Podcasts about text matthew

Text: Matthew 6:19-24; variousTheme: Our heart and our money are connected. Jesus said so. Then He goes on to tell us that we will serve something or somebody…so what's it going to be for you?Memory Verse: Matthew 6:24 (NIV) “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49625316

Join us as we continue to make our way through the Sermon on the Mount. This week, Jesus speaks to lust, divorce, and the failure of seeing others as merely objects for our use.    Text: Matthew 5:27-32

In this text, Jesus begins to highlight the resistance that the Apostle's may encounter as He sends them out. It is a good reminder that Christianity comes with a cost. Text: Matthew 10:24-39

Preaching Point: Jesus teaches us to measure genuine faith by how comprehensive we love God and how sincerely we love others. Text: Matthew 22:34-40 (ESV) The Great Commandment 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Text: Matthew 6:16-18; variousTheme: Again, we can do the right things for the wrong reasons. This week we'll talk about the power and practice of fasting…as well as give some suggestions for things we can fast from besides food.Memory Verse: Matthew 6:16 (NIV) “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49620696

How do you handle anger, especially anger towards another believer? Jesus has some very practical, and uncomfortable, statements to make when we're angry with a fellow Christian.  Text: Matthew 5:21-26

In today's text we notice a shift in Jesus' ministry. Not a change in what He was doing – but a change in how He would do it. Text: Matthew 9:35 – 10:23 This message was delivered on June 14, 2026 at Amity UCC in Meyersdale, PA.    

I. Two Separate Ways II. A Common Misconception III. A Clear Command Scripture Reading: Matthew 7 Text: Matthew 7:13-14 Psalter Numbers: 42C, 86B, 31C, 17A

Matthew the tax collector is called to come and follow Jesus, and then they gather at Matthew's house with other tax collectors, and sinners for a meal.  The Pharisees see this and question the disciples of Jesus why Jesus would eat with tax collectors and sinners?  Is Jesus doing this to show that He cares about them?  Is being with them condoning their behavior?  Or is there a greater reason why Jesus associates and eats with tax collectors and sinners.  And what does that mean for how Jesus connects with us?

Text: Matthew 6:5-15; variousTheme: Jesus' model prayer is not just something to be repeated, but something that shows us the keys to communicating with our loving Father. This week we'll dive into this meaningful and powerful prayer to understand how we can talk to OUR FATHER.Memory Verse: Matthew 6:9a (NIV) “This, then, is how you should pray:…”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49617430

Welcome to our "Summer Series" - the Sermon (Summer) on the Mount. In this sermon, Pastor Nick revisits many of the points discussed earlier this year in Epiphany from these same verses as we reframe and "set up" this slow walk through the most famous sermon ever delivered.  Text: Matthew 5:1-20

Preaching Point: : Jesus' rebuke must warn us against rejecting biblical truth through faulty reasoning and encourage us to trust God's power and God's Word, even when confronted with difficult doctrines.Text: Matthew 22:23–33 (ESV) 23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.' 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” 29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Text: Matthew 25:14-285 Traits of the Lord's Servant: Connected, Clear, Compliant, Consistent, and Courageous

Preaching Point: Jesus' words should corner our rebellious hearts and cause us to regularly submit to our God-given earthly authorities, while reserving our ultimate allegiance and submission for the King of Kings.Text: Matthew 22:15–22 (ESV)15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Text: Matthew 5:43-48; variousTheme: While Jesus' words throughout the Sermon on the Mount are challenging, this might be near the top of the list for “most difficult to do” in real life. The good news is this: Jesus can help you with this one!Memory Verse: Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love yourneighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,…”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49612313

Text: Matthew 5:38-42; variousTheme: We want to get even when someone wrongs us, that's part of the “fairness” that God has wired us with. But more than just fairness, God has a better plan for His children.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:39 (NIV) “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49607880

The Great Commission | Matthew 28:16-20 In this sermon from Matthew 28:16-20, we look at the final words of Jesus before his ascension — what we call the Great Commission — and ask what it means for every follower of Christ today. If you've ever wondered what your purpose is as a Christian, why the church exists, or what it actually means to make disciples, this message is for you.

