Do you ever catch yourself reducing people to labels instead of seeing them as children of God, loved by Him? In situations and circumstances we face, it can be simpler to reduce people to “somethings” rather than “someones.” Jesus’ words on divorce in Matthew 5 give us practical guidance for examining all our relationships - in marriage, family, workplace, and community - to identify where we might be treating others as “somethings” rather than “someones.”

Jesus transforms our understanding of adultery in the Sermon on the Mount by focusing on the heart rather than just external behavior. Matthew 5:27-30 reveals that Jesus wasn’t simply making the rules outlined in the Old Testament more strict; He was addressing the deeper issue of human desire and how it shapes relationships. Desire itself is not bad, but how are we directing our desires? Are we destroying relationships, or are we building them up?

When Scripture and Jesus seem at odds, we should reconsider our approach. Jesus said He came to 'fulfill' the law, which means He had the authority to correctly interpret Scripture. The Sermon on the Mount demonstrates how Jesus challenged everyone's preconceptions about who belongs in God's kingdom. Through the Beatitudes and His 'But I say to you' teachings, Jesus wasn't contradicting Scripture but revealing its true intent. The key insight is that if we start with Jesus, we'll properly understand the Bible, but if we start with our interpretation of the Bible, we might miss Jesus.

In August, we set a few five-year goals as a church, which are rooted in our mission: Loving people into the acceptance and freedom of Jesus Christ. We’ve been pursuing those goals since August. On Sunday, we paused at “mile 13” to reflect on how far we’ve come and encourage each other to keep going in this marathon. Colossians 3 reminds us who we are in Christ and how love keeps us moving forward. You don’t need to run faster—you just need to keep going. Keep trusting Jesus. Keep choosing love. Our mission is still in motion, and mile by mile, we’re becoming the church we set out to be.

Faith journeys, like Abraham’s, highlight that life is not linear but is filled with ups and downs, which are not indicators of weak faith but opportunities to stay constant in our faith. Through Abraham’s examples of faithful moments and failures, we see that faith is always available regardless of circumstances or decisions. God is with us through it all; our challenge is to continually trust in Him.