PREPARE FOR IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 43-48, Leviticus 19: 18; Matthew 22: 34-40; Luke 10: 27; Galatians 5: 14; Romans 12: 19; 13: 9; James 2: 8

Here are scripture passages to review today in preparation for tomorrow's sermon.

Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be childrenof your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Leviticus 19:18(NIV)
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Luke 10:27 (NIV)
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 12:19 (NIV)
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 13:9 (NIV)
9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

James 2:8 (NIV)
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

PRAY IT! Mountain5

 Matthew 5:43-48  
^43-47 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
⁴⁸ “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (MSG)

Said another way, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Last week, Jesus gave examples to the crowd of situations in which they were to "turn the other cheek".  This week, it is almost as if Jesus preemptively squelches any excuses or "yeah, but's" from the crowd.  It's difficult to approach Jesus with a "yeah, but" in this case when talks about how sinners even love those who love them...
Just as in every other portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is calling his followers to (wait for it... wait for it...) be different.  Way different.  Gasp!  No, at this point we should not be surprised. 

Rubber, meet road.  No excuses.  Jesus reminds us who we are, and what we are supposed to do as His children.  Enough listening.  By now, "we've heard it said" until the cows come home.  ;)  Now... we must act.  We must put that love into practice and live it out. 

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 

Dear Jesus,
You have called me to be different.  You have called me to love like you love.  You have called me to assume a posture of love toward everyone.  Please help me identify those in my life I consciously and/or unconsciously think of as "my enemy"... maybe it's a person... maybe it's a group... maybe it's a whole country.  Please help me to pray for them with a sincere heart and help my eyes to see them as my neighbor.  Please help my response to be love as you modeled it. 
Amen.

Please continue to join us as we Seek God for the City - 2015.  Today we are praying in unity for agricultural workers, for Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, and for God to overcome spiritual death.  Let's pray for continued revival.

Challenge:  look up a country you are not familiar with.  It's easier to pray for someone when you familiarize yourself with them a little.

Pastor Celia

READ IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 43-48, Leviticus 19: 18; Matthew 22: 34-40; Luke 10: 27; Galatians 5: 14; Romans 12: 19; 13: 9; James 2: 8

Here are scripture passages to study this week to help us prepare for the next lesson from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be childrenof your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Leviticus 19:18(NIV)
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Luke 10:27 (NIV)
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 12:19 (NIV)
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 13:9 (NIV)
9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

James 2:8 (NIV)
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

PREPARE FOR IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 38-42, Exodus 21: 23-25; Leviticus 24: 19-20; Deuteronomy 19: 21; Obadiah 15; Mark 8: 34 – 9: 1, Matthew 26: 67

Here are scripture passages to review today in preparation for tomorrow's sermon.

Matthew 5:38-42 (NIV)
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Exodus 21:23-25 (NIV)
23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.


Leviticus 24:19-20 (NIV)
19 Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.

Deuteronomy 19:21 (NIV)
21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Obadiah 1:15 (NIV)
15 “The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.

Mark 8:34-9:1 (NIV)
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Matthew 26:67 (NIV)
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him

PRAY IT! Mountain5

Payback, retaliation, and revenge, oh my!  As we continue on in our Mountain5 sermon series, we look at this week's passage found in Matthew 5:38-42.  Here again, Jesus is calling his followers to be different... waaaaay different! 

Common sense dictates that if society operated on this eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth system, we would all eventually be running around eyeless and toothless.  (Not so good for the ophthalmologists and dentists of this world...!)  That's dumb, and a ridiculous sight to imagine, but frankly, per Jesus, so is retaliation.  It's a vicious cycle that just keeps on perpetuating more ick.  It is not how Jesus chose to respond when faced with mockery, physical abuse, and ultimately crucifixion.  As his followers, it is not how we are to respond, either.

How are we to respond, and pray, in light of this passage?  I'm going to skip ahead to next week.  The answer is made clear in Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".

Our response is love.  Our response is prayer. 

That is what our response should be.

But... (insert your own but here!)

There's really not room for our objection in this passage.  With the help of Jesus, who modeled unbelievable grace and mercy for us, we are to respond with love and prayer, rather than with retaliation and revenge.  No buts.

In Acts 1:14, (after Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension) we read about how the disciples were gathered together, praying.  "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." 

