Wellspring Church DFW

What happens when our traditions become more important than God's Word? In Matthew 15, Jesus confronts the religious leaders for honoring God with their lips while their hearts are far from Him. But the danger isn't limited to ancient Pharisees, it's alive in the church today. Whether it's religious traditions, political loyalties, or hidden sexual sin, we can easily excuse disobedience and call it faithfulness. In this challenging message, we'll examine where our hearts truly stand, confront the ways we allow human traditions to override Scripture, and discover what it means to genuinely love God and live according to His Word.

In Matthew 14:34–36, we see crowds flocking to Jesus for healing, but in John 6, we discover that many who followed Him were unwilling to accept His words when His teaching became uncomfortable. Through the surprising connection between the healing power of Jesus' garment and the commandments of God, we discover that Jesus didn't come to free us from God's ways, but to reverse the curse of the law and bring us life through His perfect obedience. True intimacy with God transforms our desire to obey Him, even when we don't have all the answers or understand what He's asking of us.

The same Jesus who calls you to begin your journey is the One who will sustain you along the way. But faith isn't a one-time decision; it's a daily choice to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, walk by the Spirit, and trust Him when fear threatens to pull us under. In Matthew 14, Jesus walks on water, revealing His divine power over the chaos that terrifies us, while Peter discovers both the boldness of faith and the danger of taking his eyes off Jesus. This passage challenges us to stop settling for the bare minimum in our walk with God and to stop expecting one powerful spiritual experience to do all the work for us. Jesus calls us to ask boldly, step out courageously, and keep walking faithfully, even when the wind is against us.

What do we do when Jesus seems distant, our faith feels small, or what we have to offer seems like it isn't enough? In the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus shows us both the compassion of God and the power of pursuing Him with patience and faith. The crowds desperately pursued Jesus, and He met them with compassion; the disciples faced an impossible situation and learned that God can take what seems insignificant and multiply it beyond what we could imagine. Through the significance of the numbers in the story, the miracle points to Jesus as the God of Israel who provides for His people. The challenge for us is simple: bring Jesus what you have—your faith, your love, your time, your worship, even your weakness—and let Him be the miracle worker. When we feel like we have nothing to offer, we can start with thanksgiving, continue pursuing Him, and trust Him to multiply what we place in His hands.

In Matthew 14:1–12, we explore how the fear of man can trap us, silence our witness, and lead us into disobedience. Through the striking parallels between Herod and Ahab, and Herodias and Jezebel, we see how pride, immorality, manipulation, and fear can corrupt those in power, while John the Baptist stands boldly for the truth. This passage challenges us to examine how the fear of man affects our faith, our willingness to confront sin, our worship, and our relationships. Discover what it means to trust God above the opinions of people and walk in the courage and freedom of genuine obedience to Jesus.

In Matthew 13:53–58, Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, where the people know His family, His background, and His past—but their familiarity leads to unbelief and offense. This sermon explores how pride, familiarity, and distorted ideas about faith can keep us from truly hearing and obeying God. True faith isn't about positive thinking, formulas, or trying to force God to do what we want. Faith listens to God, responds with obedience, and ultimately says, "Not my will, but yours, be done." Discover how reverence, submission, Scripture, wise counsel, and the leading of the Holy Spirit help us move from unbelief to genuine faith.

In Matthew 13, Jesus reveals a powerful truth about the Kingdom of Heaven: we are living in a season of waiting, where good and evil grow together until the day God makes all things right. This sermon explores the biblical story of God's covenants—from Eden, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Land, and David, to the New Covenant established through Jesus. The "new and old treasures" Jesus describes point us to the way the promises and teachings of the Old Testament find their fulfillment and greater clarity in Christ. This message also offers comfort in the midst of suffering, sickness, grief, and loss. Our pain is not evidence that God has lost control, nor does the coming of God's kingdom depend on having enough faith to eliminate every difficulty. The kingdom comes according to God's timing. Until that day, we have been given the power of the Holy Spirit and a treasure to share—the good news of Jesus Christ. We can pray boldly for healing while resting in the greater hope of Christ's return, the resurrection of the dead, and the day when death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more. Our hope is not in escaping every hardship. Our hope is in Jesus, who will one day make all things new.

In this message from Matthew 13:44-50, we dig into Jesus's parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, and the net full of fish. These are three short stories with one big claim: the kingdom of heaven is worth everything. But does that mean salvation is something we earn? Along the way we name the three honest reactions to a call this extreme (dread, offense, and trembling wonder), and we hear real stories of surrender, from missionaries like Bruce Olson and Brother Andrew to a pastor's own family choosing years ago to stop giving God a half "yes." Wherever you land today, this message is an invitation to stop asking "what's the minimum?" and give an honest "yes" to the God who's worth everything.