violence, take it by force."Listen, because the gate is narrow,and because the way is hard,salvation is something that you have to go after violently.It's not, well, just put a check mark on this card and you're saved.Just bow your head and raise your hand and you're saved.Just repeat this prayer after me and you're saved.That's not it.It's something that you have to go after violently.Like why violently?Because the gospel calls you to forsake yourself.You have to go after that violently.Jesus calls you to give up your sin.It's not for weaklings.I'm going to give you a chance.I'm going to give you a chance to prove that you're not a weakling.I'm going to give you a chance today to do something violent.I'd like you to bow your heads, please,because what we're going to dois have a good old-fashioned, much-needed altar call.Bow your heads.Today needs to enter the narrow gate.Maybe there's somebody that walked in here todaythat said, "I know I'm not following Jesus,and I've been meaning to get around to it.Today's the day that you're going to go after this violently."Or maybe there's somebody here that's like,"Well, I don't really know if I follow Jesus."Then that means you don't.Because you can't have a relationship with the God of the universeand not know it.Because it's something you have to go after violently.Or maybe there's somebody here that says,"You know, I made a decision once upon a time,but whether I'm backslidden,or whether I was deceived or confused,I'm not really sure where I stand right nowbecause I'm so stuck in sin."You need to go after this violently.As an act of faith, as the worship team sings over you,we want to invite you to come up and pray.There is still someone here, someone else here,that wants to do business with God.I strongly encourage you not to leave until you do.You shrink back now.It's going to be way easier to shrink back the next timethat you feel called to follow Jesus.Father in heaven,we're not here to put on a show for anybody but you.We want to be sincere.We don't want to settle for some watered-down,sugar-coated version of the Gospelthat so many in our culture have made it.Father, let us go after you violentlywith the urgency that your Son has called us to.We do need to count the costs.I'm asking Father that you would give us the faith that we need.All glory and honor and praise and power be unto your name.We pray in Jesus' name.Amen.

We live in a world split by constant information and opinions. One thing remains unchanging eternally, and that is God and His word. The question is not whether or not He is trustworthy, but will you trust Him? If God is God, follow Him. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about trusting God's word in 2 Peter 1:16-21.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Pastor Taylor encourages us with a word from Joshua 3 on big rocks or Jordan rivers in our lives and how we can, through the power of the Holy Spirit & His faithfulness, cross over, lean into His presence, and get ready for our next season. follow us on instagram @reallifechurchwa 26201 180th Ave. SE Covington, WA 98042

Pastor Taylor unpacks 2 Corinthians 5 and the essence of reconciliation.

Don't you wish life had an instruction manual? Or just directions to the next stop? Negative things can happen, but it'd be nice if it wasn't the result of driving off every cliff along the way. When we don't know where to look or how to navigate, life can feel like one wrong turn after another. The good news is God has given us the directions to life in His word. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about navigating through life in 2 Peter 1:1-15Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Will you miss out on the biggest decision of your life? Will you miss out on the only decision that truly matters? The decision to follow Jesus. If we pause and consider the implications, we will realize that everything else is merely a distraction from this one important question. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about responding to the Gospel in Acts 13:16-47. Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Pastor Taylor speaks on 2 Peter 3:11 & encourages us that we are here for such a time as this, and to live holy, look forward, stay faithful, and grow in grace.follow us on instagram @reallifechurchwa 26201 180th Ave. SE Covington, WA 98042