Mary had just lost her son (yes, bigger picture, we gained a Savior, but still, she lost her son) yet even Mary was there, with the disciples, praying. 

Wow.

If Mary can do it, so can we.

If Jesus can do it, while on the cross, so can we.

It's easiest to think of the people that hurt us and wrong us as our enemy.  As evil.  As deserving of whatever it is that is coming to them.  Yet what if we chose to first and foremost see everyone as a child of God, whether they knew that is who they were or not?  Do we really want to seek revenge on a hurting child of God?  On God's creation?  It is easier to pray for those who have hurt us rather than respond with retaliation when we view them with God's eyes rather than our own. 

We shouldn't be surprised that hurting people hurt people.  God can grow in us a compassion that can lead us to respond with a heart like Jesus - where we earnestly pray for them.  Revenge will just leave them with a few less teeth..and looking to take out a few more teeth from whomever along the way. But prayer and the power of God can bring them to a point of transformation that stops the cycle of ick and starts more love and more prayer. 

Dear Jesus,
Please help us respond like you when we get hurt and desire retaliation.  Please help our response be graceful - and to be one of love and prayer.  Please help grow our compassion so that we see everyone as a child of God (some lost, some found).  Please draw everyone closer to you and continue to transform us all.  We need you. 
Amen.

Remember to keep praying as together we Seek God for the City - 2015!  Today we are praying for university students, for Puerto Rico (ah, the land of Pastor Todd's birth!), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and for God to renew our hearts to obey Him. 

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Withdraw Your Claws”

Supplies: Bible

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Let’s play a little matching game.  One person in your family will read a common phrase and the rest of your clan will come up with a scenario or situation where you might hear or say that phrase.  Ok, here we go.

1.  “I’m gonna get you for that!”

2.  “Vengeance is mine!”

3.  “Watch out—payback’s coming.”

4.  “He got what he deserved.”

5.  “I’ll get even, just you wait!”

Are you noticing a theme?  All of these phrases are used in the same kinds of situations.  Person A did something negative to Person B, so Person B responds by doing/planning/threatening to do something negative to Person A.  

Wanting revenge is a pretty common response, so much so that I’m not sure we always realize we’re doing it.  We’re like cats: if we feel we’re being attacked, the claws come out almost automatically.  When someone does something mean to us, a lot of times our reflex response—even if it’s just our thoughts—is to plan something mean to do or say back.  It’s like we feel some need to balance things out, and somehow, in our brains, pushing the kid who just pushed us restores the equilibrium.  But does it really?

READ

Check out what Jesus had to say by reading Matthew 5:38-42.

THINK

Jesus starts by quoting the existing Jewish law.  There were established consequences for different offenses, and the goal was to keep them as equal as possible.  That’s why it’s an “eye for an eye” and a “tooth for a tooth.”  Of course, we have our own legal system in place today.  If a crime is committed against Person B, there will be some kind of consequence for Person A.  When Jesus starts talking about this topic, He’s not suggesting we toss the entire law and let chaos and anarchy rule.  Laws are necessary for a society to function and not destroy itself.

Instead, I think Jesus is trying to change our hearts and our attitudes toward laws and, more specifically, law breakers.  Like just about everything else, when we are hurt or offended by another our Savior wants us to lead with love.  That should become our instinct!  Disengage the claws and let service, humility, grace, mercy, and helpfulness pour out instead.  When the school bully walks up during recess and gives you a shove, smile and ask if there’s a way you can help him out.  When the neighbor walks his dog in your yard and leaves the little presents there, clean them up and then help out by cleaning his yard too.  If someone starts spreading nasty rumors, politely ask them to stop…and then ask them if there’s any way you could pray for them or their family.  Can you imagine how things could change??

Jesus doesn’t want us to be doormats.  He wants us to have genuine love for ALL of the people around us and to express that love through grace and forgiveness, no matter what the circumstances.

APPLY

Ok, so what has the Holy Spirit been talking to you about?  Is there someone in specific in your life that brings out your claws?  Maybe they know exactly what buttons to push or they get their fun by making your life miserable.  Ask God for help in changing your heart for this person.  Or maybe for you it’s a need to change your whole reflex system.  It’s not one person who brings out your claws—it’s everybody!  Think about different ways you can respond to attacks, and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you in the moment.  We really can change our part of the world, but it starts with us.

