In this pre-Advent message, we will set the stage for the coming month as we thoughtfully consider the relationship between difficult times, gratitude, and our own spiritual growth.
Matthew concludes the Sermon On The Mount with an overarching teaching from Jesus about enduring and surviving difficult times. We’ll spend one more week focused on these six verses and conclude our Follower message series this week.
Matthew Concludes the Sermon on the Mount with an overarching teaching from Jesus about enduing and surviving difficult times.
This week's podcast includes an interview with the leaders of an NGO, Ideas International. Ideas Int was started long-time Castle Oaks members, Stan & Tami Brown and is now under the leadership of a new Executive Director, Gabrielle Thompson. The interview is followed by some thoughts on Jesus' teaching about salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus connects one of his well-known statements (the Golden Rule) with an often misunderstood metaphor. Again this week, we'll do our best to discern the meaning behind, "the narrow way."
Jesus connects one of his well-known statements (the Golden Rule) with an often misunderstood metaphor. Again this week, we'll do our best to discern the meaning behind, "the narrow way."
Jesus connects one of his well-known statements (the Golden Rule) with an often misunderstood metaphor. For two weeks, we'll do our best to discern the meaning behind, "the narrow way."
Our text today calls us to ask, to seek, and to knock - to pray - and in it, Jesus promises answers as well as some reason for hope in-between.
These verses in Jesus’ well known sermon don’t mention the word love ... but, they contain some of the most practical teaching about relational love found in the Gospels. Again this week, we will dig into what Jesus says and how we might live it out each day.
These verses in Jesus’ well known sermon don’t mention the word love ... but, they contain some of the most practical teaching about relational love found in the Gospels. For the next two weeks, we will dig into what Jesus says and how we might live it out each day.
"Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well." Matthew 6:33 (NCV)
Jesus has a lot to say about money. In our text for this week he addresses where much of our anxiety comes from by inviting us to rethink our values and priorities.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus addressed the issue that seems to plague our lives and our culture today: anxiety and worry. His teaching directs us to deal head-on with our anxious hearts and our habit of worry.
Jesus describes a spirituality that is decidedly counter-cultural midway through the Sermon on the Mount. His teaching gives us an opportunity to thoughtfully consider how we encounter God's presence and grow in grace.
Jesus describes a spirituality that is decidedly counter-cultural midway through the Sermon on the Mount. His teaching gives us an opportunity to thoughtfully consider how we encounter God's presence and grow in grace.
A couple of years ago we began a message series based on the Sermon on the Mount. This week we return to that series, adding Luke's Sermon on the Plain to our scripture passages we'll be studying. May the teachings of Jesus shape our faith and order our steps.
Walking on water requires us to get out of the boat. God is asking for our attention and our obedience.
The words we use and our speech have so much power--power to build up and to tear down. How is it so easy to in one breath praise God and in the next use words for ill? What is truly at the root of those words that tumble all too easily out of our mouths?
The song lyrics that Jesus prayed from the cross give us permission to lament and a roadmap for navigating our way through difficult times.
Many of the songs in our scriptures serve the important purpose of helping us deal with loss, grief, disappointment, and sadness. This is true of some of our favorite songs as well. This all points us to an eternal truth: Hope does not have a chance unless we face all that we have lost.
In the first words of Colossians, we find a beautiful picture of what has been, how things are now, and what will ultimately be.
David writes an incredibly personal song giving us some significant insights into his relationship with God.
This week we return to the story of John the Baptist in Matthew 11 to help us understand the relationship between what we think and what we feel in regards to our faith and how music brings both together.
Letting Go & Trusting God - Phil Vaughan // Luke 1: 67-80 // Church in the Park One of the first songs in the New Testament is written by a dad who has the same struggle we all have: learning to let go and trust God with a life that has been entrusted to our love and care.
Music is deeply connected to our feelings and emotions. Today we'll explore that connection and dig into Jesus' words about the relationship between the music we hear and our emotional reactions.
We launch a new Summer Message Series this Sunday. Summer Hits: Best songs in the Bible. We will be digging deep into the songs of scripture while we thoughtfully consider the impact music has on our hearts, our minds, and our faith.
As we wrap up this series, we'll harvest some of the agricultural wisdom from various scriptures while we claim the promise of the humble mustard seed.
The Wheat & the Tares
Jesus points us to seeds many times to illustrate the mystery of growth. A parable that is unique to the Gospel of Mark will help us embrace this mystery and shape our spiritual habits.
Behold the symbolic Fig Tree. From the beginning pages of scripture, fig trees play an important role. T hroughout the Gospels, fig trees are used to teach us valuable truths about faith, life, and growth. Again this week, we'll dig a little deeper in these passages.
