Pastor Jim Thomas
- Jesus breaks all national, racial, religious and social barriers. (v. 21-28)
- Crying out for mercy and bowing in humility before God are among the first steps towards entering the kingdom of heaven. (v. 21-28)
- Jesus is the Great Reversal Artist. (v. 29-31)
- As we follow Jesus, Sunday worship turns into Monday-Saturday serving and feasting at the King’s table. (v. 32-39)
“Contrary to popular belief, Christianity is the most ethnically, culturally, socioeconomically, and racially diverse belief system in all of history.” – Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity
“Salvation is bowing and accepting God as Creator and Christ as Savior. I must bow twice to become a Christian. I must bow and acknowledge that I am not autonomous; I am a creature created by the Creator. And I must bow and acknowledge that I am a guilty sinner who needs the finished work of Christ for my salvation.” – Francis Schaeffer, Form and Freedom in the Church/Lausanne Content Library
“The resurrection, the Great Reversal, brings us both the power and the pattern for living life now connected to God’s future new creation.” – Timothy Keller, Hope in Times of Fear
“Only half of the pastor’s work is to gather the people together for worship. The other half is to send them back to their daily tasks equipped to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If we forget this second part, the other can be positively dangerous.” – Lesslie Newbigin
“The way of Jesus cannot be imposed or mapped — it requires an active participation in following Jesus as He leads us through sometimes strange and unfamiliar territory, in circumstances that become clear only in the hesitations and questionings, in the pauses and reflections where we engage in prayerful conversation with one another and with Him.” – Eugene H. Peterson, The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way