Podcasts about Salt of the earth

Suffering Vicky Griffiths Why does suffering happen? How can we still stay faithful to our call to be the 'salt of the earth' in our greatest trials? In this message, Vicky explores these questions through the illustration that Jesus gave of the wise man who built his house on the rock, and the foolish man who built his house on sand in Matthew 7:24-27. Through it we learn how suffering is inevitable and comes in many different forms for different purposes. Ultimately we see that there is only one way to withstand the storms of life; to build our lives on Jesus, our solid rock. In the second half of the message, Vicky shares different practical responses to suffering found in the Bible that can help sustain us in our darkest hours.

Thought Life Scott Axtmann What if the biggest spiritual battle you face isn't happening around you, but inside your own mind? In this message, Pastor Scott explores how our thoughts shape our lives, why so many of us wrestle with fear, shame, anxiety, and lies, and what it really means to "take every thought captive." More than a call to think positively, this sermon reveals how the Holy Spirit can transform us from the inside out, healing even the deepest patterns of thinking. If you've ever felt trapped by your own thoughts or longed for lasting peace, this message will encourage you with the hope that God can truly renew your mind.

Matthew 5:1-12 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.What do people EXPERIENCE when they experience YOU?1. The Beatitudes are a SEASONING process.God wants to SEASON you before He SENDS you.Romans 5:3–5 We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.What if your current season isn't PUNISHMENT? What if it's a SEASONING?2. Salt is not meant for the SHAKER. Its purpose is in what it TOUCHES.Your seasoning is meant to be EXPERIENCED.Colossians 4:5-6 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.Salt in the shaker has POTENTIAL, but salt in contact has PURPOSE.Salt changes the FLAVOR of everything it touches.

Sermon Title: Salt of the Earth Scripture: Matthew 5:13 Guest Preacher: Rob Lewis In Matthew 5:13, Jesus calls His followers the "salt of the earth." Salt preserves, influences, and brings out the best in what it touches. This Sunday, we'll explore what it means to live as people who make a difference in a world that desperately needs the hope and truth of Christ. LakesideUMC.net

Matthew 5:13-16 - Pass the Salt and Turn 0n the Lights, Please - Pastor George RayMESSAGE NOTES:http://www.calvaryword.com/Topical/a1463.pdf

Identity Scott Axtmann In this message, Pastor Scott explores one of the biggest questions we all wrestle with: our identity. He unpacks why so many of us build our sense of worth on things that can never truly satisfy and shows what changes when we stop letting our past, our mistakes, or other people's opinions define us. Instead, we'll discover the life-changing truth about the identity God has already given us. If you've ever struggled with insecurity, shame, or wondering where your true worth comes from, this message offers hope, freedom, and a fresh perspective that could change everything.

Ordinary Activities Scott Axtmann Pastor Scott reminds us that while we spend so much of life chasing exciting moments, most of our days are made up of ordinary tasks, and those moments matter to God as well. In this message, he shares how everything from washing dishes to pulling weeds can become acts of worship when done with gratitude, excellence, and love for Christ. If you've ever felt stuck in the routine or frustrated by the mundane, this conversation offers a fresh perspective that can change the way you see everyday life.

Digital Life Mark Skillin In this message, Mark tackles the challenge of living faithfully in a world of constant notifications, endless information, and digital distractions. With humor, personal stories, and practical insight, he asks an important question: are our devices helping us, or quietly pulling our attention away from what matters most? Looking at the stories of Mary and Martha and the parable of the sower, Mark reminds us that Jesus calls us to something deeper than a fragmented life. If you've ever felt anxious, overwhelmed, or spiritually distracted, this message will encourage you to slow down, refocus, and rediscover the one thing that truly matters.

Sabbath Vicky Griffiths Vicky takes an honest look at why so many of us feel rushed, exhausted, and unable to truly rest. Through personal stories and biblical insight, she explains that Sabbath is not just a rule to follow but a gift from God that brings freedom, renewal, and a deeper awareness of His presence. She challenges the nonstop pace of modern life and invites us to discover a better way of living that is rooted in trust rather than constant productivity. If you've ever felt burned out or wondered whether life was meant to be this busy, this message offers a refreshing and hope filled perspective.