Introduction: I Am Worried About: ___________________. "I Refuse to Worry..." (Matthew 6:25–34): Because of WHO MY FATHER is. (Matt 6:26-30) Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Because of my FAITH. (Matt 6:31-33) Because It DOES NO GOOD. (Matt 6:34) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 6:25-34What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What is it that you are most tempted to worry about? Why have you struggled to let go of this? How should you view this in light of Jesus' teaching here?What is Jesus illustrating with the birds and the lilies?What are some practical steps you can take to actively “refuse to worry”?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open up those Bibles to Matthew chapter 6, and we're going to be picking up in verse 25.We're in the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mound.And in this section that we're in here, Jesus is talking about how His followers should relateto the world.And as Pastor Taylor prayed a moment ago, the subject that our Lord covers is worry.Do not be anxious.I've shared this story with you in past time, but I couldn't help but thinking about itall week this week.Many years ago I was at the doctor, and the PA comes in and slaps on the blood pressurecuff, you know, and was taking my blood pressure.And I remember the PA, she just looked at me and her eyes were huge.She goes, "You feeling okay?"And I'm like, "Yeah, I feel good."She says, "We need to talk to the doctor."I said, "What's going on?"She said, "Your blood pressure is critically high."And then she left the room.So I sat there for what felt like an eternity, looking back at my life, regrets.And then thinking about the future, you know, am I about to drop over dead?What's going to happen to my family?What's going to happen to the ministry?What's going to...Well, the doctor eventually came in, first words out of his mouth.He says, "Buddy, we got to talk about this blood pressure."I said, "Yeah, I know your physician's assistant said it wasn't good."He goes, "Oh, it is not good."Then he looked over at the counter behind him.He said, "Is that the cuff that she used to take your blood pressure?"And I said, "Yeah."He says, "Oh, that's for little kids.He has no one to your blood pressure so high."So he got a big boy blood pressure cuff and took it.And I lived to fight another day.But I got to tell you, and that time when the physician's assistant left the room andthe doctor came in, I don't know if in my life I've ever felt such worry.But some people, sadly, live in that zone.Or it's just worry, anxious.That's what we're going to look at today.What is worry?What is anxiety?Well, it's defined as an uneasiness about the future.That's an understatement.It's that, what might happen?What might not happen?Worry has a way of consuming your thoughts.Worry has a way of keeping you from sleeping.Worry for some of you has you stop eating.And for some of you, you can't stop eating.So on the top of your outline, you'll see a line, "I am worried about..."I just want you to take a minute.Write down the thing in your life that makes you anxious.Or write down what it is in your life where you are most tempted to worry.And if you're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, I never worry about anything."Well come and see me after service because I've never met such a person.And I would love to.But what is the thing that you are most tempted to worry about?Write that down.Maybe for some of you, you are worried right now.Write that down.Alright, we're in church right now, so I'm going to ask a question.You give me the Sunday school answer.Are we supposed to worry?We're not.It's really easy to say in here right now, isn't it?After worship, after prayer.But we're going to leave here and many of you are going to worry and you are going to justifyyour worry.It's funny how that's a sin that we're all so eager to justify.And we say things like, "We just sort of..."Try to make it sound like it's not a thing, right?We're like, "Oh, I'm just a worrier."Right?"Oh, you know, I've just stopped the bothers me because I'm a worry wart."But you know, if you really grab what Jesus has to say in this passage about worry, ifyou've ever referred to yourself as a worry wart, you're going to be pretty embarrassedthat you've ever called yourself that.You might say, "Well, yeah, yeah, Pastor Jeff, I'm not worried about stupid things,right?I'm not worried about trivial things.My worries are over legit needs."Okay?Well, let's see what our Lord has to say.Look at verse 25 in Matthew chapter 6.Jesus says, "Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you willeat or what you will drink nor about your body, what you will put on.Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"Notice Jesus is talking about legit needs.You see that?Food and water and clothes, legit needs.And keep in mind the people that Jesus was talking to, in this day they didn't have theWalmarts.Think of food, right?How did they get their food?They had to grow it or they had to go to the market and hope that there was still somethingthere to buy.Right?Think about water.They didn't go to the kitchen sink and just flick their wrists and have water appear outof the tap.And they lived in a climate that made having clean drinking water absolutely crucial.And their clothes, again, they didn't have closets and storage.And they usually had to make their clothes.So when you consider their culture, you would note obviously it was much easier for themto be tempted to worry.I was thinking about that this week.You know, if we had a time machine and we could bring somebody from Jesus' day to ourday.I think they would be absolutely baffled at the things that we worry about.And someone's going to say, "Well, Pastor Jeff, how can I not worry?I mean, look at the environment that kids are growing up in today.Look at the economy.How can I not be worried about money?What about my health?You know what's going on health-wise.How can I not be worried about that?"You know, they're eliminating positions where I work.I might be next and I might not have an income.How can I not worry about that?You just can't help it, right?And you would say, "Well, you know, Pastor Jeff, I remember, you said in the past time,you've said feelings are feelings.Right?You can't help how you feel."That's true.But we talk about worry.This isn't about feelings.This is about a choice.Because your feelings are going to change if your focus changes.And what you focus on is your choice.What you focus on affects everything.Three times in this passage, Jesus gives the command, "Therefore, do not be worriedand anxious."He says it in verse 25.He says it in verse 31.He says it in verse 34.And each time Jesus says it, He gives a reason why we in turn must say, "I refuse to worry."You ready to say that?All right?We're going to take a run at it.I want you to say that.I refuse to worry.Not much conviction from some of you.I'm hoping that maybe in a few minutes we can change your mind about that.I refuse to worry.Why?Number one, right?Just done.I refuse to worry because of who my Father is.Let's pick up here, verses 26 through 30.Jesus says, "Look at the birds of the air.They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them."Are you not of more value than they?And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to a span of life?And why are you anxious about clothing?Because they are the lilies of the field, how they grow.They neither toil nor spin.Yet I tell you, even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.But if God so closed the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is throwninto the oven, will He not much more clothe you?Oh, you of little faith?This is where Jesus starts.I refuse to worry because of who my Father is.And He gives a couple obvious illustrations, right?He says, "Look at the birds.God feeds them."Oh, by the way, God doesn't drop the food into their nest, right?For those of you who might think, "Oh, okay, well I can just go home and sit down and donothing, and God will just door-dash me every day for the rest of my life."No, that's not how it works.Work is the God-ordained way that He feeds us, right?That's another serving for another time.But the birds are fed.And Jesus says, "Notice the flowers are dressed despite their very short life."So He talks about the birds.He talks about the lilies.And it's really the same point.God values His people more than anything on this earth.This is Jesus' point.God values you.Listen, God values you.More than anything on this earth, He values you.Not convinced of that.Well, let me ask you, when you look at all of the stuff created on the earth, what ismade in the image of God?There's only one thing on this planet that is said to have been made in the image ofGod with God's fingerprint, His likeness stamped on.And that is you.Not the dogs, not the goldfish, not the trees.You are made in His image.What is it on this planet right now that God sent His Son to die on the cross for?Jesus didn't die for the cats.Jesus didn't die for the parakeets.God bought you with His Son.Oh, and speaking of sons, what is it on this planet that is said to be adopted by God?God doesn't run down to the humane society and adopt a dog through the death and resurrectionof Jesus Christ to those who believe God adopted you.Are you starting to see your value here?Oh, oh, and what is it on the earth that God says is going to spend eternity in glory withHim?There's only one thing.You.You.You do understand now you have incredible value to God.And by the way, Jesus is obviously addressing believers here.Those who have turned from their sin, those who have received and believed in Jesus Christ,He's talking to believers because He says, "You're heavenly Father.Jesus says believers, if your heavenly dad gave you life, he's going to take care ofit."I refuse to worry because of who my father is.You know, a couple of weeks ago, my son, Cade, works at Chick-fil-A across the street.A couple of weeks ago, I pulled in to pick him up and it was hot.I had the windows down.I was sitting there waiting and there was a guy walking around the front sidewalk bythe entrance door and he was on the phone.Now listen, I wasn't eavesdropping.This guy was talking so loud I could have heard him from Zileanopoul.All right?This guy was walking around and using some choice words that we don't use while we preach.He was complaining obviously about something that happened in his interaction in the restaurant,in the Chick-fil-A.So he's walking around and he's like, "This is... this is..."Explodedly deleted.He goes, "I'm going in there to cuss somebody out."And he heads towards the door.So I'm like, "Here we go."Shut off the Jeep and I followed him in so close that he held the door open for me.He walked into the lobby.There were no customers there.Rare timing, Chick-fil-A.He walks into the lobby and stands there for a second and he turns around and sees me lookingat him and then he just leaves.Well Cade's standing there and Cade's like...Then I leave and Cade's like, "What was that all about?"Right?So Cade comes out into the car and he's like, "Why did you just come into Chick-fil-A?"And I said, "Well, did you see that guy that came in ahead of me?"He said he was coming in to cuss somebody out.Now look, I know my son and I know the last thing he would ever do is intentionally offenda stranger.I said, "That guy said he was going to come in to cuss somebody out."So I was going to make sure that that wasn't you.Cade's like, "What were you going to do?"Like throw him out the window.He could just roll right onto the hospital.I said, "But I was not going to let him cuss you out."And Cade said, "You would do that for me?"Like, "Would I do that for you?""Yes, yes I would do it."I'm like, "How could you even ask that question?"I would do anything for you, including take a beating in Chick-fil-A.I would do anything for you.And listen, if I thought dude was going in there after somebody else, I never would havegot out of the car.Not my business.But my son, oh no.That is not going to happen.I would do anything to provide for my son.I would do anything to protect my son.And when Cade's like, "You'd do that for me?"All I could think of was, "Do you have any idea how much your father loves