“Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage” on Matthew 5:31-32 by Joe Ellis — October 30, 2022
Let’s begin with saying this is a painful text. Divorce is always born of pain. This sermon isn’t just for those who have divorced, or even for those who have married. It’s a sermon for all of us, because we are all touched by divorce. We all have some sort of relationship to divorce. Some of us have been through the pain of divorce ourselves and have spent years working out the implications of passages like the one we just heard. Some of us have experienced the divorce
"Let Your 'Yes' Be 'Yes'" on Matthew 5: 33-37 by Mike C. on Oct. 23, 2022
What is Jesus saying to us? I want you to be an honest people. I want you to be a faithful people. I want you to be a people who would rather suffer loss than bend the truth to save your image or your dollar. I want you to be a people who would rather die than lie. Where does my 'Yes' need to be 'Yes' and my 'No' be 'No?' (Where do I need straight arrows to hit the target?) In regards to Purity. In regards to Fidelity. In my relationships (Being careful with the promises and
“Jesus’ Words About Sex” on Matthew 5:27-30 by Joe Ellis — October 16, 2022
When I started writing my sermon on Thursday, I felt like I needed to say everything there was to say about sex and sexuality. The sermon itself grew to be 50% longer than usual. By the end of it, I was struck by the fact that very little of what I said was based on what Jesus said in this passage. What I said reflected some biblical teaching, but it wasn’t really tied super closely to these words of Jesus. There is a story in Luke 10:38-42 of two sisters who were hosting
“Taking Aim” on Matthew 5:21-26 by Joe Ellis – October 9, 2022
Today we are launching into the part of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ where the rubber hits the road. We are encountering part of Jesus’ challenging teachings in how to live in this world. Here he is confronting the anger we can harbour in our heart, the hurtful ways we can speak to others, and our tendency to avoid making things right, especially when you or I have done something to hurt or wrong someone. This teaching on anger and reconciliation is the first of six teachings
“Wholly Whole and Holy” on Matthew 5:17-20 by Michelle Ellis – Oct. 2, 2022
Before we dig into this reading from the Sermon on the Mount, I want to hold a few questions before you. What does wholeness look like? What does it look like to be fully and wholly human in the best possible sense? What does it look like to live a whole life? What kind of behaviours might foster wholeness? What does it feel like to be whole? These are the some of the main questions that Jesus is addressing in the Sermon on the Mount. I want to orient us today in these
