Posts with the tag “sermon-on-the-mount”

By Pastor Tyler Braden: The coffee mug, when it’s being used according to the way it was designed, sits upright. In this position, you’re able to pour a liquid into it and fill it all the way up.   Read More

By Theresa Golden: “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”  Read More

By Theresa Golden: The wise man built his house upon the rock...If you grew up in Sunday School, you probably remember singing this song and the hand motions that went along with it. It’s a catchy tune that may stay with you the rest of the week!   Read More

By Pate Leigh: Something God has been teaching me lately is how to have a strong relationship with Him and depend upon Him while also living in the world, otherwise known as modern day America.  Read More

By Theresa Golden: Growing up in church, I encountered my fair share of legalism. Maybe some of you can relate. Often what one said and did was seemingly more important than what was in the heart.  Read More

By Jake Haggard: Is there anything worse than being unknown? Maybe you've had that awkward moment when you encounter someone whom you think should know you. You may have even introduced yourself to them several times prior, and yet they simply don’t know who you are.  Read More

By Pastor Mike Adkins: The Apostle Matthew records Jesus' sermon on the mountainside, saying these words: “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.”   Read More

By Theresa Golden: As a mom of three boys, I’ve given a plethora of speeches over the years, and some I’ve given more than once. Whether they've had any impact or not, I may never know. But the one I tend to give the most is that “Practice makes progress.”   Read More

By Pastor Scott Conner: Over the last several years I have enjoyed learning to develop a vegetable garden. I have met with some success but still have a lot to learn. One thing I have learned is I am rotten at growing tomatoes.   Read More

By Joy Kimbril: I had the privilege of speaking to our Opendoor Kids Elementary this past weekend where we talked about how God is our Light and how God sent the plague of darkness on the Egyptian people to show His power and might.   Read More

By Theresa Golden: Have you ever felt like God wasn’t listening to you? Maybe you’ve prayed about a problem, and it didn’t go away. Maybe you’ve asked Him to fulfill a need, and it’s still unfulfilled. The last thing we need to do is give up on God.   Read More

By Pastor Tyler Braden: Have you ever been in a season where you felt like you had no control over your life? It just seemed like life was moving, and you were just along for the ride?  Read More

By Elliotte Pearson: Recently, I was spending time with the Lord, and I felt like the Holy Spirit quietly said to me as I was praying for a certain people, “they look like your Daddy.”   Read More

By Mary Beth Barefoot: As we journey through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, I am constantly learning new and important things about my faith and about how the Bible applies to my own life.   Read More

By Phil Leyva: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word BUDGET? For some people, there is a sense of security knowing where every last penny is being spent. For others....  Read More

By Miranda Braden: My husband and I get away once a year to hear God for our family - to hear what His vision is for us as individuals, for our girls, and for us as a family unit. This year...  Read More

By Steve Miller: When I was growing up, I always believed that prayer and fasting were things that you did when you needed something. I only prayed when I needed help or arrived at a time in the day when I usually prayed, most often before meals and at bedtime.  Read More

By Rachael Wynne: “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves…” Any perfectionists reading this right now? Any chronic people pleasers? As someone recovering from both, I know how daunting the life of a Believer can feel.  Read More

By Christy Hubbard: As I watched my oldest daughter graduate from high school a few weeks ago, I began reflecting on how hard it must be to be a Jesus-loving teenager.   Read More

By Pastor Gina Robinson: Recently, I found myself in a rut. Quite honestly, my own thoughts were driving me NUTS! I started to question and doubt what I knew to be true and His truth.   Read More

By Pastor Nikki Bailey: It was the most beautiful day. As my daughter, Chelsea, gazed out the window, she saw her dreams become a reality.   Read More

By Pastor Scott Conner: Dead Week - Interesting title for the beginning of the week of July 4th, don’t you think? Let me explain. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association annually declares the week of July 4th as a dead period for high school football practice.   Read More

By Theresa Golden: I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” I’ve said it a time or ten myself. We all have those people in our lives that just rub us the wrong way or seem determined to make our lives more difficult.  Read More

By Pate Leigh: Have you ever made a vow or a promise you couldn't keep? “I promise I'll clean the dishes.” “I promise I’ll fix the door this weekend.” “I promise I’ll do better next time.” Then “next time” comes, and you don’t do better.  Read More

By Jake Haggard: This year, Father’s Day was a little different. It was a first, but it wasn’t my first Father’s Day as a father. That was 5 years ago, and it was a joyous occasion that I will never forget.   Read More

By Meghen Haggard: Have you ever seen Pixar’s movie Inside Out? The story is centered around a young teenage girl named Riley and her family after they relocate across the country to San Francisco. The real stars of the movie, however, are the personified characters of her emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear.   Read More

By Megan Holland: The message art for the series “The Sermon on the Mount” shows a variety of outlined shapes and colors collectively making up a mountain. Some of those shapes have unseen portions below the surface.  Read More

By Pastor Mike Adkins: 1 Peter 2:23 says He did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.   Read More

By Theresa Golden: I hate baking, but I love to cook. Let me explain. Baking takes a certain amount of skill that I do not have; therefore, it’s frustrating to me. If I don’t follow the directions explicitly to the most insignificant letter, I could end up with a mess on my hands.   Read More

By Elliotte Pearson (Elder): Salt…Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”   Read More

By Pastor Scott Conner: When I took my first group of travelers to the Holy Land many years ago, I was part of a pilgrimage I will never forget. As we walk through the Sermon on the Mount this summer, I am drawn back to one particular event that took place during that journey.  Read More

By Theresa Golden: As a mom of boys, our home has often been mistaken for a war zone. Words and objects are tossed from one child to the other from across the room, and often from across the house. There’s not a whole lot of room for mercy between brothers.   Read More

By Phil Leyva: “I am going to give a cookie to the quietest child sitting criss-cross applesauce.” I have found myself saying these words while trying to control a room of fifty kindergarten and first grade students in our After School program.  Read More

By Joy Kimbril: I love watching home renovation shows. One of my favorites is Rehab Addict, where Nicole Curtis buys old, condemned homes in run-down neighborhoods, restoring them to their “former glory” and making them livable again.  Read More

By Phil Leyva: “I am going to give a cookie to the quietest child sitting criss-cross applesauce.” I have found myself saying these words while trying to control a room of fifty kindergarten and first grade students in our After School program.  Read More

By Joy Kimbril: I love watching home renovation shows. One of my favorites is Rehab Addict, where Nicole Curtis buys old, condemned homes in run-down neighborhoods, restoring them to their “former glory” and making them livable again.   Read More

By Theresa Golden: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:28-30 NIV  Read More

By Mary Beth Barefoot: There is no wrong that God won’t make right. This was one of my favorite points from this past weekend’s message because it spoke so clearly to my heart and the trials that I have endured throughout my life.   Read More

By Miranda Braden: Don't forget to set your alarm. I woke up when I was 29 years old. I don't know what woke me up. It was like someone put smelling salts under my nose, and I jolted into consciousness.  Read More