City Chapel NYC

Matthew 14:13–21 - "Bring them here to me" // Good News - Jeremiah Lepasana

Full Summary and Discussion Questions [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mbrWPJiClvw4KamLcbh_sFvNq9UNoLmGQ0nbmcskzx0/edit?usp=sharing] Jesus encounters a crowd that has grown up around the things of God and is still hungry, weary, and searching for hope. Rather than turning them away, He has compassion on them and welcomes them into His care. While the disciples focus on what they lack, Jesus focuses on what He can do. He takes their small offering, multiplies it, and feeds thousands. In the process, He teaches them that they do not need to be the answer—they simply need to bring what they have and connect people to Him. The miracle points beyond physical bread to a deeper reality. Jesus later explains that He is the Bread of Life. He is the true source of the security, satisfaction, and hope we spend our lives searching for in other places. What the crowd needed most was not simply food for a day, but a Savior who could satisfy the deepest hunger of the human heart. The good news is that Jesus still meets people in their weariness and need. He invites us to stop looking elsewhere for what only He can provide and to find our deepest fulfillment in Him.

Luke 4:16-21 - Today This Scripture Is Fulfilled // Good News - Jeremiah Lepasana

Full Summary and Reflection Questions [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nep57yAz0ajBk8fxstdN8oDJnGNxdt0KpzFc7rrkPJQ/edit?usp=sharing] We spend much of our lives searching for fulfillment—in success, security, relationships, purpose, or better circumstances. In Luke 4, Jesus stands in the synagogue, reads from Isaiah, and makes a stunning claim: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” He declares that the hopes, longings, and promises people have been waiting for are fulfilled in Him. The good news is not simply that Jesus fulfills the story of the world; He fulfills our stories as well. He meets ordinary people in their ordinary struggles and invites them into something greater. Wherever we feel incomplete, He offers Himself as the answer. Yet Jesus fulfills our stories on His terms, not ours. We often want the blessings He brings while resisting His leadership. We want changed circumstances, but Jesus continually points us back to something deeper—His presence. True fulfillment is not ultimately found in getting everything we want, but in knowing Him. The invitation is simple: bring your deepest longings to Jesus and discover that the fulfillment you are searching for is not found in a better situation, but in a relationship with Him.

Matthew 13:31-32 - Parable of the Mustard Seed // Receive - Jeremiah Lepasana

Full Sermon Summary and Discussion Questions [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1psPxTXexZTAyGEXvAKNE-CmDMSTkRNXddhrIVKm0ZCg/edit?usp=sharing] Jesus describes the kingdom of God as a mustard seed that grows into a great tree. Though it begins small, hidden, and easily overlooked, it is moving toward something expansive, beautiful, and restorative. The endgame of the kingdom shapes how we live now: God is building something far greater than we can presently see. The challenge is that the kingdom rarely looks impressive at first. Jesus hides His work in ordinary places, through ordinary people, and in quiet acts of faithfulness. While the world chases visibility, power, and status, the kingdom grows through humility, sacrifice, and dependence on God. At the center of this kingdom is a different kind of tree—the cross. Jesus advances His kingdom not through domination, but through self-giving love. And through the Holy Spirit, He sends His people into the world as carriers of His restoring presence. The invitation is to live with expectancy. Even when the work feels small or hidden, God is growing something eternal. The mustard seed may seem insignificant today, but Jesus promises it is becoming a tree that brings healing to the nations.

Matthew 13:44-46 - FIND, SELL, BUY // Receive - Jeremiah Lepasana

Full Sermon Summary and Discussion Questions [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z0yHe182ZkQtZeQ4tVIGqVa1WLuI8Bkc1m15CsqmEf8/edit?usp=sharing] FIND, SELL, BUY // Matthew 13:44-46 In Matthew 13:44–46, Jesus compares the Kingdom to a treasure buried in a field and a pearl of great value—something people pass by every day without recognizing its worth. The kingdom appears in overlooked places, among ordinary people, and through a King the world did not expect. To receive the kingdom requires a complete reordering of value. The men in the parables sell everything because they realize what they have found is worth more than anything they already possess. Following Jesus is not simply adding spirituality onto an existing life—it is building your whole life around Him. But the beauty of the gospel is that Jesus did this first. Before we gave anything for Him, He gave everything for us. He saw us as the treasure worth pursuing and laid down His life to bring us home. The invitation is simple: stop admiring the kingdom from a distance and buy the field. Trust that life with Jesus is worth surrendering everything for.

Matthew 13.24-30 - Parable of Wheat: Real v. Counterfeit // Receive - Jeremiah Lepasana

Full Sermon Summary and Discussion Questions [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lrNLDGux_6_iUUEyi88dByaKg00w6t_FCTyMZ0C0deg/edit?usp=sharing] We often try to understand Jesus while staying safely in the crowd—close enough to listen, but distant enough to avoid surrender. But in Matthew 13, Jesus leaves the crowd and goes into the house, and only the disciples follow Him there. The movement is intentional: the kingdom is not understood from a distance. It is received by those willing to step closer, wrestle honestly, and respond to the King. Jesus describes the kingdom as a field where wheat and weeds grow together. In a world full of counterfeits, not everything that looks alive carries the DNA of the kingdom. There are counterfeit versions of belonging, peace, success, and spirituality that promise life but cannot truly heal or satisfy. The kingdom of God offers something different: a new way of being human under the leadership of a different kind of King. At the center of this kingdom is not power or domination, but the cross. Jesus gathers people not through force, but through self-giving love. He invites the overlooked, the broken, and the lost to His table, making room for them through His own sacrifice. This is the true DNA of the kingdom. The invitation is simple but costly: leave the safety of the crowd and move toward Jesus. Learn to recognize the real thing in a world of imitation. Receive the kingdom by receiving the King—His leadership, His love, and His way of the cross. Because in the end, everything false will fade, but what is rooted in Him will endure.