Preaching Point: We must respond appropriately to God's gracious invitation to his Son's banquet, or risk being excluded from his eschatological celebration. Text: Matthew 22:1–14 (ESV) 1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ' 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Text: Matthew 5:33-37; variousTheme: There is power in our words, but there also needs to be clarity. This Mother's Day weekend we'll look at what Jesus says about the value of when we say YES or NO.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:37 (NIV) “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes' or ‘No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49604399

Pastor Andy Cass Comparison slowly opens the door to lust, envy, and relational drift. What begins in the eyes eventually settles in the heart and, if left unchecked, can destroy what God has entrusted to you. In this message, we unpack how lust is more than sexual temptation. It's a disordered desire for what God hasn't given you. Jesus calls us beyond comparison, beyond consumption, and back into love that honors, protects, and builds. TEXT: Matthew 20:15; Exodus 20:17; Proverbs 6:23–25; Matthew 5:27–30; James 4:2; Song of Songs 2:3 NOTES: BIG IDEA- Lust never builds, it always breaks. RELATIONAL QUESTIONS * Are you content… or are you complaining? * Are you grateful… or are you grumbling? * Are you longing… or are you lusting? * Are you looking within… or are you longing for what is beyond yours? * Are you building… or are you breaking? -Lust isn't just sexual… it's a disordered desire for what God hasn't given you. -Lust lives in the heart and it looks through your eyes. -Lust is a deep desire that, if entertained long enough, will eventually dictate your behavior. -Lust is window shopping… with a willingness to use a hammer when no one's looking to get what you want. -Lust alwasy leads to lose -Lust is the opposite of love… it's a distortion of God's perfect design. "Lust is about consumption. Love is about communion. Lust is about taking. Love is about giving. Lust uses. Love honors. Lust diminishes the other. Love cherishes the other." -Rich Vallodas Stay Connected: Give: https://theecho.churchcenter.com/giving Online Service: Sundays 9 AM (YouTube & Facebook Live) Connect: https://theecho.churchcenter.com/people/forms/113001 Instagram: @wearetheechochurch #EchoChurch #ChristianSermon #FaithGrowth #BibleTeaching

Preaching Point: Knowing that God will call our lives into account should move us from a self-focused life to one united with Christ and governed by his authority. Text: Matthew 21:33-46 (ESV) 33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

The commandments of God go much deeper than just "don't do"; the attitude behind adultery, and all sin, is what condemns a soul. Pastor Lance explains how the Law of God regulates how I love God, which is the sum of the entire Bible. Text: Matthew 5:27-30. Visit us at www.ccc-online.org for more messages and resources, including music and our summer VBS!

Text: Matthew 5:31-32; variousTheme: 50% of American marriages end in divorce, so most of us will have some experiencewith this week's subject. Buckle up, we need to be clear on what Jesus and the Bible have to say about this critical issue.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:32 (NIV) “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49600905

This is a series of parables (fictional stories with kingdom truth) of the Kingdom of God! In this message, we step into one of the most challenging and transformative teachings of Jesus—His call to love not just those who love us, but even our enemies.In a world that runs on retaliation, division, and keeping score, Jesus invites us into a radically different way of living. He shows us that the Kingdom of God is marked by a love that goes beyond comfort, beyond preference, and beyond what feels natural. It's a love that reflects the very heart of the Father—one who gives grace freely, extends kindness to all, and calls His children to do the same.This isn't just about being nice; it's about becoming whole. Jesus is forming something deeper in us—a love that mirrors heaven and reveals who we truly belong to. Join us as we discover what it means to live with a love that stands out, breaks barriers, and points people back to the heart of God.Text: Matthew 5:42-48For more information about Journey Church, visit: www.journeyinbend.com Find Journey on all social media: @journeyinbend Find Pastor Montell Jordan on social media: @montellmjordanPlease feel free to subscribe and engage! At Journey, we believe there's HOPE FOR EVERYONE!

