I Love You, LordCaleb Jones“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your ri...  Read More

Worship and the MindPastor David Wilson“The first look is okay but the second is lust, so make sure that your first look is a long one,” says a dad to his son as a woman walks by. That statement reveals something about that dad; he may believe impure thoughts are not sinning, as long as no physical actions are taken. Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:27-30 quite the opposite. The impure thoughts and the ...  Read More

Would You Rather?Pastor Patrick RowlandOne of my family’s favorite games to play while traveling on a trip is “Would You Rather?” The basis of the game is one person makes up two similar but different options and you have to pick one or the other. It could be something simple like, “Would you rather be stuck in traffic with no air conditioning or stuck on an airplane circling the runway and not ab...  Read More

Don't Gouge Out Your EyeDebbie GabbaraOne thing we see in Matthew chapter 5 is that Jesus did not shy away from tough subjects. The Pharisees spent a lot of time trying to find fault in His teachings and actions. I would imagine they were quite appalled by what He had to say when Jesus suggested to the crowds that they pluck out their eye or cut off their hand if they caused them to sin. Jesus say...  Read More

Entertaining ThoughtsKatrina Young“Don’t entertain the thought.” That is what my mentor (JoAnne) would say to me every time she would coach me through a crisis. “You are sending out invitations to a party that you are hosting in your mind, and you are dancing with sin.” Her words seemed so harsh to me at the time, but I am so thankful for the wisdom and patience that she had with me. I was a new b...  Read More

Look but Don't TouchJohn RiggWhen I was a little boy, one of my favorite places to go was the Ben Franklin Store. The local “five and dime” as they were called. This was a place of wonder to me. I would spend months saving my allowance just for the chance to shell it out on a toy or some candy. My favorite part of the store was the plastic model aisle. This area was filled with Mattel, Revel, and ...  Read More

Are You Angry?Kyle WendelHave you ever been angry with someone? I feel like I can say for us all, yes we have been angry with someone else many times. I can think of countless stories of where I have been angry with someone. Jesus takes a bold take on anger in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ...  Read More

The Heart of the MatterPatrick BicknellThe Sermon on the Mount is one of the most revolutionary words spoken by the Son of God that confronts the heart of our entire lives. Almost everybody, both worldly and Christian, is fixated on the external things of life. Whether it is how big someone’s house is, or if it is how much you serve and spend time at a church, what you reflect externally in your l...  Read More

Creating Peaceful Relationships with Others and GodEmilou Irwin“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. S...  Read More

Redeeming AngerFerdinand SandersGrowing up as the older brother, I felt like my younger brother had a natural gift of pushing my buttons just to the point of eliciting a reaction out of me - a reaction that ultimately led to me getting in trouble. I do not think there is a sibling relationship in existence where there has not been some number of arguments, and if we are being honest, most of the t...  Read More

To All PriestsJohn Stone“Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:23-24 (NASB)Did you know that you and I are priests to our God? What an honor! What a privilege to be allo...  Read More

YeastGary Wright“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar an...  Read More