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?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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Kingdom Parables: The Ugly Truth

As the time approached for Jesus' crucifixion, he began to teach about the ramifications of the rejection of Jesus by the Jews of his day. The parable of the tenants is such a clear condemnation of unfaithful Israel that these religious leaders, who mostly did not understand Jesus' parables, clearly understood that he was speaking against them. What does this parable illustrating the sin of unfaithful Israel have to do with modern people? As we look at this parable, we learn that while it is certainly the story of those Jews who rejected Jesus, it's also the story of all of sinful humanity... and it can even be the story of a local church.

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Kingdom Parables: "Yes" Is Not Enough

We've all been let down by someone who said they would do something, but then did not follow through. How often do you do that to God? What are God's thoughts when we do that?

Jesus gives a simple illustration to remind his religious listeners that saying "yes" is not enough. Words are meaningless without obedience.

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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?

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Kingdom Parables: Forgiveness

We can be grateful that there are no limits to God's forgiveness of our sins. But in the kingdom of heaven, God's treatment of us is what we should extend to others. Jesus told a parable to teach his disciples about forgiveness without limits.

Associate pastor Sandy Carter brings the message.

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Kingdom Parables: Kingdom Perspective

A good perspective gives us a better view of the truth. To gain the best perspective on God and this world where we find ourselves is to study the life and teachings of Jesus. At the end of Matthew 13, Jesus provides a kingdom perspective on final judgment and on religion.

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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?

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Kingdom Parables: A Little Changes Everything

The Mustard Seed parable and the Parable of the Yeast are similar in meaning, but they come from a different perspective. Why did Jesus use imagery usually associated with sin to teach about the kingdom? What do we learn about Christian life from this parable?

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Kingdom Parables: Where It Starts

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is well-known, but its principles still run contrary to our intuition about how we want or expect God to work. What can we learn about the kingdom of heaven through a tiny little seed?

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Kingdom Parables: What's With the Weeds?

If God is good, why is there evil and suffering? In a simple little story, Jesus addresses this question and teaches how the kingdom of heaven coexists with evil until the appointed time.

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Kingdom Parables: Why Parables? (Matthew 13:11-17, 34-35)

Jesus told everyone who listened that the Kingdom of heaven had come near. When people asked what that meant, Jesus often responded with a story. Why?

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The New (Old) Way: Eyes Forward

Everything has a life cycle. What's true for people and animals and machines and companies is true for local churches, too. The way to interrupt the slope toward decline and death is to interrupt it with new life. How will we succeed in bringing new life? We turned to Philippians 3 to learn how.

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The New (Old) Way: Common Possessions

Jesus and the other New Testament teachers repeatedly make the point that spiritual unity will express itself in material giving. We cannot claim to love others or God if we withhold our possessions as our own. And one way to increase spiritual unity is to give materially. As we look at Acts chapter 4, we discover how the early church found community through common possessions.

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The New (Old) Way: Common Place

What does it take to make community around a "common place" commonplace? What steps can we take to build these essential elements into our relationships?

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The New (Old) Way: Common Mission

What are we going to do to intentionally reach our friends, neighbors, and family with the gospel? This is a message you don't want to miss, because it explains both the how and why of our strategy for reaching our community for Christ.

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The New (Old) Way: Common Purpose

In order to have true community, a group must hold four things in common: a common purpose, a common mission, a common place, and common possessions, which are all evident in the story of the early church (Acts 2:42-47).

This week, we studied our common purpose from Colossians 1-2, which comes from a common truth, a common hope, and common submission.

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The New (Old) Way: Fishing with a Net

When Jesus used fishing as a picture of evangelism, the picture that came to the minds of Peter, Andrew, James, and John was not a solitary man standing by a lake with a pole. In their experience, fishing was a team effort. What stands in the way of success in evangelism?

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