I conclude this season with the last project Sebastiáo Salgado dedicated 8 years of his life to create: GENESIS, a mature volume which offers a 360 degree view of the last places of the world that remain wild as well as some of their inhabitants. He travelled to remote locations and divided his opus into Planet South, Sanctuaries, Africa, Northern Spaces and finally, he explored his beloved Amazon and Pantanal in his native Brazil. His narrative is full of detail, just as arresting as his images, and I invite you to join our adventure. Genesis has been recognized as Salgado's most personal and optimistic work. Along with the documentary that celebrated his life, I dare ask: Are we the salt of the Earth?

Time Scott Axtmann Pastor Scott explores one of life's biggest challenges: how we spend our limited time. In this encouraging message, he reminds us that while life is brief, every moment matters and can be used for God's purposes. Through practical examples and biblical wisdom, he shares how to focus on what truly matters, avoid distractions, and make choices that lead to a life of greater purpose and impact. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by competing priorities, this message will help you rethink how you use the precious gift of time.

Solitude Scott Axtmann What if the thing your soul needs most is something the modern world constantly pulls you away from? In a world filled with noise, distraction, and constant motion, Pastor Scott invites us into the forgotten spiritual practice of solitude. Drawing from the life of Jesus and the testimony of saints throughout history, this message explores why silence and stillness may be essential for true intimacy with God. With vulnerable personal stories and practical encouragement, Pastor Scott challenges listeners to move beyond surface-level devotion and experience the transforming love of God in the quiet places.

You are the salt of the earth. [NKJV]

Celebration Scott Axtmann What if celebration isn't just something we do, but a powerful way we love others? In this message Pastor Scott explores how joy, honor, and gratitude are actually spiritual disciplines that shape our hearts and relationships. He unpacks why learning to truly celebrate others can push back against jealousy, deepen our faith, and transform ordinary moments into something meaningful. Plus, he offers simple, practical ways to celebrate well that might just change how you show up for the people in your life.

ContemplationIn this message from the “Salt of the Earth” series, Vicky unpacks what contemplation really looks like in everyday life. In a world full of noise and distraction, she explains how slowing down and thinking deeply about God's Word can actually change us from the inside out. She breaks it down in a simple, practical way, making it clear this isn't just for the super spiritual, it's something anyone can grow in. The result is a deeper connection with God and a life that begins to bear real, lasting fruit.

ScripturePastor Scott continues the Salt of the Earth series with a powerful invitation to rediscover the life changing beauty of God's Word, revealing who God is, how we are saved, and how we are meant to live. He challenges us not just to know Scripture, but to truly submit to it, warning how easily we can drift into reshaping truth around our own preferences. With practical and heartfelt guidance, he calls us to approach the Bible with humility, seek true understanding, keep it active in our daily lives, and take its warnings seriously. This message is both a wake up call and an encouragement to go deeper, because in God's Word we do not just find truth, we find life.

Matthew 5:13 -Lawson Harlow

A Life With God Through PrayerPastor Scott opens the Salt of the Earth series with a powerful call to real prayer as a daily, honest relationship with God that shapes every part of life. He challenges both cultural indifference and empty routine, urging us to seek God with authenticity, even in dryness or struggle. With practical insight, he reminds us that prayer is not about perfection but persistence. Keep showing up, because a deep and transformative life with God is built through prayer.

This sermon is shared by our pastoral candidate, Jason Brannan, and is based on Matthew 5:13-16. You can also view each week’s sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A  

Legacy Audio Archive

Salt of the Earth Series IntroductionThis opening message introduces the “Salt of the Earth” series. Scott will explore what it truly looks like to follow Jesus in everyday life, often in ways that stand in contrast to cultural norms. Drawing from Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5, believers are called to live distinct, “salty” lives that preserve goodness and reflect God's character in the world. Scott warns against “practical atheism,” where people believe the right things but fail to live them out, highlighting ignorance, compromise, and rebellion as common reasons.

Let's celebrate Easter together!  At Centerpoint this year, we remembered the words of Jesus "You are the Salt of the Earth!" 

Jesus calls you the salt of the earth and the light of the world — not someday, but right now. In this episode, we sit with Matthew 5:13–16 and explore what it means to live from that identity rather than just admire it.