you?"And that's exactly what Jesus is saying here."Worryer?"That's what Jesus is saying.You're worried?Do you have any idea how much your father loves you?And you're worried that you're not going to be taken care of?You don't know how much you mean to him.Like, well how much?How much?I think there's one verse more than any in the Bible that tells us how much it's Romans8.32.Can we get that on the screen?It says, "God, He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all."How will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?I wouldn't give up my son for any of you.I wouldn't give up my son for all of you.But God gave up His Son to death so that you can be saved.And that's what Paul was saying in Romans, and this is the truth that Jesus is sayinghere."If God gave you His Son, it's proof He's going to give you everything else that youneed."I refuse to worry because of who my father is.And let's see in verse 30, Jesus says, "O you of little faith."See, that's the issue.Look, some of you have little faith.Some of you do have faith enough to be saved, but you need to grow up.And you know why you're worried?The reason you're so worried all the time is you haven't really reckoned with the implicationsof what your salvation means.Your father loves you, and your father has a concern for you.Your father has a personal interest in what happens in your life.And the way a parent does for their kid, but not someone who's not their kid.You know what I mean by that?Because parents here today, whose kid do you make sure eats?Yours, right?How many times have you wondered in the past week if my kids have eaten?You're like, "Not at all."Right?Whose kids do you make sure have clothes?Yours.Right?Whose kid do you make sure brushes their teeth?So parents, what would you say to your kids?What would you say to your kids, parents, if you're home someday and you could hear yourkid in the next room pacing and worrying saying, "What if mom isn't going to feed me tomorrow?"What would you say?What would you say if you heard your kid in the next room going, "I'm really growing.What if I grow out of these clothes and dad doesn't buy me new clothes?"What would you say?That's Jesus' point.When you worry, you're acting like you forget who your father is.You're demonstrating, in the words of our Lord, little faith.Oh, speaking of faith, I refuse to worry, number two, because of my faith.I refuse to worry because of my faith.Look at verse 31.Says it again.Here we go."Do not be anxious saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'Whatshall we wear?'For the Gentiles seek after all these things.And your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will beadded to you."The Gentiles seek after all these things, obviously in this context.Jesus is using the word "Gentile" as it was commonly used in that day to refer to aheathen, in other words, somebody who doesn't know God.Right?So Jesus is saying that when I worry, I act like I don't have faith.See people who don't have faith, they just go after all the stuff.Right?It's all about me.People that don't have faith, honestly they live no different than an animal.An animal only thinks about getting needs met, right?Hungry, thirsty, tired.Like I live with animals, right?That's all they do.What they're thinking about is getting their next physical need met.When you don't have faith, that's how you are.Verse 25, Jesus said, as we already read, "Isn't life more than the physical child of God?Isn't your life about more than physically surviving, isn't it?"And when Jesus was tempted by the devil, remember what he said, "Man shall not liveby bread alone."Isn't that a statement of faith?Again, we talked about this last week, but this is exactly why people store treasureon earth.This life is all there is.I've got to make the most out of it.I've got to get what I can here now.Child of God, aren't you supposed to be different than them?Aren't you supposed to be salt and light?Do people see that in the way that you live, in the way that you talk, in the way thatyou refuse to worry?Look at verse 32 again.Jesus says your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.Your unsafe friends, your unsafe family, do they know that you know that your Father knowsand you know that He knows?Yeah.Do you say, "Well, I'm in need of something, but it's okay.My Father knows what I need, and He's going to provide it when He knows that I need it."That's faith.That's what faith looks like.And if you're right now, right now at this point in your life, if you're in a place ofneed, if you're in a place where God has to show up and provide, you're in a place ofwant, guess what?As a child of God, that means you have a front row seat to see God at work.Because according to Jesus, He already knows.So we've sort of taken the sin of worry, and in our minds, that's like a minor league sin,right?Oh, there's the big sins like murder and adultery and things like that.But worry, that's kind of a minor league sin, right?No.It's not.Worry strikes at the character and the promises of God.Worry makes some assumptions.Worry assumes that God doesn't know.Worry assumes that God doesn't care.Worry assumes that God is completely unable to provide the thing that I need.Worry is just...It's just...Worry is just bad theology.It shows a complete lack of faith, and Jesus says it makes you no different than an atheist.Are you on your own?You have to fend for yourself?You have to take care of yourself?Or are you a child of God that is richly provided for by your heavenly Father?Which one are you?Like I'm a child of God, right?So why do we worry then?Why do we worry?I'm wrestling with this question.You know, the sort of armchair, you know, psychologist, sociologist that I am.Why do we worry?So I went to that very authoritative source psychology today.I looked it up online.I wanted to see from a secular perspective how worry is defined.And I was blown away.You want to hear?Listen to this.I looked up, why do we worry?According to psychology today, their website says we worry because we have a hard timeliving with uncertainty.I want you to think about that for a second.You have a hard time living with uncertainty.If you're a Christian, what are you uncertain about?Go ahead and shout it out.If you're a Christian, shout out the things that we are uncertain about.Pastor, is there anything?I rack my brain all week.Like surely there has to be something that we are uncertain about.The only thing I can come up with is the time of the return of our Lord.If you're a Christian, you have no uncertainties.If you're a Christian and you're worrying, what you have is a lack of faith.You're like, oh yeah, I know Jeff, but I just, I got this need.I get this really bad need.I've been praying about it and look, I just don't know how God's going to provide.You don't need to know.That's His problem.You know what your problem is?Verse 33, "Let's seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these thingswill be added to you."But you need to worry about us seeking God.You seek the spiritual, He'll provide the physical.Do you see that?Focus on your walk with Christ.Instead of focusing on the stuff and your needs and what's worrying you, Jesus saidyou need to focus on being the person that God wants you to be.He'll draw near to God and He'll draw near to you.And when your heart is so near to the heart of God, you're going to have a worry-freefaith.So do you have that?Do you have a worry-free faith?I'll tell you how you can evaluate it.A worry-free faith shows up in how you pray.How do you pray?You're like, "Well, I really don't.I really don't pray."Okay, then you have no faith.All right, so we'll knock that one off.But if you pray like this, if you pray, "God, I'm desperate and God, I don't know whatI'm going to do, God, and I'm so afraid of what's going to happen tomorrow."That's little faith.But if your prayer sounds like this, "God, I'm seeking you for this and you already knowwhat I need, and I'm trusting that you're going to provide it when I need it."That is a prayer of faith.I'm asking, I'm trusting, I'm believing, but I refuse to worry.Why?Because of my faith.And finally, number three, I refuse to worry because of who my Father is because of myfaith and number three.I refuse to worry because it does no good.It does no good.Look at verse 34."Jesus says, 'Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxiousfor itself.Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.'"And you're like, "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, right there, right there.Tomorrow.Tomorrow.That's what I'm worried about.That's the day that I'm worried about."And Jesus says, "Don't."Why not?Jesus says, "You've got enough trouble today.Can I get an amen?"You mean to tell me you've got nothing going on today that requires your attention?Nothing.And my schedule is clear.There is not a single thing that requires my attention, effort, energy, nothing.You're telling me that tomorrow needs all your attention?Obviously not.Obviously you would say, "Oh, you know what, Jeff, I've really got plenty going on today."And our Lord would say, "Good, go after that.Just go after that."Jesus said, "Tomorrow will be anxious for itself."Some translate that phrase, "Tomorrow," quote, "brings its own anxieties."In other words, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it because I can't cross it now,right?No, not cross that bridge when we come to it.How about cross that bridge if we come to it?When we worry about the future, what we do is we start imagining all these little scenariosthat are surely going to devastate us.What if I get sick?What if I have car trouble?What if I do lose my job?What if ... how much time, my friends, have we wasted worrying about something that neverhappens?That's what our Lord reminds us here in this verse, worry isn't just sinful, it's pointless.There's no upside, it benefits you nothing, it does no good.In fact, Jesus talked about this in verse 27.You can't add to your life by worry, can you?Because nothing good's ever added to the worrier.Nobody in the history of mankind has ever said, "You know what?I am so glad that I worried about that because I worried so hard that it fixed everything."It's pointless.It's pointless to worry about tomorrow because the reality is not everybody gets it tomorrow.You might not have it tomorrow.But if you do, if you do have it tomorrow, tomorrow has literally one guarantee thatyou can take to the bank.And that is this, tomorrow God will be just as much God then as He is today.And if God's word is true and I believe it is, the future is something to be excitedabout, not worry about.Because the Bible says our best days are ahead.All worry does in addition to dishonor the Lord is steal your joy today.It steals your peace today and it ruins your testimony today.Does no good.Far worship team will make their way back up front.Each of us might be feeling really confident right now.But when you leave here, when you walk out those doors, you are going to be tempted toworry about something.Probably not so much here now but home later, yes.I want you to take this outline and I want you to tuck this away in your Bible for later.That little thing you wrote at the top, I'm worried about.No, no, no.Instead what we're going to say is I refuse to worry about this.Why am I not worried about this?Because of who my Father is.That's why.I'm not worried about this because of my faith in that Father.I'm not worried about this because according to Him honestly, it's not going to do anygood anyways.I refuse.I refuse to worry.Let's pray.Father of Heaven, we confess before You that we demonstrate a complete lack of faith whenwe worry.We can come into this room and we can sing about Your power and Your love and Your goodness.But we deny all of those things with our lives when we choose to worry.So Father, I pray that today is a new day.From our brothers and sisters here, the thing that weighs on us, the thing that has keptus up at night, Father, I pray that we would look back at Your faithfulness throughout history.We would look back at Your faithfulness in our own lives.And that thing that burdens us, Father, I just pray that we would do, as Your Word says,that we would cast it at Your feet and we would refuse to worry about it.We pray in Jesus' name.Amen.

