In Matthew 20:17-28, Jesus responds to the request for special treatment made by the mother of his disciples James and John. In this passage, we see Jesus’ antidote to misplaced spiritual ambition. By Noel Piepgrass
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Jesus the Judge and Savior
In Matthew 11:20-30, we take a look at a couple of Matthew’s portraits of Jesus. Noel Piepgrass gives us a look at Judge Jesus and the Son who Saves by calling the weary and burdened to rest in himself.
Become like a child | Matthew 18:1-5 | Andrei Tsvirinko
In Matthew 18:1-5 Jesus teaches his disciples that in order to become the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven we must become like a child. By guest teacher Andrei Tsvirinko
Jesus on the Signs of the Times | Matthew 24:1-35 | Noel Piepgrass
In Matthew 24:1-35 Jesus teaches his disciples what they can expect at the end of the age. In this message, Noel Piepgrass shows us how Jesus wants us to live in an age that can feel like the end is near.
Jesus on Marriage | Matthew 19:1-6 | Noel Piepgrass
Jesus, when questioned about divorce by the Pharisees, takes us back to the creation account and the meaning of marriage. Matthew 19:1-6. By Noel Piepgrass
Gospel Seed and the Soil of the Heart
In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus begins his sermon of parables with a story about a farmer who’s sowing seeds. The seed falls upon 4 different soils and we’re told, by Jesus, that each type of soil represents a heart condition. In this sermon, Pastor Noel Piepgrass shares how the heart can be hard, shallow, or distracted and thus unable to receive the seed of the gospel and thrive. Finally, Noel points us to Jesus, the one who makes our soil good as we turn to him through repentance. (sermon credit due, Danny Bartlett, whose work Pastor Noel drew heavily from)
The Seed and the Treasure
In Matthew 13:31-33; 44-52, Jesus tells a pair of parables about a mustard seed and leaven and a treasure and a pearl. David Jansson, a guest from Radiant Church in Visalia, teaches us in this message that the Kingdom of God is a treasure worth joyfully going all in on and like a seed, something that starts small but miraculously has enormous impact. (The audio starts just a few seconds into his sermon, sorry!).