Send a text In this episode of BuddyWalk with Jesus, we step into Matthew 5:13–16, where Jesus tells His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” This isn't a call to be loud, flashy, or performative—it's an invitation to a steady, embodied witness that preserves what is good, brings flavor to what is bland, and shines hope into what is dark. We explore what Jesus meant in His original context (salt as preservation and value, light as visibility and guidance), why He connects our “good works” to the Father's glory (not our image), and how to live a public faith without becoming religious performers. If you've ever wondered what it means to make a real difference without losing your soul, this passage is Jesus' roadmap: presence, integrity, and kingdom goodness that can't help but be seen. Support the show  If you have any questions about the subjects covered in today's episode you can find us on Facebook at the links below or you can shoot me an email at joe@buddywalkwithjesus.com  One Stop Shop for all the links Linktr.ee/happydeamedia

HOW TO FIND PURPOSE. God doesn't just save us. He sends us. Making a difference through serving others is part of our identity in Christ. www.localcity.church 

Text: Matthew 5:13; variousTheme: At Community we call our volunteers “Change Makers”. The truth is, being a change maker should be the way all of us who follow Jesus should live. This week we'll get real practical in how we can do exactly that.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:13 (NIV) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49576658

In this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan dives into the tangled web of meat industry self-love, dubious animal welfare claims, and the ever-pressing need for more protein (or is it fiber?). Join us as we unravel the contradictions and complexities that plague the world of animal agriculture. This episode explores: The meat industry’s self-aggrandizing narratives and how they obscure the…

God is hiding Himself in plain sight in order that He may be discoverable. Tonight's exams our role in that process. Don't forget to download our app for more from the Riverview Baptist Church. http://onelink.to/rbcapp Find more at https://riverviewbc.com/ Donate through Pushpay https://pushpay.com/pay/riverviewbc

Jesus taught that we are "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." So should we be concerned that we will lose our "saltiness?" Paul White preaching from The Garden Church of the Midlands in Irmo, SC.

Salt brings flavor, safety, and healing to our world.  When Jesus tells us to be salt, he calls us to go out to the world, and bring flavor, safety, and healing to it.   Come, follow us: Parish Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  YouTube  |  Spotify Music

In this homily The Rev. Dr. James E. Taylor, Rector of St.George Episcopal Church, discusses how we as Christians are to be God's vision.  He shares that we need to be seasoneddisciples/ believers in all that we are about to be effective in our daily lives and a cleansing presence amongst chaos.Send comments to musingsonfaith@gmail.com.

A homily for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2/8/2026

1. In his sermon, Tim talked about the difficulty Americans can have understanding the metaphors about salt and light. Because of the individualism of our culture and the way we've been taught to think of religion as something separate from politics, we often struggle to really grasp what Jesus is communicating. He pointed out that the lines in the Lord's prayer, which talk about God's kingdom coming and his will being done on earth as is it as it is in heaven are not lines about personal piety. Rather, Jesus instructions his listeners to pray a prayer that is really about regime change. Tim said, “Christ's mission is always both: social and personal.” To what extent do you think of religion as something that is inherently apolitical? Do politics and religion feel like separate spheres? Are they separate spheres in your own life? In what ways do they intersect and interact?What influences have shaped your sense of the relationship between religion and politics? Is that dynamic one that has changed over time? Share about the influences that you think helped seed your sense of the nature of politics and religion in relationship to one another. Are they influences in which you still desire to put your trust?2. Salt, Tim said, works in service to something else. Similarly, in the ancient world, light was simply fire in small contained amounts. Neither overtakes the thing of which they are a part; they simply transform by virtue of being added to whatever existed without them. People who are salt and light, Tim said, are subversive agents of transformation. They don't conquer or overtake. They come alongside - from within, and make a lot of things better. They represent the way in which the community following Jesus, as they discover a new way to be human, will organize common life around wisdom, grace, inclusion, & justice. And that, by doing so, they are the way that the Kingdom of God comes to fruition amidst kingdoms of earth. Are there places within you that resist the idea of a grace filled, quieter revolution? How often do you wish you could discard the gentle path of salt and light to instead overtake with raging fire and consuming conquest? How do you respond to those places within? When do they seem loudest? When does it seem easier to believe in a subversive transformation of our reality by virtue of lamps & seasoning? What part of yourself has to be surrendered in order to fully embrace Jesus's vision for the community of Christ?3. Tim reminded us that one of the core claims of empire is that it can eliminate lack, contradiction, and alienation from within us. This is usually done by way of blame and exclusion, or simply promising to fulfill our every need.Jesus, on the other hand, doesn't promise the eradication of these inevitable human realities. Instead in Jesus‘s paradigm, all we can do is confess them, and then watch God drawn near and transform our aching places into places where we make contact with the divine. Empires, Tim said, run on a fantasy that they can fix the human condition. The kingdom of God runs on a people who've learned to live honestly and truthfully, embracing radical hospitality and inclusion. What does it look like to name the place inside you that longs to believe that the world can just be “solved?” How do you engage with that place? How do you feel in doing so? What resistance do you encounter?If the contrast to the way of empire is built on radical hospitality, self honesty, inclusion, and community, what does it look like - in your everyday life - to embrace, embody, and enact these things of the Kingdom? What comes to mind when you think of doing so even just a little more intentionally than you do today?What emotions do you feel in your body as you contemplate the possibility of taking that action?