The Gospel is not about proving to God that we are good now that He has saved us. It's not about earning the free gift of grace. The Gospel is about recognizing what Jesus has done to make us clean before the Father. This week, Pastor Taylor talks about eyes of faith in Acts 9:1-19.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Introduction: 3 Self-Serving Reasons to Give to God (Matthew 6:19–24): So I Have TREASURE FOREVER . (Matt 6:19–21) So I Am ABLE to SEE . (Matt 6:22–23) So I Serve the RIGHT MASTER . (Matt 6:24) 1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 6:19-24What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Re-read Matt 6:22-23. Explain this in your own words. What does this have to do with money, and how does generosity affect spiritual perception?Is it wrong to be motivated by self-serving reasons to give to God? Why or why not?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open up your Bibles with me please to Matthew chapter 6.Some time ago, I was at the funeral home for a visitation.And as I was leaving, there was a woman standing kind of in the lobby by the exit door.And she asked what my connection was to the deceased.And I said, "Well, I'm a pastor and I've known the family for quite a while."And she says, "Oh, you're a pastor."She said, "What do you think about what Joel Osteen makes?"You know, that's not really the time or the place to engage in a heated debate.I said, "What Joel Osteen makes is really none of my business."She goes, "Well, of course it is."I said, "Why?"I said, "What he makes and what he does with his money, it's not my business."And she goes, "Well, it absolutely is."And I said, "Well, man, with all due respect, if you don't appreciate his ministry, then don't give him money."But I walked out of there just sort of confused again as to why we are so concerned with what other people do with their money.When biblically, who should I be concerned about?Point to the person that you should be concerned about, right here.Right?And we're going through the Sermon on the Mount.In the last section we looked at Jesus, talked about giving and praying and fasting.And those are all the elements of our private spiritual life.But you know, you've got to deal with the world sometime, right?You've got to get out there.And this next section of the Sermon on the Mount is about that.How do we deal with the world?What is the heart towards the world?And today we're going to talk about money.And oh, I think we knew it had to come up in the Sermon on the Mount eventually.Like, well, if it's such a big deal, why didn't it come up sooner?Because Jesus has been going after our hearts, and when your heart is right, and only whenyour heart is right, will your view and use of money also be right.Look at, I just want to start, look at verse 20, just the first part here.This is absolutely astounding.Jesus says, "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."Just stop there for a second.That is absolutely astounding what He said.Right there, two things.Two things just blow me away about even that little part of the verse.It just blows me away.The first thing that blows me away is the fact that I can even put treasure in heaven.It's astounding that I have the ability to put stuff in heaven.But I got to tell you this past week, there's another little phrase in there that reallyjumped out at me.And it was the phrase, "For yourselves."So this treasure in heaven, who's it for?It's for me.This is going to benefit me.And you might be shocked to find out this morning that when you look in this sectionabout what Jesus says about money, there is a self-serving motive.Actually there are three self-serving motives at play.You know, we talked about money last fall.We had a whole series.What was that, Pastor in October?It was called "Right on the Money."Within that series, we talked about how to lay up treasure in heaven.Quick review, we said you got to give to God intentionally, willingly, and cheerfully.That's what the Bible says.That's how you lay up treasure in heaven.But here in this passage we're looking at today, Jesus doesn't talk about how.Okay, clearly here you're going to see that Jesus talks about why we should lay up treasurein heaven.And the why is for us.You know, after that sermon series last fall, oh, I preached my little heart out.What does God say about giving?Do you know what happened after that series?Giving went down in the church.I don't get it.I don't understand how we can see clear teaching from God's Word about money and we just thumbour nose at God and say, "Pshh, I'll show you, I'll give less."I don't understand that.You know, my wife, Erin, has a friend out of state that works in finance in her church.And she was sharing with Erin that every time my pastor preaches about tithing, giving goesdown.I don't get it.I just don't understand it.I just don't understand.You know, God says, "Everything is mine.I'm going to give some to you because I love you and as an act of love and worship, I wantyou to give back to me.And if you do, I will give you even more."And we listen to that and we go, "Nah."That's not for me.Well, I want to encourage you and the Lord to really change your mind about that becausehere in this passage, Jesus gives us why.And if you believe, you will be the beneficiary of giving.All right?So on your outline, I want you to write some things down.Here's three self-serving reasons to give to God.Very clear in the passage, self-serving reasons to give to God.Number one, write this down, "So I have treasure forever."So I have treasure forever.Look at the first part of 19, again, first part of 20.And Jesus says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth."But, verse 20, "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."Do you see there's a two-fold command there, right?Not hard.It's negative and it's positive.And then Jesus goes on to give the reason behind each of these commands.So let's take a look at them first.We have a negative.All right?Look at verse 19, the negative."Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and wherethieves break in and steal."Like what's treasure on earth?You know what treasure on earth is, right?Money, houses, cars, stuff, all of the above.Jesus is just simply saying, "Do not live your life accumulating for here."Like, why not?Jesus says, "How about common sense?"Because you know it all goes away eventually.It all goes away.Notice Jesus talks about moth and rust and thieves.Those weren't three arbitrary things our Lord just pulled out of the air.The reason He said those three things is because in those days you measured wealth by threethings.You measured wealth, first of all, by how many clothes you had.I know that sounds strange to us, but go to some other parts of the world.They measured wealth by how many clothes they had.They also measured wealth by how much food they had stored.Again, that's kind of lost on us in our culture, but in that culture, especially in that day,you were extremely wealthy if you had food in storage.And obviously, wealth was measured by gold, right?So now we understand maybe a little more why Jesus selects those three images, right?Moths.Moths speaks to clothes.You know something interesting about moths?Them dusty little butterflies.They only eat what's stored.Did you notice that?Moths typically don't eat what you're wearing.They eat what's stored.Oh, and it's kind of the same thing with food, right?When Jesus says rust, that's not a great translation of the word.The word literally in the Greek means eating.What happens to stored food over time?The varmints find it, don't they?The mice, the bugs, they find their way to it when you store it.And then obviously thieves, gold breaking into houses.In those days, people often bury their treasure in the ground.It was nothing for a thief to watch to see where somebody buried something and then goback later and dig it up, right?So despite mothballs, mousetraps, motion lights, Jesus here is saying very simply the stuffthat you stockpile can and will be gone in a second, right?It's like a flower.If I pick you a beautiful flower, it's beautiful when I pick it.But you realize over time, a very short amount of time, that flower is going to wither awayand turn to dust.And here Jesus is saying, oh, that's everything on earth that you try to hold onto.Now look, it's not sinful to have stuff.If we've learned anything from the Sermon on the Mount, what we've learned is it'sall about the motive of your heart.And if your motive is to accumulate for yourself, you're greedy and you're foolish.That is what your story will lose eventually.Unless you store it in heaven, because look at verse 20, Jesus says, "But lay up for yourselvestreasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not breakin and steal."Like well what is treasure in heaven?We talked about this in our series last fall.I'm going to give you a quick review.Here's what we said, still true.What is treasure in heaven?I don't think God's Word is very specific on what that is, because I think it's somethingthat we wouldn't understand fully.But there's a lot that we know about it.We do know that it's eternal, and it's better than stuff on earth.We know that.We do know that believers will have treasure based on what we've done with our resourceshere on the earth.Now to be clear, Pastor Taylor talked about this.Salvation is entirely based on the work of Jesus Christ.Let's be clear about that.Jesus Christ through His death and His resurrection provided salvation to those who will turnfrom their sin and receive Him.It's all based on His work.But treasure or rewards are based on our works, and in heaven there will be different levelsof rewards.Another thing we do know is there's no second chance for believers to earn rewards afterwe die.Basically this life on the earth right now is your chance to earn rewards.I'm talking so much about the heart through this series on the Sermon and the Mount.So when we get to this section, the question is, where is your heart?While Jesus tells us objectively, in case you're still wondering where your heart reallyis, do you want to know where your heart really is?You might think you know where it is.Jesus tells us exactly where it actually is.Look at verse 21, Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."Your heart is wherever you put your treasure.In other words, look at how you spend your money, and that will tell you where your heartis.So if you come to me and you say, "Oh, you know what, Pastor Jeff, my heart's with thechurch.Oh, I just have a heart for this church.I just love this church so much.My heart is with the church."How much money do you give to the church?And you're like, "Well, I don't really give that much to the church."Well, then your heart's not with the church, according to Jesus.According to Jesus, you've deceived yourself into thinking your heart's with the church,but if your money isn't invested in the church, then your heart's not in the church.All right?Or if you're like, "Oh, Pastor Jeff, you know where my heart is, my heart of hearts.You know where my heart is?My heart's for missions.Oh, I see these pictures of Barnabas and I hear about these people going on these missiontrips.I just have, Pastor Jeff, I have such a heart for missions."Do you give to missions?Well, no, I don't really give to missions.Well, then your heart's not in missions, according to Jesus, that is.Like, well, maybe I'm not sure where my heart is.If you're struggling with that, I'll be glad to help you.What I need you to do is print out your bank statement, make an appointment, and we'llsit down and go through it.And I will show you very clearly where your heart is, because according to Jesus, whereyou put your treasure is where your heart ends up.Your heart follows your investments.You're either investing in the kingdom of God, or you're investing in stuff