Raising the bar sky high!
Unity is a BIG deal to God! And Jesus in his greatest sermon is going to go after it! He is going to deal with things like: Anger, unforgiveness, hatred, selfishness, lust, broken relationships… those things that can take us out of the life and family of God.
Jesus said this elsewhere in Matthew, when he was being asked about the greatest commandment in the Law, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (22:37-40) These two things are inextricably joined together, you can’t do one without the other.
Thinking about it… You can’t be loving God while murdering someone! You can’t be loving God while committing adultery… Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments…” And, “This is my commandment, that you love one another…” (John 14:15, 15:12) In the sermon on the mount, Jesus is going to go on to say… “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (7:12) Quite a summary! The whole Law summed up as ‘Love God, Love others’!
Love for God takes us towards him and towards others. Far from something that would spoil our fun, the 10 Commandments are about doing what is loving towards God and others, and how life works best, and how we can have this life to the fullest.
So here in the Mountain Sermon, Jesus is not going after a ‘well appearing’ surface level relationship with God, but to the depths of what it means to be a Kingdom people. He isn’t going to lower the bar… he is going to raise it… He isn’t going to stay at surface level appearances, he is going to take it to the depths of the human heart. He is going to show us that the bar is SO high there is no way for us to leap over it (it reaches to the heavens) except through the preacher on the mount, Jesus Christ. There’s no way over it, there’s no way under it, there is no way around it, the ONLY way is THROUGH JESUS. And he is going to create a people in unity with himself and with others as we follow him.
Love to all and see you soon,
Andrew
(pastor/team leader at Kootenay Christian Fellowship)
Into the Harvest!
Evangelical training and outreach is back this Saturday.
Meet at The Lookout, Saturday, Oct 24 10am to 12pm
Welcome to the Family
For those who consider KCF their home church - Meet with us this Sunday, Oct 25 and Nov 1 right after our Sunday gathering. Please let us know if you are planning to attend by replying to this email or to Andrew directly.
Celebrate Recovery Returns!
For anyone with Hurts, Hang ups or Habits.
A Christ-centered 12 Step Recovery Program
Are you ready to embark on a journey of real and lasting change?
Tuesdays, 6pm at the Lookout, 520 Falls Street.
Inquiries to Calvin – spring.10@hotmail.com
Tithes and Offerings for Cheerful Givers!
May God richly bless you, as 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 is a part of your life.
For those who are wanting to support our Church with offerings, it can be done by etransfer to office@kcfoffice.com, through our website via PayPal, or by calling in to the office with a credit card or mailing in your cheque. Thank you for your continued giving to the church with your tithes and generous offerings.
The Lookout
The Lookout space for our vibrant children’s ministry is now being used! A big thank you to all who have contributed time and resources to make this happen.
There is still a need for financial support. You can help and leave a legacy for generations to come. Please consider financial donations of any amount. Please etransfer to office@kcfoffice.com or provide a cheque or cash at the office marked children. Thank you.
Our Daily Bread
If God is leading you to help someone not be hungry, to have a safe place to go for community, and to experience the love of God, please consider Volunteering or sending Our Daily Bread a financial gift today.
Etransfer: odb@odboffice.com
Here is a video link that captures the heart of ODB. We hope you can take a moment to click on the link and watch it. We also invite you to share this link everywhere. https://youtu.be/BNJbNrIdQkY?si=I5Yip9tu08MoYKvf
Anne-Marie Rasmussen – Administrator
E-transfers to office@kcfoffice.com
Kootenay Christian Fellowship520 Falls Street (1/2 Block up from Baker Street)Nelson, BC V1L 6B5