February 8, 2026 / Sunday Sermon: The Salt of the Earth / Fr. Ryan Jordan by Trinity Episcopal Church Vero Beach

Deacon Steve Greco is a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Orange in California; he is the Director of Evangelization and Formation for the Diocese as well.  He is also founder and president of Spirit Filled Heart Ministries, which engages in evangelization and support of the foreign missions. He and MaryAnne have been married for 50 years and have three adult children.  They discuss the Mass readings from Sunday mass.The Bible and You airs live weekdays at 2:30pm Pacific Time go to spiritfilledevents.com website or download our Spirit Filled Radio App for Android or Apple Devices.Archives of shows from Spirit Filled Radio are available on podcast at spiritfilledevents.com Support the show

Sunday Worship Service | February 8th, 2026Sermon: “Salt of the Earth” from Rev. Hannah Adair BonnerScripture Reading: Matthew 5:13-20— LINKS: Check-in: https://qrco.de/bdKf0RGiving: https://hollywoodumc.churchcenter.com/giving/to/general-giving-online#HollywoodUMC #AllAreWelcome #SundayService #WorshipLive

Sermon from Sunday, February 8th - The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany.

In this world, you're not going to be liked for one reason or another. In fact, you might even be hated. We talk sometimes about what we'd like to be remembered for—or about what we'd like to be known or admired for. But what would you like to be hated for? Someday, maybe even today, someone is going to see you or hear you and get angry and "gnash their teeth," as the Psalmist says. Join Pastor Chris as he looks at three Scripture passages to discover ways we can faithfully live in a contentious world divided by tribal factions.

Dr. Scott Powell, JD Flynn, and Kate Olivera look ahead to the readings for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time— including an ill-fated Yom Kippur detailed in Isaiah and Jesus' words in the Gospel of Matthew about the salt of the earth. This episode is brought to you by Catholic International University, supporting Catholic priests through online MA and Graduate Certificate programs in Ecclesial Administration & Management.Learn more at www.catholiciu.edu/pillar-Already read the readings? Skip ahead to 4:10Reading 1 - Isaiah 58: 7-10Psalm 112: 4-9Reading 2 - 1 Corinthians 2: 1-5Gospel - Matthew 5: 13-16 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pillarcatholic.com/subscribe

This week, Jesus gives a lesson on salt, light, and fulfillment. Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy expand on what it means to be the salt of the earth and a light of the world, how we live into being God's image-bearers, and how Jesus isn't presenting a conflict with the Torah but an evolution of it.Questions for Further Discussion:Themes and ApplicationJesus declares, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.” What stands out to you about Jesus using identity language (“you are”) rather than commands (“you must”)?Salt and light were precious and not easily replaced in Jesus' time. How does that historical context change the way you hear these metaphors today?Light is meant to be visible, yet later in Matthew Jesus warns against public displays of piety. How do you navigate the tension between letting your light shine and practicing humility?Personal ReflectionWhere do you feel most “salty” right now—adding flavor, preservation, or wisdom to the world around you? Where do you feel you've gone a bit bland or blended in?The conversation emphasizes that salt and light exist for others, not for themselves. Who benefits from your faith when you're living it well?Jesus raises the bar beyond rule-following to heart transformation. Where do you notice Jesus inviting you beyond mere “compliance” toward deeper love, mercy, or reconciliation?Broader Spiritual ConsiderationsMatthew emphasizes earth as the arena of God's mission, not something to escape. How does this shape a Christian response to creation care, justice, and embodied faith?The clergy frame Jesus' teaching as part of an inner Jewish conversation about the law. How might this awareness deepen Christian humility and resist anti-Jewish readings of Scripture?The discussion highlights both encouragement and judgment in Jesus' words. How do you hear this passage as both promise and challenge?Want to have your question or comment featured on the podcast? Leave a voicemail on our Rev'd Up hotline! Call (203) 442-5002.Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org