that you'reeventually going to lose.And if you're sitting here like, "Man, you know what?I really want my heart to be on the things of God."Or then invest in the things of God.Give to the things of God, and you will find that your heart will follow your investments.Your heart will be in heaven.And according to Jesus, you're going to have treasure that you'll enjoy for eternity.It's a pretty good self-serving motive for giving to God.Second one, right?This self-serving reason to give to God.So I'm able to see.So I'm able to see.Like, wait, wait, wait.That's what He says.Look at verses 22 and 23.Jesus says, "The eye is the lamp of the body."So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.If then the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?You're like, "Well, that's an unrelated tangent.We're talking about money."And all of a sudden, we're talking about eyesight.It's not an unrelated tangent at all.Jesus here is giving us another self-centered reason to give to God.And this is what I'm going to tell you what it is, and I'm going to explain it.Listen, only people who truly understand and obey what God says about money are able tosee things as they really are.Like, well, what do you mean?Jesus here is giving an illustration.The eye here illustrates the heart.And Jesus says the eye is like a lamp.And everything that we see, what we perceive and fill ourselves with is light.Okay?So look at verse 22 again.Jesus says the eye is the lamp of the body.So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.Now that word healthy in the Greek literally is the word generous.Literally that's what the word means.If your eye is generous.So Jesus is saying that if your heart is generous, your whole life is going to be filled withlight.In other words, your whole life is going to be filled with spiritual understanding.In other words, Jesus is saying that only generous people see things as they really are.It's only generous people who say everything is God's.I'm just a steward of God's stuff.In my office on the conference table, there's a big glass bowl and it's full of lollipops.This happens all the time.It literally just happened this morning where a little kid will come in and Pastor Jeff,can I have a lollipop?Absolutely you can.And they'll take a lollipop and they'll leave.This happens all the time.And about 10 or 15 seconds later, they come back in and they say, I need to get one forJoey.I need to get one for Mikey.I need to get one for Stacy.And they start and then they walk out with these handfuls of lollipops.Doesn't bother me at all because they're illustrating a very important biblical point.And that's this.I say it all the time.I'm like, you're awfully generous with something that's not yours.That's biblical.You want to learn how to be generous?It's not yours.Everything on this earth is a bowl of lollipops.It's all God's.So it's a lot easier to be generous with it when I realize it's not mine.I don't need to hold on to it.So I'm getting one for Mikey.Generous people see things as they really are.Generous people say things like, giving is worship.So I'm joyfully giving God first and best.Right?I'm not going to see how much money I have left after I buy all my toys and I'll giveGod a tenth of that and pat myself on the back for tithing.That isn't tithing and that's certainly not worship.Tithing worshipfully is when you receive, you say, okay, God gets first and God getsbest.That's worship.Some of you are like, yeah, I'm on board with that.Why doesn't everyone get that?Because of verse 23."But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.And if then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness?"Some people don't get it because they're in the dark.Some people are just clueless because they can't see it because they can't see anything.Listen, when your heart is focused on the treasures of the earth accumulating for yourself,the blinds come down on spiritual perception.You are unable to see things spiritually.You know, some people go to church for years.Some people have been coming to this church for years and they do not change.They're still struggling with the same sin that they were struggling with two years ago,five years ago.Why?Because they can't see how great is the darkness.Some people have been coming to church for years and they don't grow.They're spiritually dull.At this point, they should be back teaching the kids.They should be leading a small group at this point.They should be in the preaching class, but they can't.They're spiritually dull.Why?They can't see.How great is the darkness?Some people never witness, never share Christ with anybody.Even talk about witnessing like, "Well, that's not for me."Why?They can't see.How great is the darkness?They come to church and they're like, "Well, worship is boring.The sermon wasn't for me.The prayer was too long."How great is the darkness?When your heart is purely focused on earth's treasures, when you live your life only thinkingand focused and spending on here and now, you will have no spiritual perception.Until you get your view of money right, you're never going to be able to deal with otherspiritual matters.So here's a self-serving reason to give.Maybe this church stuff will start to make some sense because the lights will come on.All right?Three self-serving reasons to give, number one, so I have treasure forever.Number two, so I'm able to see.Number three, so I serve the right master.So I serve the right master.Look at verse 24, Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hatethe one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other."You cannot serve God and money.Jesus here very clearly tells us that God and money are both masters.You are a servant to one of them.There's no third option.And in this context, you see, you look at stuff, and you say, "Okay, all this stuffthat I have, it's either God's for God's purposes, or it's mine for what I want."Those are your choices.Jesus said, you know, you shouldn't try to...You shouldn't try to...No.He didn't say you shouldn't try to serve two masters.What did He say?The last sentence, He says, "You cannot."You cannot.It's impossible to serve two masters.Why is that?The same reason a man can't have two wives.Because we have two masters here, and both of them demand total allegiance.Both of these masters, there's no compromise.There's no 50/50 here.You're going to be totally sold out to one of them.And right now, I'm sure somebody is saying, "Well, I'm not a slave to worldly things.I'm not a slave to accumulating."Some of you are way more than you realize.Because when you prioritize stuff over God, then money becomes your master.And Martin Lloyd-Jones told this story.I can't stop thinking about it.He told this story about this farmer that had two cows gave birth at the same time.So now we have two baby cows.What is it called?Just seeing who's still listening.And okay, so he had two baby cows.So the farmer excitedly goes to his wife and he says, "Okay, here's what we're going todo.I'm going to raise both of these cows.And I'm going to sell one and all the money is going to God.And then I'm going to sell the other and all the money we're going to use for our family."And his wife says, "Well, which cow is which?The white one or the brown one?Which one's God's and which one's ours?"And the man says, "Ah, you know what?We'll worry about that later.We'll take care of that down the road somewhere."Well, a couple days later the wife walks into the house and the farmer was weeping.And the wife says, "Honey, what's the matter?"And the farmer goes, "God's cow died."That's funny, isn't it?It's really not because it's always God's cow that dies.It's always God's cow that dies.You know, you've got a sports tournament and church at the same time.You've got to go with the sports.It's always God's cow that dies.I'm not saying you're anathema if you miss church.I'm saying it's a huge red flag as to the way you're discipling your children when youteach them that anything else takes priority over church.When does worship ever have the priority?Are you discipling your kids to that?It's always God's cow that dies.It's like, well, we have youth group tonight, but we also have a dance recital.We can skip youth group because it's always God's cow that dies.You know, I really wanted to join a small group, Pastor Taylor, but you know what?I got this hobby that takes up most of my nights.So it's always God's cow that dies.And oh, yeah, we're talking about money.When money becomes tight, giving to God is the first thing to go because it's alwaysGod's cow that dies.Who's your master?I'll give you a real easy test.I'll give you a real easy test that will tell you where your heart is.Has this sermon really bothered you?If this sermon is really grating on you, so long as I have accurately represented whatour Lord has said, if this sermon is really grating on you, according to Him, it's goingto be grating on you.That means you love money and you hate God.If you're sitting here, and if you're going to be totally honest, and you resent the truththat God has a total claim on your life, then that means, in the words of our Lord, you'redevoted to money and you despise God.But you know, if you're generous, it sort of works the other way.If you're generous towards God, you hate that the world is constantly trying to take moreof your money.You hate when gas prices go up, you hate when grocery prices go up, you hate when your taxesgo up, because you sincerely respond to that by saying, "Oh, I wanted to give more, andthat's keeping me from that."And you hate that because you love God so much.You've got a master.The stuff I have, the money I make, is it to serve God or is it to serve me?Because if it's to serve you, ultimately, you're serving it.Look, at the end of the day, money is just a tool.Money's not evil.Money's not inherently good.Money is just a tool.But money is the most dangerous tool that you possess, because Jesus said that is the toolthat you will use to replace God.You know, there's so many self-serving, personal benefits to giving to God.Oh yes, the opposite is true too.Nothing to God blesses you, but when money is your master, you hurt yourself.Literally hurt yourself.Look at 1 Timothy 6:10.God says through the apostle Paul, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith."Look at this, "And pierced themselves with many pangs.The person who worships money by the way they live end up repeatedly stabbing themselves."So if you're sitting here at this point in the sermon and under your breath, in yourhead, in your heart, you're sitting here digging your heels in saying, "No one tellsme how to spend my money."Look, I earned this.It belongs to me.Okay.But I have an obligation to tell you that you're just stabbing yourself.So if God isn't your master, who are you hurting?On the other hand, giving it to God so I can keep it forever, letting the light shine inthat only comes to a generous heart, and serving a master who loves me and only wants goodfor me.I got plenty of self-serving reasons to give to God.Let's pray.Our Father in heaven, I'm sure this was a very uncomfortable several minutes for somepeople.That's okay.God, we didn't come here today for comfort.We came here to hear from You.And yes, sometimes God, You do comfort us with the truth.And Father, there are generous people sitting in this room that are comforted by all ofthe benefits that You have promised those who are generous.Father, I pray for those who are still holding on so tightly to stuff.I pray, Father, that this would be a time of some serious self-examination, and thatthey would not take the words of Jesus Christ lightly.But Father, I pray You would give them no rest until they seek to get this money issueright before You.It's worship, Father.It's worship.Let us worship You with the stuff that You've given us.We pray in Jesus' name.Amen.