Preaching Point: Knowing how much God despises counterfeit confessions should strengthen our resolve to come to him with genuine faith marked by repentance and obedience. Text: Matthew 21:28-32 (ESV) 28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I will, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Text: Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:7-8  2026 Missions Conference 

Join Pastor Mike Burchfield as he continues his series, Discourses of the King of Heaven. This Sunday he will be discussing: Overcoming Evil with Love pt2. Text: Matthew 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Join Pastor Mike Burchfield as he continues his series, Discourses of the King of Heaven. This Sunday he will be discussing: Overcoming Evil with Love. Text: Matthew 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Text: Matthew 5:27-30; variousTheme: In our culture, lust seems to be a way of life for the average American. What if there's a better way to do life? What if Jesus can show us a better way? This week we talk about how to do battle where lust has it's grips on us…our heart.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:28 (NIV) “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a womanlustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49597572

Text: Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:7-8  2026 Missions Conference 

Text: Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:7-8  2026 Missions Conference 

Text: Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:7-8  2026 Missions Conference 

Christ said that the children in His kingdom manifest a certain morality, a morality that stems from inside of them. Pastor Lance lays out the heart of anger and hate that Scripture says is the sin of murder. So have you murdered anyone lately? Text: Matthew 5:21-16. Visit us at www.ccc-online.org for more messages and resources.

Text: Matthew 5:21-26; variousTheme: It's easy to hold a grudge, but that won't get us where God wants us. This week we'll learn how much this means to Jesus…and what to do when we've got an issue with someone.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV) “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49595275

This is a series of parables (fictional stories with kingdom truth) of the Kingdom of God! In this message, we dive into one of Jesus' most challenging teachings, about how important the F word is to the Kingdom of Heaven: FORGIVENESS!How many times are we required to forgive? Peter thought seven was generous, but Jesus raises the stakes. This parable reveals that our ability to forgive others is directly tied to our understanding of how much we have been forgiven by God. If we've been released from an unpayable debt, why should we hold onto the "pocket change" others owe us?Text: Matthew 18:21-35For more information about Journey Church, visit: www.journeyinbend.com Find Journey on all social media: @journeyinbend Find Pastor Keith on social media: @findkeithPlease subscribe and engage. At Journey, we believe there's HOPE FOR EVERYONE!

(Communion) I. Displaying Deepest Friendship II. Abandoned by His Friends III. Restoring what was Forfeited Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:36ff Text: Matthew 26:56b & John 18:7-9 Psalter Numbers: 13A; 69B; 88B; 142A

SERMON: "The Compassion of Jesus" | TEXT: Matthew 9:35-38 | DATE: 4/19/2026 | SPEAKER: Jake Brown | www.Liberty-Christian.com

Do you show that you value the Law of God beyond all else, by your reverence and responsiveness to it? Pastor Lance illustrates the right response to, and reward from, the Word of God. Text: Matthew 5:17-20. Visit us at www.ccc-online.org for more messages and resources.

Most of us know what it is like to face something that feels beyond us—too difficult to fix, too heavy to bear, too final to change. The Easter message is that the resurrection not only changed Jesus' story, but also changes yours. When we assume the story is over, resurrection proves we're wrong.   Text Matthew 28     