PRAY

Heavenly Father, we praise Your Name!  Thank You for pouring out Your love on us through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Now help us to arm ourselves with that very same love, a weapon almost unknown to the world around us.  Help us as we use it to bring hearts closer to Yours.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.

READ IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 38-42, Exodus 21: 23-25; Leviticus 24: 19-20; Deuteronomy 19: 21; Obadiah 15; Mark 8: 34 – 9: 1, Matthew 26: 67

Matthew 5:38-42 (NIV)Eye for Eye

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Exodus 21:23-25 (NIV)
23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth,hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.


Leviticus 24:19-20 (NIV)
19 Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.

Deuteronomy 19:21 (NIV)
21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Obadiah 1:15 (NIV)
15 “The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.

Mark 8:34-9:1 (NIV)
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Matthew 26:67 (NIV)
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him

PREPARE FOR IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 33-37, Exodus 20: 7; Leviticus 19: 12; Numbers 30: 3-15; Deuteronomy 23: 21-22; Matthew 23: 16-22; James 5: 12

Here are scripture passages to review today in preparation for tomorrow's sermon.
Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Exodus 20:7 (NIV)
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.


Leviticus 19:12 (NIV)
12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Numbers 30:3-15NIV)
3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.

9 “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

10 “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath 11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 12 But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. 15 If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

Deuteronomy 23:21-22 (NIV)
21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.

Matthew 23:16-22 (NIV)
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

James 5:12 (NIV)
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

PRAY IT! Mountain5

Matthew 5:33-37:  "And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong."  (MSG)

Jesus wants utter honesty from his followers.  Can you imagine the impact it would have on our world today if the action's of the people of God were of such high integrity - that what we said and what we followed through with matched up with each other?  I'd venture to guess we would have a pretty awesome impact here on earth for Jesus.  Our actions would turn a few heads, and hopefully toward Jesus!

You see, it's very easy to look around and find "un-truth" - a few seconds of a reality TV show... a few minutes gathered around the water cooler at work... there's probably some of it to be found in the news or politics as well...

Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is calling his followers to be different.  Not just a little bit different, but strikingly so.  This is what is noticeable.  This is what is impactful.  And Jesus did come to make a noticeable impact, did he not?

Jesus' honesty is attractive.  So too, is the honesty and integrity of his followers.  Jesus' high call (it's not always easy to let our yes be a yes and no be a no...) requires his presence and power. 

PoC, as we pray today, let us ask for Jesus' help.  We cannot do it without him.  And why would we even want to try?

Dear Jesus,
Please help us be honest and truthful in word and deed.  We need you and we love you.  We want to make a noticeable impact that ultimately assists in helping draw others closer to you rather than turning them away. 
Amen.

Remember to join our all-church campaign as we Seek God for the City - 2015!  Today, we are praying for marriages, for Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, and Brazil, as well as for humility to replace our pride and complacency.

Blessings,
Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Promise-Free”

Supplies: Bible

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What does it mean to promise something?  Come up with a definition as a family.  How would you define “promise”?

My dictionary defines it this way: “to assure someone that one will definitely do, give or arrange something.”  I’m guessing your definition was pretty close to that, right?  So with that in mind, what would you say is the difference between saying, “I promise to do that,” as opposed to saying, “I will do that.”  Seriously…what’s the difference?  Take a little time to talk about that.  Are there times when you would say one but not the other?  Does the word “promise” take your commitment to a different level?  Is one stronger or weaker than the other?  If you just say, “I will,” does it mean you can back out of what you said without upsetting anyone?  

READ

Pull out your Bible and have someone read Matthew 5:33-37.

THINK

Have you ever wondered why we have words like “promise” and “oath” and “vow” in our vocabulary?  In essence, these words exist to say, “No, seriously, I’m really truly going to do this thing I say.”  They imply that other times when we say we will, we really may not.  We live in a culture where saying you’ll do something isn’t enough.  We’ve all suffered too many disappointments because someone didn’t do what they said they would.  Aaaaannnd…we’ve dropped the ball once or sixty-four times ourselves. 

It’s a sad state of who we are, but the truth is that we have come up with dozens if not hundreds of ways to justify and excuse breaking our commitments to each other.  

