Grace and mercy in the midst of difference

Lessons and inspiration from the book of Matthew

Talk 1: Severed Head and Hungry Crowd

Today, we start a new Feast Talk Series titled Side A Side B these are terms used to refer to two sides of cassettes most of the talks are about twos, two stories, two kingdoms, two kings, two parties…

Talk 2: Sinking Feet and Desperate Cries

Today, we discuss Talk 2 of our new Feast Series, Side A, Side B.

Talk 2 is titled Sinking Feet and Desperate Cries because it is about Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33 NLT).

The key message of Talk 2 is God will rescue you. No matter what happens, He will be there for you.

Talk 3: Soiled Lips and Distant Hearts

Imagine someone who is doing the right religious routines on the outside—he goes to church, reads his Bible, prays his prayers—so everyone says,
“That guy is closed to God.”

But in reality, deep inside, he’s far from God. His heart is blocked by evil. Because of the calcified deposits of pride, selfishness, lust, and greed in his spiritual arteries, God’s Love cannot flow in and out of his life. And when God’s Love cannot enter our hearts, our lives are in mortal danger.

Talk 3 of our Feast Series Side A Side B is titled Soiled Lips and Distant Hearts because it is about the difference between what you are saying and what’s really in your heart.

The key message of Talk 3: Check your heart.

Talk 4: Saved Souls and Crazy Faith

Talk 4 of our Feast Series, Side A Side B, asks a disturbing question: Are you fighting for others? Are you living for something bigger than your own wants? Are you dreaming, struggling, working to serve others?

Talk 4’s key message: “Multiply your blessings for others.”

Talk 5: Unleavened Bread and False Teachings

Talk 5 is titled Unleavened Bread and False Teachings because it focuses on the controversy about unleavened bread and how it was used to give false teachings about God.

Because of their pride, the Sadducees and Pharisees were so blind, they could not see the True Bread was just in front of them.

Pride will prevent us from seeing God.

The key message of Talk 5 is God is healing your blindness.

Talk 6: Unredeemed Lives and Saved Souls

We focus on the main question, “Who do you follow?” For most of us, the choice is not “A. The Devil” and “B. Jesus.”

After all, we’re religious people.

For most of us, the choice is “A. Our Version of Jesus” or “B. Jesus”.

Talk 7: Uneasy Hearts and Enlightened Minds

Our big message today is, “God is in the Ordinary.”

We miss God in our lives because we only look for Him in the extraordinary. We think God is only present in Church or in a Retreat or in a religious event.

But God is present in your ordinary life. In your ordinary day. In your ordinary house. In your ordinary office. In your ordinary relationships.

Adjust your expectations.

Find God in the ordinary.

Talk 8: Faith and Doubt

Our big message today is, “God wants you to grow up.”

Many Christians are still spiritual babies, acting like selfish brats, throwing a tantrum when God doesn’t deliver their expectations on schedule. Spiritual babies still need to be weaned from idolatry. They basically want to control God, so when they can’t do that, they craft their own goods. Bottomline, they don’t trust God.

Talk 9: Death and Taxes

Our big message today is, “Jesus is your brother.”

Today, God wants us to be secure in our identity. Be secure in our place in His heart. If we trust Him more, we can choose our battles and be more charitable, giving way when it comes to our little rightful privileges. Because we know that whatever is taken away from us, God will fully repay.

Jesus is your Brother. He gave His life on the Cross so that you can be in equal footing with Him.

Talk 10: Great and Simple

Our big message today is, “Throw away the ladder.”

Kingdom With No Ladders

Everywhere we look in the world, we see a hierarchy where the rich and powerful are on top, and the poor and social rejects are at the bottom.

Today, we’ll talk about how Jesus came to build a Kingdom with no ladders. He did it by treating the social rejects as beautiful human beings, worthy of dignity because He saw them as God-containers.

He also, from the very start of His human life, go to the bottom of the world’s ladder, by dying on the Cross, and pushing up from our own respective “bottoms”.

Talk 11: Stumbling Blocks and Crippled Lives

Our big message today is, God made you an influencer.

We have more influence than we think we have. Because of the domino effect, what you say and what you do impacts thousands of people, even across generations. You shape your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren more than you realize! Even if you don’t have children, you shape your nephews and nieces and their children and grandchildren—more than you can imagine.

Talk 12: Searching Sheep and Restored Relationships

Our big message today is, “Love is tough.”

Love must be tough.

If it’s all gentleness, it’s not real love.

If love is not tough, it’s not real love but selfish emotional attachment.

Here’s what you’ll learn in today’s powerful talk: Love means being tough enough to correct the people you love. And when correction fails after many attempts, your love must be tough enough to surrender him to God’s mercy. To respect your boundaries. To accept the fact that you’re not the Messiah. To accept the fact that God is assigning another person to bless him, not you.

Talk 13: Sentencing Servants & Forgiven Debts

T.D. Jakes preached about how unforgiveness is like choking.

When you have bitterness, resentment, or in Tagalog, sama ng loob, it’s a blockage in your spiritual windpipe. God’s supply of love, joy, peace, and power cannot flow into your life. Unless you remove the obstacle, your spirit will ultimately die.

That is why our one big message is “Spit it out.”

In this talk, we explore 4 very important reasons we should spit out unforgiveness from our lives. If we don’t, we die.

Talk 14: Marriage and Celibacy

When God created you, He designed you to serve. And you will never experience deep fulfillment unless you follow your original design. Your joy will remain shallow unless you live a selfless life.

And how should you serve? I believe God wants you to serve in your present state. Whether you’re married or single or consecrated or separated, God sees you, loves you,and invites you to serve Him wherever you are.

Serve in the struggle. Serve in the chaos, the confusion, the conflict, the complication.

In tshi talk, we explore how God upholds the ideal of marriage and yet has compassion for His children who are in messy situations.

Talk 15: Commitment & Class

Talk 16: Commitment and Labor

“I deserve to be blessed more than that guy!”

Have you heard yourself say these words?

I have. When I hear myself say this, it simply means I haven’t grasped the Gospel of Jesus yet. Because everything I received so far comes from pure Grace. It was given by God’s reckless generosity.

Today, through the parable of the landowner that hires workers at different times of the workday, you’ll hear a powerful message: Don’t insist on what you deserve. Instead, insist on what Grace delivers.

Allow God to give you out of the Goodness of His heart.

And you’ll be surprised that Grace is 1000x better. Trust God to give you what is best for you at this season of your life.

Talk 17: Commitment & Service

If you ask the question, ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ to various persons, you’ll get various answers.

Most of the time, their answer is all about me and my desires. And that’s why many aren’t happy. Because God created us for bigger things than “me”.

If a Jesus Follower is asked that question, her answer will be a little different. Talk 17 explores what that answer is.

The key message: We go up to go down.