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC April 5,2026. “Ignite the Light” series. Easter Sunday. ​​​      ​       Text: Matthew 28:1-10​​​​​   I remember lying on the floor of our living room when I was a child. Not doing anything in particular—just stretched out on the blue shag carpet, near my dad's chair. And I remember noticing something I had never seen before. There was a beam of light coming through the window…and in it these tiny particles floating, moving, shimmering. Just… dancing. I didn't have a name for it.It didn't occur to me that it was dust, or dirt, or anything undesirable. It felt like magic. Like something had always been there—but I had never seen it before. And suddenly, because of the light, I could. The light didn't create it. It revealed it. It held it before my eyes. And I remember just lying there…watching. And I think about that sometimes—the way light reveals what we couldn't see before. The way it catches our attention… draws our eye… Think about how light breaks through clouds… through a canopy of trees… How light refracts through water to make rainbows. How light finds its way through windows—or even cracks in walls— sending a beam of light in which you can see dust dance. It's beautiful. It's delicate. And yet—it is so powerful. Because light finds its way in. It beckons. It invites. And if you follow it, it will show you more than you expected to see. I think about that moment in The Lord of the Rings when Galadriel gives Frodo a small vial of light and says: “May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” A fragile thing. A small thing. And yet—enough to guide him when everything else fails. And it seems to me that Easter—the reality of it, the story of it, the promise of it—is like that gift. But not small. Not contained. Easter is that kind of light magnified beyond measure. Because there are moments in our lives, in the life of a nation, in the life of the world when it feels like all the lights have gone out. When truth feels buried. When cruelty seems to spread like a virus. When violence feels pervasive. When fear and despair run in packs claiming more and more ground. And into that kind of world, Matthew tells us, the light breaks in. And when it does, it's not only beautiful. It's disruptive. The earth shakes. An angel descends. A stone is rolled away—not to let Jesus out—but to let the light in. What was sealed is opened. What was guarded is broken through. What was declared final is no longer final, not just for one life, but for life itself. Because Easter is not consolation after tragedy. It is God interrupting the apparent finality of death, empire, and violence—and revealing how empty their power really is. And Matthew tells the story in a way that makes it unmistakable. This is not a private miracle. This is a public reversal. The guards—sent by empire to secure the tomb—become like dead men. And the one who was dead—executed, sealed, silenced—is alive. Those who represent control collapse. The one who was crushed rises. The whole thing turns upside down. And if you've been paying attention, you realize—this is how it's been all along. Herod tries to kill the child. The child lives. The powerful condemn the innocent.Truth refuses to stay buried. Rome executes the Messiah. And God reverses the verdict. Because resurrection is God saying: The systems that declared this death final—were wrong. And then the disruption continues as God entrusts this breaking news to women, to those who were grieving and heartbroken, those whose testimony would not be trusted in the world. These women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary become the first to hear, the first to see, the first to carry the truth that overturns the world.And they leave the tomb—Matthew says—with fear and great joy. Both. Because the world has not suddenly become safe. The empire is still in power. The cross is still fresh. The risk is still real. And yet something has happened that cannot be undone. And so they run. Not because they understand everything, but because they have seen enough light to start moving. And as they go, Jesus meets them. On the road. And he says, “Greetings”—a word that also means: Rejoice. Not as a command to feel something—but as an invitation to step further into what God has done. Because the news they are carrying is not just that the tomb is empty. It is that the light has broken in—and nothing will ever be the same. And Jesus meets them right there on the road to confirm it. To embody it. To send them on. Rejoice. Even now. Even here. And I think about how hard that may be for us to hear. Because the news we encounter most lights up our phones at all hours. It is breaking, urgent, relentless—and almost always…heavy. Another act of violence. Another abuse of power.Another reminder of how much is still broken. And it can start to feel like that is the truest story— like that's the world we live in—like nothing really changes. But what the women are carrying—running with, breathless—is a different kind of breaking news. Not news that traps us in fear. But news that breaks something open. That calls for rejoicing. Because something has broken. Death—which seemed final—is not. The seal—which seemed permanent—is not. The power—that seemed untouchable—is not. And when something like that shifts—when what we thought was final isn't—it creates a crack in the story we've been living inside. And once there's a crack—the light starts to get in. And what breaks in…is also what breaks us open. Because not all breaking is destruction. Some breaking is liberation. A seed has to break for new life to grow.Light has to break to become color. The sky has to break open for rain to fall.Sometimes what we call breaking is the beginning of mending. Because there are things in this world—and in us—that hold life captive. Cages we didn't build but learned how to live inside. Systems that confine and then convince us they are necessary. Stories that tell us this is just the way things are, this is just the way we are. This is just the way I am. But Easter reveals a different kind of power. Not domination. Not control. A power that gently beckons us toward life—and breaks open whatever keeps that life contained. The same light that draws us in… is the power that sets us free. The stone is rolled away. The seal is broken. The grip of death is broken. And when that happens—the cages don't hold the same way anymore. It's like something loosens—not all at once, but enough to change what's possible. The poet Hafiz puts it this way: The small man builds cages for everyone he knows. While the sage who has to duck his head when the moon is low, keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful, rowdy prisoners. And that's what resurrection feels like. Not everything suddenly fixed—but keys appearing. Openings where there were none. A loosening of what we thought would hold forever. Because the one they thought they had broken and banished from this world—breaks in. Not untouched. Not unmarked. But bearing the wounds. Carrying the scars and yet somehow making all things whole. Because God does not erase brokenness. God transfigures it. The light doesn't avoid the cracks. It comes through them. Like that beam of light in a living room long ago finding its way in…holding something before our eyes that we didn't even know was there. And this—this is the breaking news: The crucified one is alive. And those sent to guard the tomb are like dead men. The verdict has been reversed. Death has lost its claim. Empire has lost its certainty. Violence has lost its final word. And life—deeper than death—is rising. // And that means whatever feels sealed is not final. Whatever feels broken is not beyond mending. Whatever feels dark is not beyond the reach of light. Because Easter is the day God in Christ breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free… breaks the power of death and cruelty… breaks the lie that this is just the way things have to be… and breaks into confusion and fear with hope and solidarity. Easter is the day the light of Christ began to beckon us— to see what—before—we could not see… and to live like it's real. // Like the stone has already been rolled away. Like the seal has already been broken. Like the cages don't hold the same way anymore. Like even now—even here—the light is finding its way in. Like even the smallest beam can change what we see. Like… even the dust… can begin to dance. And the light— still— breaks in.

