In the final episode of Discerning Authority, Pastor Michael Lowenberg walks through a relentless day in the life of Jesus; a synagogue leader pleads for his daughter; a woman reaches for the fringe of His garment; two blind men cry out for mercy; a silenced man is set free. Each encounter reveals the same truth in a different key; Jesus carries real authority over death, disease, darkness, and doubt.

This message invites us out of passive admiration and into active faith; not spectating but seeking. Come with expectancy; bring your desperation honestly; trust the One who notices, touches, and restores. Scripture: Matthew 9:18–34.

In this message, Pastor Sarah Lowenberg explores Jesus’ teaching on fasting, garments, and wineskins, revealing that He has the authority to bring something completely new. The disciples of John ask why Jesus’ followers don’t fast like others, and Jesus responds with vivid images: a joyful wedding feast, an unshrunk patch on an old garment, and new wine poured into new wineskins.

Through these illustrations, Pastor Sarah reminds us that Jesus didn’t come to patch up old habits or make life a little more bearable. He came to transform us from the inside out. The presence of Jesus brings joy, His Spirit cannot be contained by rigid old patterns, and His authority means He makes us new—clothed in His grace, filled with His Spirit, and rebuilt on a solid foundation.

If you’ve been asking Jesus to “patch up” parts of your life, this sermon invites you to release the old and receive the new, trusting Him to do far more than repair—He will transform.

Scripture: Matthew 9:14–17

Welcome to Discerning Authority; a new three-part journey through the way Jesus invites and redirects our lives. In Episode 1, Pastor Sarah Lowenberg walks us into Matthew’s tax booth; a place of compromise and exclusion; and shows how a single invitation changes everything: “Follow me.” Jesus sits at Matthew’s table with “tax collectors and sinners”; He quotes Hosea; and He reframes what God wants from His people: mercy over sacrifice; healing over image; obedience over delay.

This message is for anyone who thinks they need to clean up first. The Great Physician comes for the sick; not the polished. If Matthew can stand up and leave the booth, so can we; say yes to Jesus today and make room at your table for the people He loves.