• You had a project due today but  never got around to completing it.  That’s ok—just blame someone in the house (kids, parents, dog) and explain how they prevented you from getting it done.
• You were supposed to answer an email yesterday but forgot.  No worries—you can point the finger at the glitchy mail program and say you never got the original message.
• You rsvp’d for an event at your friend’s house, but now you really don’t want to go.  Don’t.  And never say anything about it.  Ever.  Your friend won’t want to be embarrassed either, so they’ll never ask you about it. 
• And if all else fails, just tell everybody you had your fingers crossed so whatever you said you’d do doesn’t count anyway!

Our society has abused the truth to such an amazing degree that we have created a culture of mistrust.  We automatically doubt that anyone will actually do what they say they’re going to do.  We expect disappointment, and as such, we don’t get too upset when we’re the ones disappointing others.  That’s a tragic commentary on our world, but even worse on our Savior.  If we as Christians live this way, what kind of Jesus are we sharing with people around us?  He’s made some pretty big commitments.  Can He be trusted to follow through or will He flake out when it really matters?  It’s not surprising that people have a hard time truly trusting the promises of Jesus when most of them aren’t sure they can trust the promises of His church.  But what if that were different?

What if we actually lived the way Jesus is suggesting here?  What if we just decided that when we said, “Yes,” to something, it would be like signing a contract?  What if we made the commitment to ourselves that when we say, “No,” it will always mean, “No”?  Can you even imagine a world where people did exactly what they said they would do, without the need for that extra level of commitment?  We could take a marker to every dictionary and black out “promise” along with all its synonyms.  We could finally begin to trust each other, which means we would finally be able to hear the truth from each other.  Oh, what a wonderful world that would be!

APPLY

It will take a lot of time and effort to change the world that much, but I think it’s possible.  As followers of THE TRUTH, we are in the perfect place to start the ball rolling.  And the best place to start is right there in your home.  Can you and your family agree together today that in your home, among each other, you will become “promise-free”?  Will you commit that from this point forward, when you talk with each other, your yeses will mean YES and your no’s will mean NO?  You won’t need to use the “promise level” again in your house, because a simple “yes” is enough.

I think that step alone will begin to make huge changes in how you see and relate in the world around you.  Soon, you may be ready to take that “promise-free” approach public and let it infiltrate all of your relationships.  You can decide today that every commitment you make will be a yes/no kind of thing.  

PRAY

Jesus, we love You so much.  Would You help us as we seek to change the world one “yes” at a time?  Lead us to be people of our word.  As our friends and family begin to trust in us, we pray they also begin to trust in You.  In Your Name we pray, Amen.

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READ IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 33-37, Exodus 20: 7; Leviticus 19: 12; Numbers 30: 3-15; Deuteronomy 23: 21-22; Matthew 23: 16-22; James 5: 12

Here are scripture passages to study this week to help us prepare for the next lesson from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Exodus 20:7 (NIV)
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.


Leviticus 19:12 (NIV)
12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Numbers 30:3-15NIV)
3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her.

9 “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

10 “If a woman living with her husband makes a vow or obligates herself by a pledge under oath 11 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 12 But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her. 13 Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. 15 If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.”

Deuteronomy 23:21-22 (NIV)
21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.

Matthew 23:16-22 (NIV)
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

James 5:12 (NIV)
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

PREPARE FOR IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew, 5:31-32, Genesis 1-3; 12; 15; Deuteronomy 24: 1-4; Song of Songs; I Corinthians 7: 1-16; Ephesians 5: 21-33

Here are scripture passages to review today in preparation for tomorrow's sermon.

Matthew 5:31-32 (NIV)
Divorce
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Click here to study the books of Genesis 1-3, 12, & 15

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (NIV)
24 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Click here to study the book of Song of Solomon

1 Corinthians 7:1-16 (NIV)
Concerning Married Life
7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Ephesians 5:21-33 (NIV)
Instructions for Christian Households
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

PRAY IT! Mountain5

This week's Scripture reading comes from Matthew 5:31-32.  If you need caught up on your readings, check it out here.

Good morning, PoC!

Well... you probably won't find this week's Scripture reading as you're browsing Hallmark cards in preparation for this Saturday (Valentine's Day)!  Jesus is most certainly taking the listeners of that time, as well as us, on quite a journey with this Sermon on the Mount!  We know we can trust Him and that He has our best interests at heart, and that His plans for us include having a relationship with Him, as well as forgiveness and restoration. 

