“Jesus’ life shows us how to live the reality of heaven here on earth!”
— Pastor Cullen
Not Everyone Who Says
Jesus ends his sermon on the mount with this phrase, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” What does this mean? What does it mean to call Jesus Lord and yet it not be enough for entrance into the kingdom of heaven? Pastor Cullen helps us meditate on this text as we wrestle with this question!
The Poor in Spirit
Do you spend your life trying to win? Do you spend so much time trying to strive for something? Have you ever thought about pausing and winning by losing? Jesus begins his first story in the gospel of Matthew by urging us to be “poor in spirit.” And he says that those who are, will receive the kingdom of heaven. Join Pastor Cullen in exploring and reflecting on these words of Jesus in this story!
Be the Change.
In this world that we live in, I don't always like what I see as I look at the world? But how should we respond to the injustices and pain that we see in the world? Well, in the old words of Mahatma Gandhi we should be the change that we want to see in the world. Actually, Gandhi was just echoing something that Jesus had said almost 2,000 years earlier. In this story, Pastor Cullen walks us through the beatitudes and what it means to be the change.
Be the Wheat.
Jesus himself was a storyteller. Most of the time when Jesus would teach large crowds he told stories. He would tell stories that would express a spiritual truth — these are called parables. In this story, Pastor Cullen looks at one of these parables of Jesus about wheat among the weeds. Check it out as we think together about what it means to be the Wheat!
Seeds, Bushes & Trees.
We are all broken people who need to grow and develop. Some of us spend significant time focusing on our own growth and development. In this story, Pastor Cullen walks us through a story of Jesus where he talks about the growth and development of the kingdom of God.
When God is Kneading.
Jesus tells a story about the kingdom of heaven being like the process of making bread. If you have ever seen someone make bread, they go through a process called kneading. Kneading isn't easy. It takes work. Its hard, and there is pressure involved. As it is during the kingdom of heaven at times. Pastor Cullen walks us through what its like to experience the kneading that comes with the kingdom of heaven, and what we can do when we are in the middle of the kneading.
The Treasure of Heaven.
Do you have something valuable? Something that you need to give up everything for? Well Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is that valuable, but what does that actually mean? Pastor Cullen helps us with that question in this story.
Immense Value.
There are things in this world that have different levels of value. Somethings that are only worth pennies, and other things that are worth giving up everything for. Today, Pastor Cullen tells us a story about deciphering value and the immense value that you are as a person, and the fullness of the realization of your value in the kingdom of Heaven.
The Sorting.
When Jesus taught, he told stories. Sometimes those stories aren't always what we want to hear. This is one of those stories. Jesus talks about the coming sorting of every kind. While it is a hard saying of Jesus to hear, Pastor Cullen helps break down the story for us and give us a new perspective of how to think about this hard teaching.
Reflections of Jesus.
We often talk about how the people of God are supposed to be a conduit of the love of God. To say it another way: the love of God should be experienced through the people of God. Our story from Jesus today shares this same thing through a conversation around forgiveness. Jesus directly ties forgiveness to the idea that we should forgive because we have been forgiven by God. Pastor Cullen helps us process this outside of being isolated to forgiveness to include all of the character and attributes of God.
Jesus the King.
Have you ever wondered what it means that Jesus is King? Today is Palm Sunday and in the narrative of Jesus' life, today is the day that he is publicly proclaimed as king. But yet, as the story goes on we see that the same people that proclaimed him as king are the same people who choose to reject, deny, and kill him later in the story. Pastor Cullen helps us to think and reflect on what it means to proclaim Jesus as king, and yet not reject or deny him, but truly believe him as king.