How do we know that we truly believe? Because when we believe God we also obey Him. If we could only learn to focus on the Gospel we would always be responding to it in obedience. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about sharing the Gospel in Acts 8:25-40.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

⏳ ¿Y si la espera fuera parte del milagro?Dios siempre cumple lo que promete, pero no siempre en el momento que esperamos.¿Cómo reaccionas cuando las promesas tardan en llegar?Hoy te invitamos a ver la espera con otros ojos… con la fe valiente de Caleb.

We spend most of our lives thinking about ourselves. It takes a tremendous amount of sanctification to stop only thinking selfishly. In the brief periods where we are not being selfish, what should we focus on? There is only one thing worthy of all our time and attention. We need to develop a Gospel focus. In this episode, Pastor Taylor starts a series in Acts on Gospel Focus.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Join us for week 5 of our series, God's Garden as our guest, Pastor Taylor Boswell of Foundation Church, speaks on pain. There is an author of pain & suffering (the enemy). There is a redeemer of pain & suffering (Jesus). There is purpose in our pain & suffering (through the Holy Spirit).

What does it mean to be in the "end times"? Are we in the end times? What is pre and post millennialism? What does the church do now? All this and more, answered in this week's message!Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa26201 180th Ave. SE Covington, WA 98042

Pastor Taylor unpacks how Jesus is the Good Shepherd and lays down his life for his sheep.

Pastor Taylor unfolds the grace of Christ revealed in 2 Samuel 9.

What is Spiritual Warfare? What are the devil's schemes? How do I recognize the powers of the world and spiritual forces? These questions and more are answered by Pastor Taylor this week in Catechism II.Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa

What does the Bible say about women in ministry? Can women be pastors? What does the Bible say about women in leadership? All these questions and more, answered this week in Catechism II.Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa

Thank you for joining us this week as Pastor Taylor leads us in another week of our series called Gentle and Lowly. In this series, we are learning more about the heart and character of Jesus. This week, we take a deeper look at justice. We hope you are encouraged and convicted by this message, and we can't wait to see you at church next week! As always — love God, love others and make disciples!