This passage is fairly straightforward and Jesus gets to the point.  We know that God is in the business of love, reconciliation, and restoration.  It is not God's intention that marriage be taken lightly, and that, consequently, people get taken lightly and get casually tossed aside when things get "boring" or "difficult."  Likewise, it is not God's intention that people abuse and cause harm to each other or break promises to each other.  Relationships can be complicated.  People can be complicated.  We need more than just prayer for "less divorce" in that it simplifies what is a potentially complex issue.  So, in light of all this, how can we come together in prayer as a church as we pray through this week's passage?

Should we just pray for less divorce?  We could.  I think that together, though, we can target our prayers to a deeper level than just avoiding a certain action.  We need to pray with the heart of the matter in mind.  We need to pray for love to win.  We need to pray specifically and we need to pray boldly.  We are a praying church and we are going to battle on behalf of relationships everywhere!!!

Really, in any relationship (be it between husband and wife, friend and friend, parent and child, or between us and God), we want to see love win.  Valentine's Day may be fast-approaching, but we know that despite what floral shops and jewelry stores might say, there is much more to love than roses, sparkly cards, and boxes of chocolates.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 defines love as such: 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is some serious business!  And love is up against some serious enemies.  We may want to see love win, but can it?

How does one get (and maintain) the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians?  Especially at the end of the day, when the dishes aren't done and the baby is crying, and the bills aren't paid, and irritability is at an all-time high?  When comments that don't affirm, but just cast doubt on confidence in a loved one's ability are quick to emerge?  When the secret comes to light?  When the promises are broken?  When "the last time" becomes "the next time"?  When there is doubt?  When there is mistrust?  When there is fatigue?  When there is disinterest?  When you just don't care?

Can love overcome all that?  How are we supposed to be that loving?

1 John 4:19 tells us that "We love because he first loved us". 

Bingo!

John 15:9b tells us "Now remain in my love." 

1 Corinthians 16:14 tells us to "Do everything in love." 

We need the love of God to daily fill us up and daily flow through us so that we can go out and love on other people as God would have us love on them. 

If we truly want to see love win in our own lives and in the lives of well, everyone, we need to see Jesus at the center of it all - at the center of us - therefore influencing every thought and word and action.  We can only begin to love as God intended love to be because He created love, He defined it, He showered us with it, and then empowered us to turn around and shower it on other people. 

Can you imagine the drastic transformation that would occur if we all cultivated the fruit of the Spirit a bit more (it includes love!)?  If love flowed from the correct source (God)?  If we loved with an enduring love and an undying love?  If we approached everything in love and with love?  Can you imagine if love won?

PoC, let's pray together with a singular focus today:  that we would see love win.

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for loving us enough to die for us.  Thank you for forgiving us and restoring us.  Thank you for empowering us to keep going.  Please help us stay connected to you daily so that we can experience your love and love others.  Thank you for modeling for us what it looks like to love with an enduring, undying, love. 
Amen.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Celia

READ IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew, 5:31-32, Genesis 1-3; 12; 15; Deuteronomy 24: 1-4; Song of Songs; I Corinthians 7: 1-16; Ephesians 5: 21-33

Here are scripture passages to study this week to help us prepare for the next lesson from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:31-32 (NIV)
Divorce
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Click here to study the books of Genesis 1-3, 12, & 15

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (NIV)
24 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Click here to study the book of Song of Solomon

1 Corinthians 7:1-16 (NIV)
Concerning Married Life
7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Ephesians 5:21-33 (NIV)
Instructions for Christian Households
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

PRAY IT! Mountain5

Hi PoC!  A little snow may have set us back a week with regards to the sermon series, but perhaps what we view as a "set back", God can use to make that we are alert and "take notice" of what He wants to say to us.  So, let's all review together how we can prepare our hearts and minds prior to Sunday as we continue to "pray it" through the Sermon on the Mount!

Matthew 5:27-30.  The Sermon on the Mount continues.  Can you picture yourself there, in the crowd, listening to Jesus?

Lust!

Well, Jesus has either gotten the people’s attention, "Oh that Jesus is bringing up all kinds of hot-button issues!" or the crowd is feeling awkward and looking up at the sky or down at their feet…at anywhere but Jesus.  "Oh, Jesus, you can't talk about that... I mean, come on Jesus, my grandma is standing right next to me...!"  Which camp would you fall in?

