February 2, 2023

Dear Central Church, 

I had a job in college as a computer lab assistant. This will be hard to believe for some of you, but there was a time when we didn’t carry around computers in our pocket. To do basic email or web searches, students needed to go to computer labs where desktop workstations were lined up. In fact, I remember these places being crowded and not being able to find an open computer. 

My job was pretty easy: keep the place tidy, ensure the printer was stocked with paper, and help students reset their email password on the university server. This last task sounded much more complicated than it really was, but I was one of the few with the secret knowledge to accomplish this task. 

That was my basic job description. If I did that, I could make $6 an hour and have enough money at the end of the week to take Lauren to Chilli’s. I’m not proud of this, but I did the bare minimum in that position. 

Jesus wants us to approach life in the Kingdom much differently. He says in the Sermon on the Mount, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20) He calls us not to the bare minimum but to standards of “right-relatedness” that are beyond our imagination. How in the world is this possible? 

On our own, it’s not, but through the grace of God and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, it is! Now THAT’S good news, and If you will allow this grace to transform your life, it can be the best news you’ve ever heard! 

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday as we continue this sermon series through the book of Matthew. Our youth band will be leading us in worship in the 8:30 and 11am services. In the evening, we’ll have a special service at 5pm to dedicate the new Student Center. This will be combined with our Hispanic and Brazilian Ministry. It’s going to be a great Sunday at Central…see you there! 

Until He’s Finished, 

Pastor Mark