Kingdom Parables: Final Separation

The final parable of Matthew is barely a parable at all. Here, Jesus describes the final judgment. What will Jesus have to say to you when you stand before him?

Click to listen (right-click to download)

Kingdom Parables: Called to Account

This week is the Parable of the Talents. Stewardship is a basic Kingdom concept. What will you present to God at the end of your life?

Click to listen (right-click to download)

Kingdom Parables: The Invitation

Today’s parable is the Parable of the Wedding Banquet. God invites us all to dine with his Son. Will you accept the invitation?

click to listen (right-click to download)

Guest Speaker: Marcus Brown

Marcus Brown, team leader for Church Health and Evangelism for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, asks an interesting question about the story of David and Goliath: What happened to the bread and cheese he brought to the front lines?

No one cares, because David stepped up to the greater task. Have we spent our lives delivering bread and cheese when there is a giant to face?

Click to listen (right-click to save)

Kingdom Parables: Grace and Envy

We always hear about how God’s grace is amazing, but in today’s parable, Jesus talks about how it can be irritating to us. So what’s so amazing (and irritating) about grace?

Click to download (right-click and save)

Kingdom Parables: Worth Everything

Some find him when they're not looking. Others find him after a long search. But when we truly encounter Christ, it's life-course-altering moment of joy. Have you had an experience with Christ that mirrors the discovery-joy-total abandon rhythm of the Parables of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl?

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Story of the Kingdom of God: The Arrival of the Kingdom

Jesus changes everything.

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Story of the Kingdom of God: Departure

After the height of Israel's glory, the moment when the Presence of God filled the Solomon's temple at its dedication, the people's spiritual condition deteriorated with the temple, until the Spirit departed and the temple was destroyed. What causes this deterioration? What causes God's Spirit to depart from a people? What hope did the prophets bring during this dark time?

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Story of the Kingdom of God: A Place

God promised Abraham to give him a homeland. In that land, God promised to put his name on a place that would bear witness to the nations, teaching the world about the identity and the mission of God. This week we looked at the temple and how it bears witness to us and teaches us about our own destination and purpose.

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Story of the Kingdom of God: A People

God is always the same, but he is always moving, too. God started our redemption story by calling Abram and telling him to move. Will you join the movement of God?

Download this episode (right click and save)

Kingdom in Our Midst, part 5: Built on the Rock

We finished our Sermon on the Mount series Sunday with a look at the parable of the two builders. It's so simple, preschoolers can be taught the story and its principles by heart. Yet it serves as an important test for us as we finish our study. Are we going to hear and walk away unchanged or are we going to practice the gospel of the Kingdom, building our lives on the Rock, Jesus Christ?

Download this episode (right click and save)

Kingdom in Our Midst, part 4: Recognizing the False Kingdom

The Kingdom of God is right here within our grasp, but it is unseen to the eye. A counterfeit kingdom, spread by false teachers and the Father of Lies, is also hidden, disguised as the real thing. How can we avoid false teaching and keep to the "narrow path," the way of Jesus?

Jesus answers that question as he warns his listeners not to be deceived.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Kingdom in Our Midst, part 3: The Narrow Road

Are most people going to heaven or hell? Has God answered that question? Some might point to Jesus' "narrow road" in Matthew 7 and Luke 13 and say that He has. But what is Jesus really saying about the narrow road? What should we do about it?

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Kingdom in Our Midst, part 2: There for the Asking

We have become accustomed to instant information. Google (and Siri, etc.) provides the answer to any question that might float into our minds. Amazon and other online retailers provide what we need with a quick search and a few clicks (or just by asking "Alexa").

Jesus promises that the Kingdom of God is not too far removed from this idea. The resources of the kingdom are "at hand," there for anyone who will ask, seek, and knock. And we can be sure that our Father will not trick us but rather care for us. And in conclusion, Jesus makes a surprising (but familiar) statement about what this means for our responsibilities to one another as citizens of the kingdom.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Kingdom in Our Midst, part 1: Three Warnings About Judging Others

"Judge not."

These might be the most famous words of Jesus in our current society. People use this phrase as if Jesus was really saying, "Anything goes. Do what you think is right and keep to yourself." There's a whole other blog post that is needed to dismantle this interpretation, but most of us know that's not what Jesus meant.

So what does Jesus mean here? What is Jesus' warning here about judging others?

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Worry-Free Life, part 4: Living the Worry-Free Life

What keeps you up at night? What occupies your mind or churns your stomach? Worry is a burden that we all deal with. Jesus speaks with compassion toward us when as he tells us how to be free of the burden of worry and rest in the care of our Father.

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Worry-Free Life, part 3: The Misery of Mammon

In story after story--whether it's the story of individuals, of churches, or of nations--Jesus' words have proven to be true: You cannot serve both God and Mammon. What does it mean to serve "Mammon"? How do we escape the misery of serving Mammon instead of the Lord?

Download this episode (right click and save)

The Worry-Free Life, part 2: The Eye Test

How are your eyes? Need glasses? For those of us who need help, we know what it's like to have bad eyes. As Jesus was teaching about money, he made a comment about good and bad eyes. What does it mean to have good or bad spiritual eyes? What does that have to do with our possessions?

Download this episode (right click and save)



(Note: The recording started a little late)

Prayer in the Kingdom of Heaven, part 6: The Battle

Prayer awakens us to the reality that we are in the midst of an unseen battle that is just as real as the world we can see and touch. Jesus warns us to be alert to the battle and to trust God to shepherd us and deliver us from the enemies that threaten us.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Prayer in the Kingdom of Heaven, part 5: What (Forgiveness)

Confession is an essential part of prayer. Jesus teaches us in the Lord's Prayer how to ask God for forgiveness. It is the only part of the prayer on which he comments later. What does God expect of us in our confession of sin and request for forgiveness?

Download this episode (right click and save)