Regardless of how you’d envision yourself responding if you were listening to Jesus give this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, we all need to keep our attention focused on Jesus as we continue on our Sermon on the Mount journey together. 

As we focus our prayers together this week, PoC, we are going to “back up the bus” so-to-speak, and look at Matthew 4 to help form our prayers this week as we prepare for Sunday’s message.

In Matthew 4, prior to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we read how He began His ministry and called His disciples.  Prior to that, in Matthew 4:1-11, we read how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. 

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus fasted. 
When He was tempted, Jesus responded with Scripture.  He responded with humility.  He responded with a correct view of His Father.

Whether it's anger or lust or divorce, or anything found in the Sermon on the Mount, this is a really, really good response to look to as a model for help. 

We live in a noisy world – so many things vying for our attention.  People like to talk and give their opinions, solicited or not.  Compliments, criticisms, thoughts and general “ponderments”, down-right mean things… in-person, radio, TV, social media… it can go from opinions to requests.  Buy this… buy that… do this… do that… time is running out!  Nothing else will do!  Again, it has the potential to be noisy and exhausting. 

Lust is just one example of many, many things that someone, somewhere, is trying to use to be a competitive voice in our heads, attempting to reinforce the notion that what we have isn’t satisfying and what they offer is. 

As we pray and prepare our hearts for Sunday, PoC, we need to quiet the voices.  Whether it feels like a thousand voices, or just one quiet whisper suggesting that we know better than God and can provide better for ourselves than God can... we need to walk together in the power of God's strength and say "HUSH!" 

Romans 16:20 states that "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

Oh yeah!  Sounds good to me.

This week we will be challenged to choose love (for God and others) over lust.  Some questions to ponder in our quiet time with God prior to Sunday:
Am I being led by the Holy Spirit? 
Am I spending time in God's presence?
Am I focused on Jesus?
Do I have a correct view of God?
Am I trusting God to meet my needs, or do I think I could do a better job?
What voices do I need quieted so that I can better hear from God?

Dear Jesus,
Please help me.

Please help me quiet any voice except for Yours.  Please help me to focus on You and hear You clearly, to lean in and trust You completely, and to prepare to choose love over lust.  Please have mercy on me and cleanse me from my sin.  Jesus, help me to depend on You.
Amen.

PoC, see you Sunday at 9:30am for prayer, 10am for worship.  We are so blessed to be able to do life together.  Your pastors love you and are praying for you!

Pastor Celia

PREPARE FOR IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5:27-30, Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20: 14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5: 18; 22:22; Song of Songs; Jeremiah 3: 8-9, Hosea 1-3; Mark 12: 18-27, Matthew 18: 8-9; Mark 9: 42-47. Exodus 20: 14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5: 18; 22:22; Song of Songs; Jeremiah 3: 8-9, Hosea 1-3; Mark 12: 18-27, Matthew 18: 8-9; Mark 9: 42-47.

Here are scripture passages to review today in preparation for tomorrow's sermon.

Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV)
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Click here to read Genesis 1 & 2

Exodus 20:14 (NIV)
14 “You shall not commit adultery.

Leviticus 20:10 (NIV)
“‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.

Deuteronomy 5:18 (NIV)
18 “You shall not commit adultery.

Deuteronomy 22:22 (NIV)
If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Song of Songs 1 (NIV)
She
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.

Friends
We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.

She
How right they are to adore you!

5 Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
7 Tell me, you whom I love,
where you graze your flock
and where you rest your sheep at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your friends?

Friends
8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women,
follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds.

He
9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare
among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make you earrings of gold,
studded with silver.

She
12 While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.

He
15 How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.

She
16 How handsome you are, my beloved!
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.

He
17 The beams of our house are cedars;
our rafters are firs.

Jeremiah 3:8-9 (NIV)
8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.

Click here to study Hosea 1-3

Mark 12:18-27 (NIV)
Marriage at the Resurrection
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

Matthew 18:8-9 (NIV)
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Matthew 18:8-9 (NIV)
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

PRAY IT! Mountain5

Matthew 5:27-30.  The Sermon on the Mount continues.  Can you picture yourself there, in the crowd, listening to Jesus?

Lust!

