Grace Church of Cochrane

As we've seen before, Jesus isn't afraid to touch on some nerves; what he says here should make us a bit uncomfortable. But as he confronts our materialistic tendencies, he also charts a better way. Our king calls us to heaven minded, kingdom focused, love motivated generosity.

The missionary William Carey described himself as a man who could "plod". Parents, in conjunction with other Christians, must "plod" in diligently making disciples of the coming generations. We must listen to God's Word ourselves, tell the coming generation about God's wonderful works in the past, and wait expectantly for God to work more wonders by giving new hearts that hope in him and keep his commandments.

It's easy for churches to turn exclusively inward and forget all the outsiders around us who need to hear about Christ. It's just as easy to chase manufactured growth through clever strategies. But truth is, as Christians persevere talking to God, walking with wisdom, and talking to unbelievers, God does the great thing of making outsiders into insiders "in Christ"

Christians need to "test the spirits", exercising godly discernment in the face of spiritual forces seeking to undo us. We can have great courage knowing that "greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world".

Forgiveness is a complex subject. But Jesus' point is simple and sharp: if we don't forgive others their debts, God won't forgive ours. Those who truly get the gospel of mercy will mercifully forgive others. How can we not forgive others their comparitively small debts when God has forgiven us our astronomically large spiritual debts.

Everything gets broadcast these days. From wars to family vacations to people posting pics of themselves reading their Bible (with a nice cup of coffee of course!). Jesus warns against being spiritual show-offs like the hypocrites of the day. He teaches his disciples to pursue and practice piety in private, promising that our Heavenly Father sees in secret and will reward us.

We're told masculinity is toxic. But God created men and redeems them to be means and models of spiritual stability and health in volatile and vile times.

We all have a natural proclivity to live by the principle: "Do unto others as they have done unto me". But those who have been born from above live by the law of love; they respond not with retaliation, but with loads of mercy and kindness to those who mistreat them.

The scars that tell the greatest story

Have you seen those signs that advertise "quick, easy, and cheap divorces"? In our country, no-fault divorce laws have been legalized for years. But Jesus will not permit such low and cheap views of marriage. He's serious about the sanctity of marriage.

1. Listen to Jesus' Definition of Adultery (vs. 27-28) 2. Listen to Jesus' Strategy and Motivations for Mortification (vs. 29-30)

School shootings. Disease. Debauchery. Division. Death. These are days of trouble. We need to learn how to lament in a way that honors God and is healthy for the soul.

The ascended Christ has conscripted his captives to serve in building up his church. In this passage we see that Jesus assigns our roles and defines our goals.

Jesus says his disciples are salt and light in the world. We're saved to have a net-positive influence in a world full of decay and darkness. But the mission of the church isn't doing good works for their own sake. Jesus has a much higher goal in mind: that people would see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven

As Christians, we're conscripted by the King of Heaven into his peace corps on earth. But it's not a call to pursue peace at all costs. For Jesus reminds us that if we truly live like citizens of heaven, we will be hounded by the world. We're blessed in this and should rejoice and be glad for our reward

What does it mean that Jesus emptied himself? This phrase has created a lot of confusion and false teaching. This Lord's Day we're going to marvel at the humble mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. His self-humiliation serves as a foundational motivation and model for all Christian ethics.

Christmas season is full of mythical tales. But many people scoff at Christians for believing "myths" such as the virgin conception of Jesus. Too many professing Christians turn down the volume and try to make the miracles and message of Christ's birth more acceptable to modern ears. But this advent, we're turning up the volume to celebrate and defend the fact that nothing is impossible with God.

Do you feel the world is broken? Do you wish that you could see it all made new? We do. And we will! This is the triumphant note the angel leaves ringing in Daniel's ear and one we need to hear.

There's a lot of historical predictions and details in Daniel 11. It's another reminder that the kingdoms of this world are in constant conflict, but God is always in control. He ordains fiery trial and tribulations with purpose: to define and refine his people

Chapter 10 is a long introduction to the final vision. We're confronted with the reality of angels and demons and conflicts behind the scenes. But most importantly Daniel was comforted and strengthened by the repreated truth that even in the midst of all-out war, he was greatly loved. Hearing this truth will also serve to strengthen us as we experience great conflicts, seen and unseen.

The vision of the 70 weeks is dizzying in all the details. Faithful Christians have disagreements over how to interpret the particulars, but the main message is clear enough: Jesus' death guarantees the greatest reset and redemption history has ever seen

There's a lot of things we don't know. However, we know we will suffer and groan under the curse. But knowing this, God has also given to us precious promises that we can know. In these verses, God gives us some of the most precious guarantees given to man, aptly called by some "the golden chain of salvation".

One of the distinguishing traits of truly being a Christian is how we relate to each other. Having been loved by God in Christ, we are transformed into a people who reflect the same love to one another.

We're taking a short break from apocalyptic visions of vicious beasts and heavenly beings. These verses are a masterclass in prayer. They show us how to pray out of meditation on the Scriptures and how to confess our sins and petition God for mercy

We come to the next vision Daniel sees. This vision was sealed and later revealed to remind God's people to trust the truth of God's Word completely even when others throw it to the ground.

The vision of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man on their thrones is one of the mountaintop moments in the Old Testament. It's written to grab your mind's eye and help us focus on the facts - that Jesus Christ rules now and forevermore - even as we face ferocious beasts who wear us down.

Things are about to get apocalyptic for the next while. It might feel confusing, but these next few chapters are actually designed to do the opposite - they're designed to reveal reality. In Daniel 7 we come to one of the most important, revelatory passages in the Old Testament.