By Reverend Dr. Fontella Irons

Bible Text:  Gospel of Matthew 5:13-20 and Isaiah 58:1-12

(The following is an except from the sermon. You may listen to the sermon in its entirety by clicking on the headphone button.)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers that they are the “salt of the earth” while also warning them that it is possible for “salt” to lose its taste. How does that happen for those who follow Christ? One way this can happen is if you  forsake God in your life, which can lead to “parched places.” It is the kind of place that is mentioned in the passage in Isaiah. But Isaiah promises those who cling to the Lord Jesus Christ that “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, …”

“Parched places” can happen in our lives through no fault of our own and it is especially important that we encourage each other through the “parched places” in life. Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth and that we are “the lights of the world.” We are lights for Christ. We are a city built on a hill. That hill is Calvary.