Bridging The Gap

The mouth may tell more about a person’s soul than any other part of the body. It’s one thing to say you are a believer in Jesus Christ, but does your life make your mouth a liar? In Matthew chapter seven, Jesus said to those who profess to know Him and really don’t, ”depart from me, I never knew you.” Surely that is not the situation any of us want to find ourselves in, so let’s get our mouths and our souls on the same page. Here’s pastor Lloyd.

Christ warns us that false prophets are ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing. That should serve as a wake-up call to every believer to learn to tell the difference between a true man of God and a ravenous Wolf. Today we’ll discover that to learn a man’s intent, you need look no further than his life, and the fruit he bears.

In Matthew chapter seven, verse fifteen, Jesus called false prophets ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing. That’s a pretty stark description of those who would attempt to lead believers in Christ astray, but that is exactly what was going on back then - and it continues to go on today. In fact, there has never been a time when more false prophets have preyed on believers than today. We must beware. We must learn to discern.

Last time we began a message from Matthew chapter seven, verses thirteen and fourteen. In these two verses from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that the way to heaven is through a narrow gate, but the way to destruction is through a wide gate. Have you made the choice as to which gate you will go through?

Mount. Today we learn about making a choice.... in fact, the biggest choice we’ll ever make. This is a multiple-choice decision, but there are only two choices. There is no in-between. Take the narrow gate to eternity with God, or take the wide gate to Hell. It’s really that simple.

The so-called “golden rule” is a model for all Christians to live by, and it’s very popular with other religions as well. But there’s a key difference in the way Jesus stated it, and the way the world recites it. What’s the difference? Does it really matter? Oh, it absolutely does!

We’re currently going through the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew’s Gospel. We’re in chapter seven, exploring verses seven through eleven. In this portion of His sermon, Jesus is teaching about prayer. We humans have a way of getting the whole concept of prayer turned around. If we use prayer as a way of reciting a shopping list of worldly desires, God will not be pleased. By the same token, if we make our requests known to God, and then sit around waiting for a delivery van to pull up, we’ve missed the meaning again. So how can prayer be reduced to its purest, most powerful form? That’s what we’ll discover today.

On today’s broadcast, Lloyd will begin a study on prayer, based on Matthew seven, verses seven through eleven. Here we find that prayer is not a suggestion, but a commandment. In these verses Christ explains why prayer is a necessity for the believer, and Lloyd will remind us that with the wonderful opportunity prayer brings us comes certain responsibilities.

No one knows everything except God. That’s why spiritual discernment is so vital for a Christian life. We need to seek God’s wisdom in everything we do, and we need to know right from wrong from God’s perspective. If you need a little help in this area, stay tuned. Pastor Lloyd is teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, and today we’re in Matthew seven, verse six.

Today we continue our series in the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew seven, verses three through five, Jesus discusses hypocrisy. Oh boy, now there’s a term we see often in today’s world! There are plenty of people walking around with great big logs in their eyes, but pointing out the specks in everyone else's! Know anyone like that? What we should do to avoid hypocrisy is today’s topic.

When is sound judgment acceptable and when does it cross the line into being judgmental? There are those who use the words “judge not lest ye be judged” as a basis for rejecting any criticism of whatever they want to do - no matter how depraved. Well, those words of Christ from the Sermon on the Mount were obviously not intended as a free pass to a sinful lifestyle. So, what did Jesus mean when He said in Matthew Seven, verse one “Judge not, lest ye be judged”?

In the Sermon on the Mount, The Lord said, “Judge not, lest you be judged.” It’s become one of the most misused and misunderstood statements ever uttered by Jesus. If you pay attention to politics, you’ll hear that phrase invoked to excuse all sorts of bad behavior. But is that an accurate usage of the Lord’s words? Pastor Lloyd Pulley doesn’t think so. And he’ll show us why as he continues a study in the Sermon on the Mount.

Life has a lot of requirements to it, don’t you think? We’re told how fast to drive, how much to pay in taxes, things like that. But there are areas of life where we have choices - like which god we are going to serve.  Oh, we all know we are supposed to serve the powerful, loving God who created us, but we also let other “gods” sneak into our lives as well.

The important question to ask when it comes to priorities is, where is your heart? We invite you to turn to Matthew chapter six as Pastor Lloyd shows us that we need to have our hearts fixed on Godly things, to avoid confusion and to be obedient to God. 

Jesus has a plan for stress management more successful and exciting than any self help book. He laid out his stress management plan in the Sermon on the Mount. And we’ll see how this teaching impacted Peter’s life. So take a deep breath, relax and listen as Pastor Lloyd shares some helpful tips on dealing with stress - and the fact that God is the ultimate solution to everyday stresses - big or small.

Today on Bridging the Gap, we’ll find out what the Lord had to say on the subject of worry, taken from the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. The last section of Matthew chapter six contains wonderful words of comfort for those who are worried and anxious.

On today’s edition of Bridging the Gap, Pastor Lloyd Pulley wants you to consider whether you fit under the banner of “In God We Trust,” or “In Goods We Trust!” So stay with us as we join Lloyd for today’s message from Matthew chapter six.

We’ll examine our relationship to what we own, today on Bridging the Gap. Lloyd Pulley is currently teaching us from the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew six. In verses nineteen through twenty four - Jesus addresses three issues - our treasure, our vision, and our master. 

Fasting is an activity that has been around for thousands of years. For the Christians - it has many valuable effects. Lloyd Pulley will remind us today that one of the keys to fasting is doing it for the right reason. Jesus discussed this very topic while delivering the Sermon on the Mount, and His words will receive our attention today on Bridging the Gap.

Today on Bridging the Gap, our sights are set on the practice of fasting - denying our physical appetite to concentrate on our spiritual appetite.  In the sixth chapter of Matthew, Lloyd Pulley has dealt with genuine Christian living as it relates to giving, and prayer. Today he brings fasting into the mix.