This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our new series entitled "The Messiah's Mission," based in Matthew 8-12. This weekend I explored Matthew 8:23-9:8, where Matthew groups three miracles of Jesus around the theme of His authority. We see Jesus' authority over nature, demonic spirits, and sin and forgiveness. The entire series of episodes leads …
Leaving the Crowd to Follow Jesus
"When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake." Matthew 8:18 One of the recurring themes in the Gospel of Matthew is the distinction between the disciples and the crowd. The Sermon on the Mount occurs when Jesus sees the crowd, retreats from them to …
The Messiah’s Call
This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our new series entitled "The Messiah's Mission," based in Matthew 8-12. This weekend I explored Matthew 8:18-22, where Jesus encounters two would-be disciples and rebuffs their apparent commitment to Him. These two case studies reveal a lot about what discipleship is all about. In some ways this message …
Jesus Pursues Sick People
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32) I am glad that Jesus pursues sick people. In Luke 5, Jesus reaches out to a man with leprosy, a paralyzed man, a social outcast who …
Dallas Willard on “What a Disciple Is”
Dallas Willard is without a doubt one of the most important thinkers and writers of recent time on the Sermon on the Mount and the nature of discipleship. When working on my most recent message, "Real Response: receiving the invitation of Jesus," as well as the entire series, "Becoming Real: The Sermon on the Mount," …
Matthew Erickson 