Matthew 16:21-28. Jesus instructs his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. By Noel Piepgrass

Matthew 16:21-28. Jesus instructs his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. By Noel Piepgrass
Giving to Caesar what is Caesar while giving to God what is God’s is a complicated task, especially in a politically charged culture. Noel Piepgrass preaches part 2 in hopes of helping us understand how to apply Matthew 22:15-22 within the lens of 1 Peter 2, Romans 13, and the life of Daniel.
In 1 Corinthians 14, the Apostle Paul says the church should eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy and then he gives instructions for how to use it. In this teaching, Danny Bartlett, Youth Director at Radiant Church in Visalia, shows us what prophecy is, why it’s important, and how it can be practiced in the church.
In Matthew 13 Jesus gives a sermon using parables, short stories with a moral to them. In verses 10-17, we see Jesus quote a passage from the book of Isaiah which effectively communicates to the audience that his use of parables is the most impactful way to help his audience hear and see the mysteries of the Kingdom. In this message, Noel goes on to share his own story and invites the listener into the story God is writing over their own lives and over the life of Exeter Valley Church.
In Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus shows up walking across the sea in the middle of a storm. In faith, Peter steps out of the boat to come to him but is quickly scared of the wind and waves and begins to sink. In this moment of desperation he reaches out to Jesus to be saved and Jesus gives him his hand. Noel Piepgrass shares that the moral of the story is not merely the power of God over the storm, but the way he uses the storm to invoke our worship.
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus uses a parable to show his disciples how God expects them to live. Noel teaches us how our view of God can lead to fear which gets in the way of investing in God’s kingdom.
In Matthew 23, Jesus talks to his disciples about hypocrisy. His words are harsh and poignant, but they are given in love to his disciples as warnings against the perils of false religion. Noel Piepgrass shows us how we can get off track when what we practice doesn’t match what we preach.