Radiant Central Coast

Jesus is not only Lord over the life everyone can see. He is Lord over the invisible life too.
In Matthew 5:27–30, Jesus moves beyond outward behavior and confronts the desires, fantasies, and hidden places of the heart. His words are severe because sin is severe—but His intention is not shame. Jesus brings what is hidden into the light because He wants to heal what has been distorted and restore what has been broken.
In this message, we explore three kingdom truths:
-The kingdom confronts what no one else can see.
-The kingdom removes anything that distorts our identity.
-The kingdom teaches desire how to love.
Lust reduces image-bearers to objects and bends desire inward, but Jesus wants to heal our vision. He teaches us to see people with honor, to treat our bodies as temples, and to keep desire attached to love.
The goal of the gospel is not simply to stop looking at the wrong things. It is to become the kind of people who see rightly.
Scripture: Matthew 5:27–30

In an age addicted to outrage, how do followers of Jesus handle anger differently?

In this message from our series in the Gospel of Matthew, Chad unpacks Jesus’ first “greater righteousness” test in the Sermon on the Mount: what we do with anger and broken relationships.

Jesus goes behind the command, “Do not murder,” to the interior world of motives, emotions, and words. It’s not enough to avoid violence with our hands while we harbor contempt in our hearts and on our tongues.
Drawing from Isaiah 61, Matthew 5, Ephesians 4, James 1, and Exodus 34, this teaching shows how Jesus turns former prisoners into oaks of righteousness—people whose transformed lives display God’s splendor in a culture with no “governor” on anger.
In this episode:
Why the first visible fruit of “greater righteousness” is how we deal with anger
The difference between redemptive anger and destructive anger
How contempt and name‑calling (“Raca,” “you fool”) dehumanize image-bearers
What it means that God is slow to anger—literally “long-nosed” in Hebrew
Jesus’ two pictures of urgent reconciliation:
How unresolved anger gives the enemy a foothold—and how to evict him
Key Takeaways:
Anger is inevitable; sin is not. There is a kingdom way to process anger with God instead of unleashing it on people.
Reconciliation is urgent, not optional. Jesus calls us to deal with relational fractures quickly, not let them harden into bitterness.
Leave room for God. We refuse revenge, bless our enemies, and trust God with justice so we can walk free.
Reflection Questions:
Where has your anger slid into contempt—seeing a person as an enemy to crush instead of an image-bearer to love?
Is there anyone you need to seek out to repent to, forgive, or attempt reconciliation with?
This week, what would it look like to practice James 1:19—quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry—in one specific relationship?
If this episode encourages you, share it with someone navigating anger, hurt, or fractured relationships. May the Holy Spirit form us into oaks of righteousness who display the splendor of Jesus in how we handle conflict, pain, and offense.

What happens when you spend your whole life trying to earn something God only gives as a gift?In Matthew 5:17–20, Jesus tells His listeners that their righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. At first, it sounds like an impossible standard. But Jesus is not calling us to work harder at producing righteousness. He is exposing the failure of self-effort so He can reveal the righteousness that is found only in Him.In this message, we explore three truths:1. The law exposes the righteousness we lack.2. Jesus fulfills the righteousness we could never achieve.3. Through union with Christ, His righteousness becomes our identity and the source of a transformed life.The gospel is not that we slowly earn our place in God’s family. In Christ, we are given a new identity. We do not grow into righteousness—we grow from righteousness.Once you know who the Father says you are, obedience is no longer an attempt to earn His acceptance. It becomes the natural response of a son or daughter who already belongs in the house.To CONNECT with our church, submit a PRAYER REQUEST, download FREE encouraging material, GIVE to this ministry or FOLLOW US on social media, click the link below!

In this episode, Chad teaches from Matthew 5–7 on what it means to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” Building on the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount, he explores how followers of Jesus are called to preserve, purify, and bring out the God-given potential in a world marked by decay and darkness.
Through personal stories, historical examples, and practical questions, this message invites you to:
Identify where you see decay and darkness in your life, family, and city
Embrace your identity as salt and light in everyday spaces
Practice generosity, prayer, and fasting as ways to stay “salty” and focused on Jesus
Surrender any rival treasures or masters and put Jesus back at the center
Key Texts: Matthew 5:1–16; Matthew 6; Isaiah 59; Isaiah 9; 2 Corinthians 4:7–18
Reflection:
Where is God calling you to be salt this week?
Where is He asking you to shine as light?

Following Jesus does not guarantee a life free from suffering. In fact, obedience often costs us before it rewards us.

In this message from Matthew 5:11–12, Neil Broere explores the relationship between obedience, suffering, and reward. Through stories from Scripture, the early church, and recent history, we see that trials are not always evidence that we have missed God. Sometimes, they are the very ground where faith grows and Christ is formed in us.

This message examines three realities of the cross-shaped life:
1. Obedience often costs us before it rewards us
2. The kingdom of God comes through a cross-shaped life
3. Faith grows under pressure

The pressure you are facing may feel like it is burying you, but seeds are buried before they grow. In the hands of Jesus, suffering is never wasted. He uses it to remove what does not belong, strengthen what remains, and form His life within us.