Text: Matthew 5:17-20; variousTheme: Jesus didn't come to wipe out the Law, but to fulfill or complete it. This week we'll talk about what that means for us today.Memory Verse: Matthew 5:17 (NIV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”Message Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49580032

SERMON: "You Are!" | TEXT: Matthew 5:13 | DATE: 4/12/2026 | SPEAKER: Jake Brown | www.Liberty-Christian.com

Don't interpret God's silence as Him being absent, apathetic, or angry. This is the story of John the Baptist doubting that Jesus was Who He said He was. Text: Matthew 4:12-13, 11:1-6 Speaker: Aaron Patton

Christ is Risen Indeed! Join us as we discuss the empty tomb, the fear that the empty tomb provokes, and how correct interpretation of the Resurrection of Jesus informs how our fear is directed and resolved.  Text: Matthew 28:1-10

The tomb is empty. That changes everything.On the first Easter morning, two women showed up looking for a funeral — and got invited to a party. In this message from Matthew 28:1-10, we unpack three things the empty tomb means for your life today: you're invited (not out of obligation, but love), God doesn't just intervene — He gets involved, and His love for you is invincible.If the tomb lacks a body, you lack nothing.

The tomb is empty. That changes everything.On the first Easter morning, two women showed up looking for a funeral — and got invited to a party. In this message from Matthew 28:1-10, we unpack three things the empty tomb means for your life today: you're invited (not out of obligation, but love), God doesn't just intervene — He gets involved, and His love for you is invincible.If the tomb lacks a body, you lack nothing.

The tomb is empty. That changes everything.On the first Easter morning, two women showed up looking for a funeral — and got invited to a party. In this message from Matthew 28:1-10, we unpack three things the empty tomb means for your life today: you're invited (not out of obligation, but love), God doesn't just intervene — He gets involved, and His love for you is invincible.If the tomb lacks a body, you lack nothing.