Well, Jesus has either gotten the people’s attention, "Oh that Jesus is bringing up all kinds of hot-button issues!" or the crowd is feeling awkward and looking up at the sky or down at their feet…at anywhere but Jesus.  "Oh, Jesus, you can't talk about that... I mean, come on Jesus, my grandma is standing right next to me...!"  Which camp would you fall in?

Regardless of how you’d envision yourself responding if you were listening to Jesus give this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, we all need to keep our attention focused on Jesus as we continue on our Sermon on the Mount journey together. 

As we focus our prayers together this week, PoC, we are going to “back up the bus” so-to-speak, and look at Matthew 4 to help form our prayers this week as we prepare for Sunday’s message.

In Matthew 4, prior to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we read how He began His ministry and called His disciples.  Prior to that, in Matthew 4:1-11, we read how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. 

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus fasted. 
When He was tempted, Jesus responded with Scripture.  He responded with humility.  He responded with a correct view of His Father.

Whether it's anger or lust or divorce, or anything found in the Sermon on the Mount, this is a really, really good response to look to as a model for help. 

We live in a noisy world – so many things vying for our attention.  People like to talk and give their opinions, solicited or not.  Compliments, criticisms, thoughts and general “ponderments”, down-right mean things… in-person, radio, TV, social media… it can go from opinions to requests.  Buy this… buy that… do this… do that… time is running out!  Nothing else will do!  Again, it has the potential to be noisy and exhausting. 

Lust is just one example of many, many things that someone, somewhere, is trying to use to be a competitive voice in our heads, attempting to reinforce the notion that what we have isn’t satisfying and what they offer is. 

As we pray and prepare our hearts for Sunday, PoC, we need to quiet the voices.  Whether it feels like a thousand voices, or just one quiet whisper suggesting that we know better than God and can provide better for ourselves than God can... we need to walk together in the power of God's strength and say "HUSH!" 

Romans 16:20 states that "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

Oh yeah!  Sounds good to me.

This week we will be challenged to choose love (for God and others) over lust.  Some questions to ponder in our quiet time with God prior to Sunday:
Am I being led by the Holy Spirit? 
Am I spending time in God's presence?
Am I focused on Jesus?
Do I have a correct view of God?
Am I trusting God to meet my needs, or do I think I could do a better job?
What voices do I need quieted so that I can better hear from God?

Dear Jesus,
Please help me.

Please help me quiet any voice except for Yours.  Please help me to focus on You and hear You clearly, to lean in and trust You completely, and to prepare to choose love over lust.  Please have mercy on me and cleanse me from my sin.  Jesus, help me to depend on You.
Amen.

PoC, see you Sunday at 9:30am for prayer, 10am for worship.  We are so blessed to be able to do life together.  Your pastors love you and are praying for you!

Pastor Celia

READ IT! - MOUNTAIN5 - Matthew 5: 27-30,Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20: 14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5: 18; 22:22; Song of Songs; Jeremiah 3: 8-9, Hosea 1-3; Mark 12: 18-27, Matthew 18: 8-9; Mark 9: 42-47. Exodus 20: 14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5: 18; 22:22; Song of Songs; Jeremiah 3: 8-9, Hosea 1-3; Mark 12: 18-27, Matthew 18: 8-9; Mark 9: 42-47.

Here are scripture passages to study this week to help us prepare for the next lesson from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV)

Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[a] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Click here to read Genesis 1 & 2

Exodus 20:14 (NIV)
14 “You shall not commit adultery.

Leviticus 20:10 (NIV)
“‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.

Deuteronomy 5:18 (NIV)
18 “You shall not commit adultery.

Deuteronomy 22:22 (NIV)
If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Song of Songs 1 (NIV)
She
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.

Friends
We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.

She
How right they are to adore you!

5 Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
7 Tell me, you whom I love,
where you graze your flock
and where you rest your sheep at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your friends?

Friends
8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women,
follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds.

He
9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare
among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make you earrings of gold,
studded with silver.

She
12 While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.

He
15 How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.

She
16 How handsome you are, my beloved!
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.

He
17 The beams of our house are cedars;
our rafters are firs.

Jeremiah 3:8-9 (NIV)
8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.

Click here to study Hosea 1-3

Mark 12:18-27 (NIV)
Marriage at the Resurrection
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

Matthew 18:8-9 (NIV)
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Matthew 18:8-9 (NIV)
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.