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Old vs. new! -- Matthew 9:14-17 By Pastor Lee Hemen September 8, 2019 Some long for the “good old days” but not me. I like indoor plumbing, electricity, microwaves, computers, smart phones, and hot and cold running water at the turn of a tap. I remember when few families had TV or even a phone in their homes. The small town I grew up in had three TV stations and they all went off the air after the late news and that was when the news was truly news instead of personal commentary. It’s the age old competition of the old verses the new. When Jesus came and began his ministry he came face-to-face with the Jewish traditions that had been enforced for centuries with his teaching that the kingdom of God was at hand. Everything was about to change and it had to in order for people to come to God through Jesus. The kingdom was now open for everyone and not just a chosen few and because of this the confrontation was going to occur even in what we might consider the small arena of life. The spir...

Mercy! -- Matthew 9:9-13 By Pastor Lee Hemen September 1, 2019 When the great Puritan preacher Thomas Hooker (1586-1647) was on his deathbed, a friend tried to console him by saying, “Brother Hooker, you are going to receive your reward.” “No, no!” he breathed. “I go to receive mercy!” What is this mercy Hooker longed to receive? God’s mercy is found in every act of Jesus, his every kindness, and especially in the unmerited favor we find when we come to him as Savior and Lord. It is sacrificial in its very nature. We set aside ourselves, our desires, and our needs to give everything to another just as Jesus did when he willingly sacrificed himself for our sins. Here we find Matthew a tax collector who others felt did not deserve God’s favor finding it in the unlikely place. Matthew finds mercy. Let’s see how… READ: Matthew 9:9-13 In our pride we think we know it all or have all the answers but we do not. In fact we discover that… I. Mercy is found in submission! (Vv. 9) As Jesus went o...