What Disqualifies Us From the Prize

Workers for the Harvest

Luke 10 calls us to see the world as Jesus does: a plentiful harvest with too few workers. Jesus sends his followers into a world where some will welcome the kingdom and others will resist it, but the message remains the same: the kingdom of God has come near. As his people, we are called to pray for workers, recognize the harvest around us, and go as those workers ourselves.

Praying Angry

Psalm 109 gives language for bringing anger, pain, and cries for justice honestly before God. Rather than acting in revenge or suppressing difficult emotions, believers are invited to give their anger to the Lord in prayer, trusting him as both righteous judge and loving Father. Because Jesus has taken our sin, wrath, and suffering to the cross, we can come to God with all of ourselves and wait in hope for the day when he makes all things right.

Forgiveness: A Key to Freedom in Christ

In Matthew 18, Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant shows that those who have received God’s overwhelming mercy are called to forgive others from the heart. This sermon explores forgiveness as a decision of the will, not forgetting or excusing, and warns that unforgiveness creates bitterness, spiritual bondage, and distance from God. True freedom in Christ includes releasing offenses by God’s grace.

God's Good Work

In “God’s Good Work,” Colossians 3:23–24 frames work and rest as part of God’s calling, not as separate from the spiritual life. From creation to fall, redemption, and restoration, work is shown as originally blessed, now affected by sin, and redeemed through Christ. Because God sees and values even ordinary labor, Christians can approach their work with purpose, gratitude, and faithfulness, doing it for the Lord while also receiving rest as part of God’s good design.

All For the Glory of God

Paul’s call in 1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1 shows us how to live with wisdom in a spiritually complex world. Because everything has the potential either to become idolatry or to become worship, Christians are called to filter all of life through the pattern of the gospel: Does this glorify God, and does this benefit others? In Jesus, we see the perfect example of one who gave up his rights for God’s glory and our good, calling us to do the same.