CASS-TASTROPHE: WHAT’S UNDERMINING YOUR FAITH?

•    hold firmly to what’s of first importance
•    sinking CASS secondary school required re-anchoring
•    beware roots of wickedness undermining foundation

CONTEXT: CHRIST’S WORDS VS.CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

•    don’t follow the way of this people
•    Beatitudes contrast with usual thinking
•    wrong to even be angry, look lustfully, hate enemy, take revenge
•    can’t serve God and money; put others first, don’t follow the crowd
•    requires God’s grace and power to carry out His will

RELIGIOUS EXCITEMENT OR RELATIONAL ENGAGEMENT?

•    not about saying “Lord, Lord” but doing God’s will
•    focus on programs / activities can overlook knowing Christ

IMPLEMENTATION OR DISINTEGRATION

•    adversity and divine judgment test strength of construction
•    final judgment according to what each person has done
•    are we actually putting Jesus’ words into practice?

WHO SAYS? WHO DO YOU ANSWER TO?

•    Jesus’ authority very different from sermons of scholar-citing rabbis
•    Jesus “Author of life” invested with “all authority”

ACTIONS WITH VOLUME

•    Japanese Christian suffered for harboring downed enemy fliers
•    authority / credibility of one hanging on a cross