Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

Proper 18A

  • Normalize Mercy

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    7 min read

    The challenge of stumbling into Matthew 18 without its context is that we get the point Jesus is trying to make completely backward.

  • Dealing with Sin

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    6 min read

    Jesus doesn’t offer us rules for shunning. He offers us an opportunity to reconnect and restore the community we break apart.

  • Inquisitions are supposed to be rare—for Proper 18A

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    3 min read

    When helping people right their wrongs, it’s easy to find wrongs everywhere—and being the one to save them.

  • Between Proper 17 + 18 (Year A)

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    7 min read

    Before we deal with sin in our community, we need to hear what Jesus says about who we God puts first in heaven.

  • While we’re focused on doing it right

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    7 min read

    So much of our energy is focused on what we are supposed to do at any given moment, we hardly listen to what Jesus is saying.

  • Removing Our Stumbling Blocks

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    8 min read

    In Matthew 17 and 18, Jesus reveals the way stumbling blocks get in the way of God’s mission. Including our obsessions with rules and borders. Proper 18A  |  Matthew 18:15-20 A few years ago, a celebrity pastor got in trouble. He was the darling of the new reformed movement for his high doctrine, aggressive style,…