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, March 29, 2026. “Ignite the Light” series. Palm Sunday.            Text: Matthew 21:1-17   Before the tables are turned; before the coins scatter; before the system is exposed…there is a procession. Crowds gather around Jesus, filling the streets as he makes his way into Jerusalem—waving palm branches, spreading their cloaks on the road, shouting “Hosanna!” But this moment does not begin with the crowd. It begins with Jesus. Everything about the way he enters the city is carefully chosen. He comes from the Mount of Olives—and that isn't a random detail. Because the prophet Zechariah had long promised that when God finally showed up to set things right, God would arrive from that very place. The Mount of Olives was not just a location—it was a signal. And then there's the donkey. Not a warhorse. Not a chariot. A donkey. Again, Zechariah: “Look, your king is coming to you; humble, and mounted on a donkey.” This is not accidental. Jesus is enacting the prophecy. And the people respond. They start waving palm branches—which, to us, might just feel festive—but to them meant something more. Palm branches were part of the Festival of Booths—Sukkot—a time when the people remembered how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. They built shelters from the branches and lived in them for a week, remembering what it meant to depend on God in the wilderness. And they waved branches in joy—a sign of hope that God would do it again. So when the crowds wave palms at Jesus, they are recognizing what he is doing. “This is the one who will set us free, the one we can depend on.” And then they take off their cloaks and lay them on the road—a sign that they receive Jesus as king. But here's the thing. Jesus lets them do all that—and then immediately begins to redefine what kingship means. Because he doesn't go to the palace. He doesn't go to seize the seat of government. He goes to the Temple, the center of religious life, economic life, the place where faith and money and power are all tangled together. And that's where the light falls. Because when Jesus gets there, he doesn't bless the system. He disrupts it. Tables get flipped. Coins get scattered. “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” he says, “but you have made it a den of robbers.” It's important to understand this wasn't just about a few corrupt individuals. The people changing money and selling doves—they weren't rogue operators. They were the system. Pilgrims had to exchange their currency into Temple currency. Animals had to be purchased for sacrifice. The whole thing was structured, normalized, accepted. It worked. Unless you were poor. Because doves—the ones Jesus specifically names—were the offering of the poor. Which means the system was set up in such a way that even the most vulnerable had to pay into it.  And Jesus walks in and shines a light on all of this. Not just on individual behavior—but on the whole arrangement. Because when the light falls…you start to see things differently. What looks like devotion can actually be exploitation. What looks like order can actually be injustice.  When the light hits the money, you start to see what's really going on. And that pattern doesn't stay in the Temple. It follows Jesus all the way through the week. A disciple slips away and asks, “What will you give me if I betray him?” Thirty pieces of silver. (Mt 26:14-16) And later—after the cross, after the tomb is found empty—more money changes hands. Coins given to soldiers to keep quiet. To bury the truth. To protect the story that those in power want told. (Mt 28:11-15) Again and again in this story—money is used to control, to betray, to silence. And every time, Jesus shines a light on it. And if we're honest we recognize that these dynamics don't just live in this old story. Because Lord knows we are still living in a world where money and power are tangled together in ways that distort truth and burden the most vulnerable. We are living in a moment where those who already have extraordinary wealth are given even more advantage—where access and influence can mean getting a heads-up, an inside track, a chance to profit before anyone else even knows what's coming. We are living in a moment where war is not only a tragedy—it is also an industry. Where violence can drive markets, and suffering becomes someone else's gain. We are living in a moment where proximity to power—family ties, loyalty, allegiance—can open doors and secure advantage, while others are told to tighten their belts and make do with less. And all of it has consequences—rising costs, disappearing jobs, communities carrying burdens they did not create. And we know this is not new. We have long lived with systems where incarceration becomes profit, where human beings are turned into revenue streams. And we are seeing new forms even now—where enforcement is incentivized, where brutal force is rewarded over care, often without the accountability justice requires. If we are willing to let the light fall here—to really see it—then we have to admit: this is not just about a few bad actors. It is about systems. Systems that reward extraction over equity. Systems that protect power instead of people. Systems that make it easier to profit from vulnerability than to alleviate it. And all of it is being baptized by a perverse version of white, so-called “Christian” nationalism. And on this Palm Sunday weekend people have again taken to the streets. Not with