This message emphasizes that living out the Christian faith is much simpler than we often make it.

Drawing from Matthew 5:13-16, the sermon reminds believers that Jesus calls His followers to be salt and light—people who influence the world around them with the goodness and love that comes from God, not out of duty or fear, but as an outworking of relationship with Christ.

The Kingdom of God, unlike the kingdoms of man, gives rather than takes, allowing believers to shine and benefit the whole community, ultimately bringing glory to God rather than themselves.

Are we living out our identity as light in the world, resting in our relationship with Christ, and bringing glory to our Father in heaven?

Jesus establishes a new and unexpected standard for what it means to be "blessed" in His Kingdom—a standard completely different from what the world values. Instead of achievement and status, Jesus calls the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and the persecuted as "blessed."

We emphasized that these blessings aren’t rewards for personal virtue or commands to achieve, but declarations of good news right in the midst of people’s pain and need. Jesus invites the struggling, overlooked, and hurting into His "upside down Kingdom" where blessing is present not instead of pain, but within it.

We closed by challenging listeners to rethink what blessing means, assuring them that God’s favor isn’t measured by circumstances, but by our belonging in His unshakable Kingdom.

This message teaches that Jesus’ baptism and wilderness temptation show us how to face the lies and temptations of the enemy.

Jesus fulfills God’s requirements, is affirmed as God’s beloved Son, and overcomes Satan’s lies by relying on God’s Word and staying grounded in his God-given identity

We are encouraged to know who we are in Christ, know the truth of Scripture, be alert to our weaknesses, and use our gifts for God’s glory, not our own.

In this message, we explore what it truly means to prepare the way for the Lord, drawing from the example of John the Baptist.

Using the illustration of “means and methods” from the construction world, we learn that the MEANS are the resources God provides—the people, moments, and communication He uses—while the METHOD is the process of transformation through repentance, humility, and surrender.

God works through ordinary days, unique individuals, and honest communication to accomplish His eternal purposes. Preparing the way begins with acknowledging our need for Him, confessing our shortcomings, and allowing Him to shape our character—even in the wilderness.

Matthew gives us Jesus’ “origin story” in his gospel—showing us his genealogy and then his miraculous birth.

Matthew emphasizes that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, fully God and fully man, sent to fulfill prophecy and to save us from our sins. Joseph’s response of integrity and obedience shows the weight of this moment.

The heart of the passage is this: Jesus’ mission is to save us from sin, but if we don’t recognize our sin, we miss our need for him.

This sermon introduces a new expository journey through the Gospel of Matthew, emphasizing the importance of knowing Jesus as the Messiah and King.

Pastor Jeff highlights how Matthew’s genealogy demonstrates Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, linking Him directly to David and Abraham to validate His messianic identity.

We look at how God works through flawed and ordinary people to accomplish His purposes and calls the church to find hope, identity, and purpose in Christ.

This weekend we heard a powerful message from our friend, Pastor Dustin Johnston, on the subject of idols. Drawing from Acts 17, he used the city of Athens as an example of what we often see in our own lives.

Too often, we take the good things God has given us and place them where only He belongs. Pastor Dustin challenged us to reevaluate our priorities, repent where we’ve gone wrong, and realign our lives to put God first.

Here are the questions he ended his message with...

1. What do I love most deeply?

2. What do I trust in for a sense of security or identity?

3. Where do my time, attention, and energy go the most?

4. What do I find hard to say “no” to?

5. What triggers my strongest emotion?

6. What am I striving to achieve and protect above all else?

7. Who or what gives me significance?

8. What do I run to for comfort or escape when life gets hard?

9. When am I willing to compromise my integrity?

This sermon concludes the “I’m IN” series by inviting believers to be fully invested in our church.

Pastor Jeff emphasizes that everyone is already invested in something, and what we invest in reveals what we truly value—our “treasure,” as Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:21 (ESV): "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Rather than storing resources for ourselves, we are called to pour them into God’s Kingdom, illustrated through stories like the foolish rich man in Luke 12, the woman with the alabaster jar in Mark 14, and the feeding of the five thousand in Luke 9.

God created us to pour, not to store, and when we are invested—our time, resources, and hearts—we are transformed.