The truth of suffering is that it's an exercise in humility. We do not want to suffer because we do not think we should have to suffer. But Peter points directly at the One who deserved least of all to suffer. God Himself, suffered by becoming man, and humbled Himself all the way to the cross. How could we think we deserve better than our Lord? In this episode, Pastor Taylor finishes a series on suffering in 1 Peter 5:1-14.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Introduction: What is fasting? – Abstaining from food (and/or other things) for measured periods of time in order to heighten my hunger for the things of God. What Am I Really Hungry For? (Matthew 6:16–18) Am I hungry for ATTENTION ... (Matt 6:16) ...or am I hungry for GOD? (Matt 6:17–18) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 6:16-18What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What is the purpose of fasting? Why do you think that fasting isn't more common in the American church?How would you describe the spiritual benefit of fasting to a believer who has never done it?How would you respond to someone who says “Due to my health issues, not eating is impossible for me.”?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open your bibles to Matthew chapter 6.Are you there?Look, verse 1, "This is the greatest sermon ever preached,and here Jesus is talking about the heart of religion."And this is how this whole section starts."Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people.In order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."Jesus says, "Beware of trying to impress people with your religious acts.Beware of doing your church stuff in a way that you want people's attention."And specifically, Jesus goes after three things here.He goes after giving and praying and fasting.And you know, anytime that I teach or preach about fasting,I always feel like I'm playing from behind.What I mean is people recognize giving and prayingas normal religious things that God's people do.Those are kind of no-brainers.But fasting?Well, look at verse 16.Look at the first phrase. Jesus says, "And when you fast..."Stop there. "When you fast..."You know what that phrase tells me?That phrase tells me that fasting is just as expected as giving.Fasting is just as expected as praying.Let's bow our heads. I'm going to ask that you would please pray for me to be faithful, to communicate.A passage and a concept that's very simple and very hard at the same time.Pray for me and I will pray for you that our hearts would be open to receive what God wants to tell us today.Transform us, Father, by the power of Your Word.We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.Let's talk about fasting, shall we?Our culture is obsessed with food, have you noticed?Turn on the TV.If the commercial is not about a pharmaceutical, what's the commercial about?Food, right?Food. Get on social media.You'll find somebody took a picture of their hamburger.Right? We're obsessed with it.You know the thing that always fascinates me though?These eating contests. Have you ever seen those eating contests?You know the most famous one?Like the hot dog eating contests.How many people here show of hands have been in a hot dog eating contests?Nobody.They're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, have you ever been in an eating contest?"Yeah.And I won.It was eating a pie as fast as you can, hands free.And I won.I won a shop vac.That is a true story.And I needed that shop vac to clean up when I got sickafter eating a pie that fast without my hands.There's all kinds of eating contests.A taco eating contest. I think I could win that too.Wings. How about this one?An oyster eating contest.How many people would be up for that?A couple of you would.All right, Pastor Taylor, game on.Or here's an eating contest.I have no idea what this even is.Slug burger. A slug burger eating contest.Does anybody know what a slug burger is?Anybody?All right.We'll have to Google that one later. Not now, later.But I'm always fascinated by these eating contests.This one caught my eye.There was one eating contest.It was eating a 72-ounce steak.Do you know how much a 72-ounce steak is?That's 4.5 pounds of steak.And I read of this woman.A 120-pound woman ate the 72-ounce steak.And then she ate another one.And then she ate a third in 20 minutes.And with that, she also ate three baked potatoes,three shrimp cocktails, three salads,and three buttered rolls in 20 minutes.I read that.I'm like, you put butter on the rolls?Doesn't that seem excessive?But there's TV shows all about food.Like, you see these shows.They have all these shows about cake.Have you seen this?And it's not just like, what's the best tasting cake?It's like, well, I made a cake that looks like a footballor whatever.And then there's these shows where they travel all over theworld and they eat these exotic foods from all over the world.And we're sitting in our TVs watching people eat.And then you turn the channel.And on the other channel is a show called My 600-Pound Life.We're obsessed with food.And we live in a culture where we are constantly, constantlytaught that life is about consuming.But how much talk is there really about refusing consumption?So with that horrible backdrop, we're going to talk about fastingbecause this is what the Word of God addresses.So what is fasting?We have a definition here.What is fasting?Fasting is abstaining from food and/or other things.We'll explain that in a minute.Extaining from food and/or other things for measured periods oftime in order to heighten my hunger for the things of God.That's fasting.Fasting measured periods of time in order to heighten my hunger for the things of God.You see, Jesus, when He talks about giving, praying, and fasting, that's reallythree categories of things.Giving has to do with what you do with others.And praying is what you do with God.And fasting is what you do with yourself.Right?So there's different kinds of fasting.There's a normal fast that's just no food.Right?There's a partial fast where you only have maybe vegetables and juice.And there's an absolute fast where you have absolutely nothing.But you can and should also fast from other things.And we'll talk about that in a moment.But primarily, primarily, biblically, fasting is about food.Well, speaking of biblically, fasting is mentioned more than 77 times in the Old Testamentand the New Testament.It is almost always connected with prayer.You see fasting throughout the Bible, different occasions, like for example, repentance.I'm guilty of this sin.I need to turn from this sin.I'm going to fast and I'm going to pray in my repentance.In the same line of thinking, fasting accompanies mourning over sin.My personal sin, the sins of our culture, our country, we should be mourning.And part of mourning is fasting and praying.You see fasting in the Bible is seeking God at critical times.We need to fast because I really need to seek the Lord right now.Think Jesus in the wilderness.Right?Think the early church in the book of Acts.Now when you talk about fasting, you always have the person that comes along and says,"Well, you know, Pastor Jeff, fasting isn't explicitly commanded in the New Testament."And that's absolutely true.But something we can't get around is this.Jesus obviously assumed that we would fast.I mean right here, you're going to see in this passage today, twice He says, "When you fast."He says it again in Matthew chapter 9 and verse 15.He's assuming that His people would fast.Oh, and then as I said, by the way, the early church did.They fasted.Fasting though, to clarify our definition here, we're going to make sure we understandwhat it's not.Fasting is not self-punishment.Okay?It's not self-punishment.Fasting isn't like, "I've sinned.I've messed up."You know what?I'm not going to eat because I don't deserve to eat.And like you're sort of punishing yourself.That's not what fasting is about.It's not self-punishment.But fasting also is not self-serving.Meaning somebody could walk away from this service going, "Oh, you know, Pastor Jeff wastalking about fasting and I could stand to lose a couple of pounds.So I'll fast."That's not what it's about.Fasting also is not a bargaining chip.Like I need something from God.Oh, okay.I'll fast and then God will have to give me what I want.Talk more about that in a minute.Fasting is not something that makes you holy.All right?Listen, fasting is not even about getting God's attention.Understand that.Fasting is not, "Look!Look at me, God!I haven't eaten!Look at me!Look at me!"No, that's not what it's about.Fasting isn't about me trying to get God's attention.God noticed me.Fasting is about me noticing God.You see the difference?Fasting doesn't make your prayer more powerful.Fasting makes you more focused.Fasting is what I do when I need my entire concentration, all of my being.Every cell in my body focused on God.That's what fasting is.Because Christ's follower, listen, I know, I know, you want to focus on God.You do.But the problem is sometimes, if we're honest, and we should be, we want to focus on God,but sometimes we want other things more.You're like, "What do I do when what I know I should want is not the thing that I'm goingafter?What do I do?"You fast.Fasting is stopping the feeding of ourselves with other things to focus only on our relationshipwith God.Because here's the reality.Every day, every day of your life, you have the capacity to only consume so much.The capacity that you have to satisfy yourself is limited.Here's what I mean.Let's let this table here, this tabletop, let's let this represent you.Let this table represent you, your heart, your spirit.You realize every day of your life, you are filling yourself up with stuff.Now obviously as we talk about fasting, one of the things that we fill up, we satisfy ourselveswith is food, right?This isn't just life.This is mighty life, cereal.That's how we roll in our house.We fill ourselves up with food.I need to tell Aaron we need to get more pretzels.But we fill ourselves up.We're filling ourselves up.But it's not even just food, right?Think of how much stuff we fill ourselves with every day.For some of us, maybe it's sports.Like I'm on the church softball team, right?That's one of the things that I'm filling myself up with.I'm consuming myself with every day.Maybe it's not even just eating the food.Maybe it's preparing the food.So we have our magazine with the latest recipes and we're filling ourselves up with this stuff.Maybe some of us, we like to grow our food in the garden.We have our seeds here, right?But maybe we're filling ourselves up with that.What else are we filling our hearts, our minds, our souls with?For some of us, we're like, "Well, I've got to do my recreational reading, right?So I've got to make sure I get that into me."And oh, here's more seeds.And for some of us, it's like, "Well, I like to paint, so I've got to take time out."That's something that I fill myself up with, a hobby that I do.For some of us, it's exercise.You've got to make sure you get your reps in, right?Right, Dr. Andrew?We've got to make sure that we get our exercise in.That's something else.This is 6.6 pounds.That's why I'm so ripped.The first service last one, I said that.Can you believe those jerks?For some of us, you're on the golf course, right?That's something that we fill ourselves with, right?For some of us, maybe you're a gamer.You spend time during the day playing your video games.It's something you're consuming.I don't mean to show off, but this is Pac-Man from PlayStation 2.Not the old PlayStation.This is PlayStation 2.That's cutting edge, right?We fill ourselves up.Do you see where we're going with this?We're constantly filling ourselves.Oh, and it's not even just that, because we've got to make sure we entertain ourselves, right?With movies.This is a DVD.I had to explain to the first service what a DVD was.Before streaming, this is a shiny circle that you stick in a machine that plays a movie.This particular one was a gift.It's called The Masked Saint.It's about a pastor who becomes a pro wrestler.Have you ever heard such a stupid thing?But we've got to get our intake of entertainment, right?Do you see how much stuff we're taking in?Do you see?That's not it.How much time do we spend on our computers?We've got to get that in, don't we?Am I forgetting anything?Oh, yeah.How about this little guy?How much time a day do we spend filling ourselves with content from this?Do you see the point over the course of a day how much are you filling yourself with?Your body, your mind, your belly, your spirit, you're constantly, constantly, constantly,constantly consuming.Now, we're going to let this glass cross represent our walk with Jesus.This represents your relationship with Jesus Christ, your personal walk with Him.Now, do you see a problem?We have to...Well, that's...You see a problem?Now we're so full of stuff that we don't have any room left for the thing that really matters.And that's our walk with the Lord.So do you see the purpose of fasting?You know, if fasting does...Fasting just...Fasting takes everything off the table and says the only thing that I'm going to focuson is my walk with Christ.The only thing that my heart, my mind, my attention is getting is my personal walk withthe Lord.That's the purpose of fasting.So on your outline, I want you to draw a couple of things down here.The question is, what am I really hungry for?What am I really hungry for?Number one, am I hungry for attention?Am I hungry for attention?Right?Look at verse 16.Jesus says, "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they just figuretheir faces that they're fasting may be seen by others.Truly I say to you, they have received their reward."Am I hungry for attention?Jesus calls out to Pharisees.He says, "When they fast, they look gloomy.They disfigure their faces."You know the Pharisees in Jesus, they fasted twice a week.Like, why did they do that?Well, that wasn't commanded in the Old Testament.Like, well, why did they do that?Jesus tells us why they did that.They were putting on a show.That's why.He tells us that they may be seen by others.Actually, the Pharisees in Jesus, they would literally put ashes over their eyes becausethey were all in on the performance.They wanted to make sure that people knew.And when people knew that they were fasting, they were like, "Oh, you don't look so good.What's going on?Well, I'm fasting."You're fasting?Wow.Wow, you are really, you're a really devoted believer.You're a really religious person.Wow.Wow.And that little pat on the back there, that little, as Pastor Taylor calls it, the attaboy, that little thing, Jesus goes, "There's your reward."Have fun with that.It's like giving.It's like praying.We can become tempted to fast with the wrong motive.See, the fasting is supposed to be about seeking God, not human applause.And look, let's just be real.We love the attention.There is something deep down in every one of us that loves the attention, and that'sthe problem with hypocrisy.The problem with hypocrisy is it works.I mean, we've all been there.Someone makes a comment about how devoted we are.Someone sees how religious we must be, and we start to feel pretty good about ourselves.Jesus says, "Beware."Beware.Like, well, what about corporate fasting?I mean, others have to know about that, right?Well, yeah, there's New Testament examples of corporate fasting, Acts chapter 13, Actschapter 14.Now look, here's the thing with that.It's not about whether or not other people know.It's about whether or not you want them to know.See the difference?There's a difference between being seen fasting and fasting in order to be seen.That's how it is with corporate fasting.That's how it is with private fasting.When I fast, I tell Aaron, "Why?"Not because I want her applause, but because she feeds us, right?Oh, and by the way, it'd be a pretty impossible thing for me to hide from her, right?She's going to notice if I go days without eating.The point Jesus is driving us to is the motives.The motives.It's a hard issue.It's the same as giving, and it's the same as praying.It's the same point if you're looking for praises from man, don't look for anything from God.So what am I really hungry for?Am I hungry for attention?Or am I hungry for God?According to verses 17 and 18, Jesus said, "But when you fast, anoint your head and washyour face that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your Father who is in secretand your Father who sees in secret will reward you."So here Jesus is saying, "Look, on the other hand, instead of making yourself look likeyou're dying, anoint your head and wash your face."Oh, by the way, it goes without saying, right?You don't make that a show, right?Like I shouldn't come to church and catch you in the men's room at the sink washing yourface.Like, "Joe, why are you washing your face?"Oh, I'm fasting and being obedient to our Lord.Like you could make that a show.Obvious point, right?Jesus says don't leave any physical clues that you're fasting.It's like giving, it's like praying, make it a secret, make it between you and God.And He sees and He rewards according to Jesus.He rewards.Listen, reward does not mean, reward does not mean that God owes you one now.Like look, God, I starved myself for you.I sacrificed eating for you, God.No, you have to do what I want.Look, God never works like that.Do you realize anything at all that we have from God is grace?It's all grace.Your salvation in Christ, believing that Jesus died for your sins, believing He rose to giveyou eternal life.If you've received Him, if you are saved, it is only by the grace of God that you aresaved.The gift of the Holy Spirit, God indwelling His people.It's a gift.It's grace.You know, God does not run a swap meet.To say, you do for me, then I do for you.That's not how it works.And that's not how it works with fasting.So like, what is the reward?The reward is connecting with God.The reward is connecting with God because you're seeking Him in a very deliberate way.You have taken off anything else that could distract you because you want to focus solelyon your relationship with Him.And someone would say, "Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, time out."You're telling me that if I choose not to eat or I choose to abstain from other thingsand instead use that appetite and use that time to seek the Lord, you're telling me thatif I do that, that something spiritual will happen.Yeah.Yeah, that's exactly what I'm telling you.Look, I know I could never fully explain it.And it's hard to understand, but you will understand it if you do it.If you do it for the right reason.That's what I want to encourage you.I'm sure there are people here that have never fasted for spiritual reasons in their lives.I want to encourage you to try it.Can you just, as a simple act of obedience, as a simple God, this is what your Word said,so I want to respond in obedience.Can you do that?Now look, you can modify.Like maybe you say, "You know what, I've never done this before, but this week I'm goingto take a few days and I'm going to skip lunch."And instead of eating at lunchtime, I'm going to spend that time reading a passage fromGod's Word and praying to God.I'm going to do that instead this week.Can you do that?You can do that.Or maybe you say, "You know what, I've never had an extended fast, but this week I'm goingto spend one day.I'm going to spend just two days with nothing but water, and instead I'm going to seek theLord over something very specific."You can do that.Because look, if you're sitting here going, "Oh, I hear what He's saying, but you knowwhat, I don't know if I could skip a meal.Like I don't know.I don't know if I could go without eating."Well, that might be a commentary on which appetite really controls you.Are you hungry enough for God that you're willing to forego consuming food and/or otherthings to focus solely on seeking Him?Because if you're finding that focusing on your walk with Christ has been difficult.If you're finding that lately you really haven't had much of an appetite for prayer that youknow you should.If you're finding like, "In this chapter of my life right now, this season of my lifethat I'm in, I haven't really been seeking the Lord as I know He calls me to."If any of these describe you, I want to encourage you to use this gift that God has given andredirect your appetite.This is the heart of religion.God wants your heart.And true religion comes from a heart that wants God.I'm sure some of you have picked up on this, which you realized for the last three weeksbetween Pastor Taylor and I.We've basically preached the exact same sermon three times.Why?Because our goal is to represent the text and really it's the exact same formula inall three things that the Lord calls us to.It's the same sermon.Here it is.If you give, pray, or fast in order to be seen by others, you're going to miss God's reward.But if you do them in secret, God sees in secret and He will reward you.Oh, and there are rewards for a faith that says, "I'm not looking for man's applause.All I'm looking for is God's reward."And with fasting, God is the reward.Let's pray.Father in heaven, we confess before you as a church that we don't seek you as we shouldtoo often.The Father, we've allowed other things to crowd our hearts and our minds and our bellies.We very diligently distract ourselves from what's most important.So Father, I pray that we would be hit with, for some of us it's an old concept that weneed renewed.And for some I'm sure this is a brand new concept.Father, let us take a serious and honest and hard look at your word and that we would fastas our Lord assumed that we would, but with motives that honor you.Father put it in our hearts and minds.Make us feel how desperately we need you.Let us match that desperation with how hard we seek after you.We pray in Jesus' name.

