This Week's Pastor's Cut
Sunday, May 17th, 2026
What comes to mind when you hear the word "church"? For most of us, the answer is complicated — shaped by experiences both beautiful and painful. But when Jesus uses the word in Matthew 16, He's reaching for something far bigger than any building, institution, or weekend gathering.
In this week's message, we explore ekklesia — the Greek word Jesus chose to describe His people. It wasn't a religious term. It was a civic one, describing a people called out together for a purpose none of them could accomplish alone. And Jesus announces it not in a temple or synagogue, but in the shadow of every competing claim to power the ancient world had to offer.
This is the Church Jesus is building: not a crowd in the same room, but a community on the move — pressing outward into the places death has claimed, held together not by proximity but by shared allegiance to Him.
This week's Small Group Guide walks your group through Matthew 16:13–18 using the H.E.A.R. method, with discussion questions, historical context, and practical application to help you move from attending church to being it.
