People underestimate their sin, feeling good they did not do something worse. Jesus made clear in Matthew 5:27-30 that the sin of the heart is as serious as the act itself. Not only is the act of adultery a sin, but More →
Anger, Anger Management, Blog, Contempt, Erik Garthe, Forgiveness, Grudges, Heart Condition, Hell, Insults, Judgment, Murder, No Longer Conformed, Relationships, Scorn, Vengeance, Worship, Wrath
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Did you know that murder is committed by many people every day without the person? Matthew 5:21-26 indicates that murder is not a self-produced event; it results from an anger process. Murder is More →
Abolish, Affirmed, Biblical Authority, Blog, Ceremonial Law, Erik Garthe, Fulfill, God’s Word, Grace, Inerrancy, Inspiration, Judicial Law, Law, Law under Grace, love, Moral Law, No Longer Conformed, Obeyed, Valued
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Are Christians to keep the Old Testament law? Matthew 5:17-20 indicates that our faith is related to Jesus’ relationship to the law. First, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law—“I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (v. 17) Two words More →
Ambassadors, Blog, Corruption, Direction, Erik Garthe, Glory, Influence, Make a Difference, No Longer Conformed, Salt
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What is our purpose in this world? Why are we not already in heaven? Paul answered that question in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” Jesus words in Matthew 5:13-16 are about More →
Blog, Brokenness, Christianity, Erik Garthe, Happy Christianity, Meekness, Mercy, mourn, No Longer Conformed, Peacemaker, Persecution, purity, Righteousness, Self-control, Spiritual Poverty
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What makes a Christian happy in life? When you enter the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of God enters you—spiritual growth. Matthew 5:1-12 presents eight steps that lead to a More →
Blog, Discipleship, Erik Garthe, Gospel, Heal, Jesus, Ministry, Needs, No Longer Conformed, Preach, Shaping a Ministry, Teach
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Matthew 4:12-25 begins with the statement: “Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.” This passage records Jesus’ steps in establishing His earthly ministry. More →
A Commitment Test, Blog, Commitment, Devil, Erik Garthe, God’s Plan, No Longer Conformed, Power, Religion, Satan, Temptation, The Flesh
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Jesus’ temptations in Matthew 4:1-11 emphasize four factors. (a) They followed His baptism: how will we live out our new life as believers? (b) The Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness: God will be with us in More →
Baptism, Blog, Erik Garthe, Faithfulness, Gospel, John the Baptist, No Longer Conformed, Repentance, Sinner, witness, Witness of Faithfulness
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Hot pepper heat is measured in scovilles. Jalapenos are the best-known pepper. A jalapeno measures 50,000 scovilles, but is mild compared to the habanero with a rating of 300,000. They’re so hot that handlers wear More →
Adventure of Humility, Blog, Emotion, Erik Garthe, Gifts, Giving, God’s Presence, Humble, Humility, No Longer Conformed, Relationship, Rituals, Submission, Worship
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Matthew 2:1-23 is about the importance of worship. Worship can be sincere and genuine or it can be trivial and false. It begins in a heart that has been saved by grace. Methods don’t make us true worshippers; and rituals can’t accomplish More →
Blog, Erik Garthe, God’s will, Immoral, Incarnation, Marriage, No Longer Conformed, Obedience, Peace, Plan, Problems, Sex, Solution, Testimony, Testimony of Obedience
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The incarnation of Jesus Christ is beyond our human understanding. Yet, God does reveal certain things about that incarnation event. And it is a nice, neat story. Mary was betrothed to Joseph and she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. More →
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