Dios no se atrasa, ni se olvida. A veces pensamos que nuestro momento ya pasó, pero la espera no significa ausencia. Caleb dijo: “Tal como el Señor prometió, él me ha mantenido con vida por cuarenta y cinco años más” (Josué 14:10), y seguía creyendo. ¿Por qué? Porque entendía que las promesas de Dios no expiran con la edad ni con las circunstancias. Lo que parece una demora, es en realidad la sabiduría de un Dios que actúa a su tiempo, no al nuestro.

Although suffering in this life is everywhere and everyone experiences it, we always seem surprised by it. Every new problem we face, we ask the question, "why is this happening to me?" But Christians are told to expect trials. To expect them and even to rejoice in them. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about examining the reason for our suffering in 1 Peter 4:12-19.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

What is the Five-Fold ministry? What does it mean to be an evangelist, teacher, prophet, apostle and pastor? Which gift do I have? What does this mean for me and my family? Pastor Taylor answers these questions and more in this week's message.Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa

What is the will of God for my life? This is the question we spend so much of our time asking. How do I know what God wants me to do? Wait! Don't panic! The Bible tells you exactly what God's will for your life is. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about the will of God in 1 Peter 4:1-11.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

What is water baptism? Is there a specific way I need to go about it? Does my baptism need to "take" in order for me to be saved? All these questions, as well as the biblical definition of baptism and the reminder that it is a quantifier, not a qualifier, are answered in this week's message of Catechism IIFollow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 Samuel 11:1-15This morning, we wrestle with the tension of anger appearing to be a Fruit of the Spirit. As a crisis unfolds in ancient Israel, God's Spirit rushes upon the newly appointed King Saul—and he becomes angry.But how do we reconcile God's Spirit and human anger? Are they incompatible? What does righteous fury actually look like?Pastor Taylor invites us to examine the anger of God—and consider what it might mean to be angry like God: slow, just, and rooted in love.

Human suffering is undeniable. It is the shared experience of all of humanity to suffer. The world spends all of its energy trying to reduce and avoid suffering. Christianity has a different approach. Our God has conquered suffering. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about the King over suffering in 1 Peter 3:8-22. Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

What is Pentecost? What does it mean? When does it happen? Why is it important? What is continuitionism? These questions and more get answered with Pastor Taylors week two of catechism II!Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa

The only path to true freedom is finding the right authority to serve. We examine the stark reality that we will all be servants of something—either sin leading to death or righteousness leading to life. • Paul confronts the misconception that grace gives us license to sin• Christians have both a positional righteousness and a progressive righteousness• True freedom isn't found in having no master but in having the right master• Our past sins don't define us—our new identity in Christ does• The free gift of salvation truly has no strings attached• Christian obedience should flow from delight rather than duty• We follow God's commands not because we "have to" but because we "get to"• Serving Christ transforms our perspective on obedienceIf you want to explore a relationship with Christ or join our church family, please come to the front after the service and speak with Pastor Taylor.

Pastor Taylor kicks off our Catechism II series with a message on the meaning behind and importance of COMMUNION.Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 Samuel 7:7-13What is an Ebenezer—and should we have one?In this sermon, we journey to a moment when the prophet Samuel sets up a stone and names it Ebenezer, declaring, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” But this isn't just ancient history—it's an invitation. Pastor Taylor explores how Ebenezers—both shared and personal—help us remember where God has shown up in our lives and renew our trust that He's not done yet. We reflect on the power of spiritual memory, the danger of forgetting, and the grace of a God who meets us again and again.

"The grace of God is not a license to sin, but a license to live." These powerful words from Pastor Taylor Guerin frame a transformative exploration of Romans 6, where we confront one of Christianity's most challenging paradoxes: If God's grace always rises above our sin, shouldn't more sin simply produce more grace?Drawing from Paul's emphatic response, Pastor Taylor guides us through the radical transformation that occurs when we come to Christ. Using the powerful imagery of baptism, he illustrates how believers experience both a "spiritual obituary" and a "spiritual birth certificate" - the old self dies, and a completely new creation emerges.This sermon doesn't shy away from difficult questions. While no believer would openly suggest sinning more to receive more grace, our actions often betray this very mindset when we willfully disobey with the assumption of forgiveness. Through personal stories and biblical insights, Pastor Taylor challenges us to examine where we might still be clinging to our "old address" instead of embracing the freedom of our new life.Whether you're struggling with persistent sin, wondering about the purpose of baptism, or seeking to understand the relationship between God's grace and our daily choices, this message offers practical guidance for your spiritual journey. You'll discover why motivation matters in overcoming sin, how the Holy Spirit empowers transformation, and what it truly means to be "dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."For believers feeling defeated by recurring sin patterns and those who haven't yet experienced new life in Christ, this message offers both challenge and hope. God's grace doesn't just cover our sin—it transforms our very relationship with it.

Do you realize how much God loves you? He does not only love you in eternity. He also loves you right here and right now. We serve a God who loves us like a son and wants to give us peace and prosperity. This week Pastor Taylor talks about eternal promises of God in Genesis 49:1-33.Get connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

The Bible never talks about dating. That is because dating is a cultural expression of how we end up married. The Bible's concern is how we put the Gospel on display in marriage. If we would focus on that Gospel centered result, dating appropriately wouldn't be so confusing. In this episode, Pastor Taylor talks about the incorruptible quality of the Gospel in marriage in 1 Peter 3:1-7.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

The physical world can help us understand spiritual truths. The problem is we often just let it distract us from seeing anything spiritual at all. If we began to use our physical reality to understand and seek God we would see His hand everywhere. This week Pastor Taylor talks about seeing the faithfulness of God everywhere in Genesis 37 and 38.Get connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Pastor Taylor Guerin explores Romans 5 to illustrate how Christ's redemptive work overcomes the curse of Adam's fall, offering hope and transformation to all who believe.• The life of John Newton demonstrates how Jesus transforms even the "chief of sinners"• Through Adam, sin and death entered the world and spread to all humanity• We are not just sinners because we sin; we are born into a sinful condition• Christ's obedience brings justification where Adam's disobedience brought condemnation• God's grace can reach deeper than sin ever could—there is no such thing as "too far gone"• The righteousness Christ provides leads not just to transformed lives now but to eternal life• Newton's hymn "Amazing Grace" emerged from his personal experience of God's transforming powerIf you want to discuss a relationship with Jesus or make any decision of faith, Pastor Taylor welcomes you to come speak with him anytime.

Please note: The audio quality in the first few minutes of this recording is poor, but it improves significantly once the sermon begins. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. —The Audiovisual Team We live in a culture that prizes independence, yet many feel lonelier than ever. Social media has replaced deep and lasting relationships. This kind of individualism, like a black hole, quietly drains the life out of us—leaving us empty, cold, and isolated. But there's a better way.In this sermon, Pastor Taylor walks us through Ecclesiastes 4:4–16 to show how we can move from the bitter life alone, to the better life together, and ultimately to the best possible life—life under the good King Jesus. If you're tired of chasing independence and hungry for something more, this message points the way.Time:MorningMinister:Rev. Taylor KernTexts:Ecclesiastes 4:4–16Series:Ecclesiastes

How are Christians supposed to view our relationships? When do I stand up for myself? When do I put others first? Peter frames all our relationships against Christ's sacrifice for us. This week, Pastor Taylor talks about sacrificial living in 1 Peter 2:18-25.Get Connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

What are you enslaved to? You will give yourself to something or someone in this life, but only God's man can give you life. Many others will promise life only to take it. This week Pastor Taylor talks about the source of life in Genesis 47:1-27. Get connected! https://linktr.ee/reachtulsa

Pastor Taylor speaks a message on how God has MORE for you, but that in His abundance, it doesn't end with you- He has intentions for your blessings. Follow us on instagram @reallifechurchwa

Pastor Taylor kicks off this new mini series on how it all started - this week, with the miracle of a meal. Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa

Pastor Taylor preaches a message on how not only WILL God move in your life, but He already has and has prepared a way ahead of you, as we celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday.Follow us on Instagram @reallifechurchwa