Category: Gospel of Matthew

It’s the most important week, of the most important person who ever lived.  It’s a story that doesn’t need to be changed or enhanced with fancy lights or pounding on a pulpit.

We all have sinned.  We all will die. We can live forever.

Because … Jesus lived. Jesus died. Jesus rose again.

That’s the simple, intimate and humble story of Easter we shared together as a church this Easter Eve at Refuge.

Gathering Audio

Each Saturday night at Refuge.Church we study the Word of God together in a free flowing, partcipatory, and organic environment.  While you can learn from our weekly posting, you can only truly experience these gatherings in person.  Join us Saturday night at 5:30pm to worship God, and discover His grace together.

Christianity is a thinking faith.  Jesus wants us to think.  To use the brain He gave us.  This is why he often taught in parables.  This past Saturday night we looked at the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, and we did so in a more organic discussion format.

Through parables, Jesus is teaching his disciples (then and now) what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.  This Saturday as we discussed this topic together and at our tables, we discovered that because of Jesus, we can forgive the inexcusable, because God has already forgiven the inexcusable in us.

Gathering Audio // Matthew 18:21-35

Each Saturday night at Refuge.Church we study the Word of God together in a free flowing, partcipatory, and organic environment.  While you can learn from our weekly posting, you can only truly experience these gatherings in person.  Join us each Saturday night at 5:30pm to worship God, and discover His grace together.

The big turning point Matthew’s Gospel comes with this confession by Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah.  It’s a statement changed the course of human history.  It’s the same statement that can change your life.

Sermon Audio // Matthew 16:13-20

Christianity is a thinking faith.  Jesus wants us to think.  To use the brain He gave us.  This is why he often taught in parables.  This past Saturday we looked at the parable of the Mustard Seed.  The Kingdom of Heaven started as something incredibly small, but grew into a worldwide movement.

What if we accomplished something big for the Kingdom, by doing something little?  Every day, we have moments before us that are unique, priceless and unrepeatable.  Every day, we have opportunities to do little things for the Kingdom of Heaven, that God can turn into big things.

Sermon Audio // Matthew 13:1-43

This is the weekly message of Refuge.Church in Fort Myers from February 10th, 2018 taken from Matthew 8:18-22 and part of our Gospel of Matthew series for Spring 2018.

This week, we had some technical difficulties with the recording of the message.   It happens.  So instead I am posting my notes from the sermon.  Please forgive any typos.

GREED IS GOOD.  At least that’s what Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) said in the 1987 movie Wall Street.

OPEN QUESTION // IS THAT A TRUE STATEMENT?

Matthew 5:13-16 // You ARE the salt of the earth.  You ARE the light of the world.  Jesus is stating a fact.  Giving us an identity.  Here’s what is true of you.  You ARE a city on the hill.  He’s giving an identity to us as His Church.    But what does this mean?  Why do you do good works?  Guilt?  To feel like a “good” person?  Or to glorify our Father in Heaven?

WORSHIP & SERMON AUDIO

This is the message and selections of worship from the Fort Myers Church REFUGE on the night of January 20th, 2018.

Matthew 5:1-12 // This is our first instruction and teaching from Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel.  Jesus is teaching his disciples, but he also knows there is a crowd full of sinners, prostitutes, really religious people, and gentiles (not at all religious people) behind them.  What’s he going to say?  How’s he going to open?  Maybe a joke?  A story?  A great illustration?

No.  He starts with an announcement.  Lucky are the unlucky.  God is on the side of those whom there is no reason for God to be on their side.  #blessed

WORSHIP & SERMON AUDIO

This is the message and selections of worship from Refuge.Church in Fort Myers, FL on the night of January 13th, 2018.

Matthew 4:12-22 // This is the message and selections of worship from Refuge.Church in Fort Myers, FL on the night of January 6th, 2018.

What is the purpose of the Church?  What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?  And why do we plant useless lawns in front of our homes.  All that and more as we look at the Gospel of Matthew 4:12-22.

WORSHIP & SERMON AUDIO