palm branches, but with signs. Not shouting “Hosanna,” but crying out for justice, for sanity, for peace. There is still a deep human longing to resist systems where power concentrates, privilege protects itself, and the many are burdened for the gain of the few. But Palm Sunday pushes us deeper than the clever slogans on our signs. The crowd in Jerusalem had a slogan. And within days, many turned away. Because Jesus did not become the kind of king they expected. He didn't overthrow the empire. He didn't seize control or immediately relieve their suffering. He didn't play the game. Instead he exposed it. And that is far more threatening than simply replacing one ruler with another. And the question I always want us to ask of ourselves is this: if Jesus rode into our city, our institutions, our economy, our own lives today, where would the light fall? Where have we accepted what we know is not aligned with the heart of God? Where do we benefit from systems that harm others? Where have we told ourselves, “That's just how it works”? Because the Temple system felt inevitable, too. Until Jesus came in and turned over the tables. // But while that part of the story often gets most of the attention, what happens next is really the turning point. Because once the tables are overturned—once the system is disrupted—something else happens. // People who had been pushed to the edges come forward. Matthew tells us that those who were living with physical disabilities—people who had not been granted full access, full participation, full belonging in the life of the Temple—come to Jesus. And in that kind of system—he heals them. Right there. In the Temple. And that is significant. Because the Temple wasn't just one open space. It was structured in layers, each one marking who could come closer. There was the outer court, where Gentiles could gather—but no further. Then the court of women—closer, but still limited. Then the court of Israel—for men. Then the court of priests. And at the very center, the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest could enter, and only once a year. Every step inward came with restriction—conditions, boundaries about who belonged where. And those boundaries weren't just architectural—they were social and economic, too. Some were kept at a distance because of where they were from. Some because of their gender. Some because the system defined their bodies as lacking purity or wholeness. Some because they simply could not afford the cost of participation. And some—like children—because their voices didn't count. So when Jesus walks into that space, he is not just entering a building. He is stepping into a whole system of managed access to God. And now, in the very place where exclusion had been normalized, Jesus does not reinforce the boundaries. He removes them. He collapses the distance. He restores people not just to health, but to community, dignity, and full participation in the life of God's people. And then—while the religious leaders are indignant—children start shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” The ones with no status. No authority. No voice in the system. They are the ones who recognize what is happening. And Jesus affirms them, quoting Psalm 8, “Out of the mouths of infants… God has prepared praise.” (Ps 8:2) Which means the scene has completely turned. The powerful are outraged. The excluded are restored. The least expected voices tell the truth. This is what the Temple was always meant to be: not a place of transaction, but restoration; not a system that restricts access, but a community where people are brought fully in; not ordered around power, but reordered around mercy. Where value is no longer measured by what can be extracted, but by what can be restored. That is the alternative. Not just tables turned over, but lives turned back toward wholeness. An economy of grace. A community shaped not by profit, but by love. Palm Sunday is not just a parade. It is a confrontation. A moment when Jesus walks straight into the center of power and shines a light on what everyone else has learned to live with. And once the light falls—you can't unsee it.  But the story does not end with exposure. It moves toward restoration. Because following the light doesn't just mean seeing more clearly. It means moving differently. It means loosening our grip on what benefits us when it harms someone else. It means refusing to call something “normal” when it is wounding our neighbors. It means becoming part of God's work of restoration, not just naming what is broken. We've been taught: if you want to understand the system, follow the money. But here—if you want to see the kin-dom—follow what happens when the light falls. Follow the people being brought in. Follow the people being restored. Follow the voices that are finally being heard. Because where the light of Christ falls, the margins begin to disappear, and what was structured around power and greed is reshaped around love. May we have the courage to follow where the light falls—and to take our place in God's restorative work.

Text: Matthew 28:1-10For more resources and information from Anthem Church, visit us at https://www.anthemcolumbia.com/

Text: Matthew 27:51-54This sermon is the Easter celebration service of our risen Lord.Recorded live at Bethany Bible Church on: April 5, 2026Bethany Radio is a production of Bethany Bible Church in LeRoy, MN.More content and info is available on our website: bethanybibleleroy.com 2026 — Bethany Radio