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We live in a culture that prizes getting more than giving. Advertisers constantly tell us we don’t have enough, while inflation and bills pressure us to hold tighter to money and possessions. As God’s children, instead of a having a mindset of abundance, we often struggle with a mindset of scarcity, doubting God’s provision and anxious about having enough. Yet, God is generous! And we were created in His image to be generous too! In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he urged them to them to excel in the grace of giving by pointing to the Macedonian churches, who, though poor and afflicted, gave generously beyond their means, and by reminding them of Christ’s supreme example of generosity. We can cultivate the habit of generosity to excel in the grace of giving.…
Americans today have more access to the Bible than any previous generation. Most us have several copies in various versions. We even Bible apps on our phones. Yet according to recent polls the overwhelming majority do not actually read those Bibles regularly, much less study or deeply engage with the Bible. In the apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he charged him to remain faithful to the study and preaching of God’s Word that God’s people might be thoroughly equipped for every good work. We can practice the spiritual habit of Bible study that we might be thoroughly equipped for every good work.…
This time of year, school’s back, sports are back (travel ball never left), maybe work is ramping up your work load, the holidays will be here before you know it. We live in a state of stress … an overwhelmed sort of just getting by until the next weekend, the next vacation, the next glass of wine, the next night of doom scrolling, or sadly until next summer. But these “nexts” are not real rest but merely distractions. Many of us are trying to numb the problem with distractions but the problems remain. True rest is not living for distractions but walking in Jesus. What if we could find rest in the midst of our work, what if we could even live, work and play out of a state of spiritual rest? In Matthew chapter 11, Jesus invited the crowds to find rest for their souls not in laws or rituals but in relationship with Him. When we build the habit of rest in Him, we can discover rest for our souls.…
You might easily be able to see why you need a habit of personal devotion to Jesus like we studied week 1 and you may see the need for fellowship as we studied last week. But service, why would service be a spiritual habit or discipline? How does a spiritual habit of service help me to connect with the Holy Spirit and grow in Christlikeness? That’s the right question and the right motivation! As we will see today, service moves us towards Christlikeness in powerful ways. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 20, Jesus taught His disciples that the greatest among them would become servants like Him. We can follow the call of Jesus by becoming servants through the spiritual habit of service.…
Over time isolation leads to loneliness, weakened support systems, and deeper disconnection. The short-term gain creates long-term pain. What we really need spiritually and even physically is fellowship. God’s word teaches us that fellowship is an essential habit to connecting with God. In Hebrews chapter 10, the author concluded his instruction about drawing near to God and holding fast the confession of hope without wavering by teaching the spiritual habit of faithful fellowship as the Day of Christ drew near.…
Spiritual habits act as a conduit that connects us to the power of the Holy Spirit. We not only open up and ask the Spirit to fill us, we create habits that give Him a conduit to fill us and use us to do God’s will. We can be passive with our faith, just waiting for the Holy Spirit to move while we coast through life. “Fill me”, we say, but then we don’t physically do anything. Today we will be kicking off this series by learning to apply the foundational habit of devotion. The goal of this habit is to get alone with God, spend time talking to and hearing from Him, and be recharged His power. It is during this time that you will be prepared by the Spirit to do the work that God has called you to do. A time of personal devotion is key to many of the other habits we will talk about and is important to our spiritual growth. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus demonstrated His habit of devotion to His disciples. By studying and applying the practices seen in this story, we too can practice Jesus’ habit of deliberate, daily devotion.…
We all know the pain of broken communication—harsh words, unresolved conflict, silence that grows like a wall. Whether in our homes, marriages, friendships, or church family, we’ve all experienced the damage that unforgiveness causes. But God has given us the way to restoration: Christlike forgiveness. Without forgiveness, communication breaks down and relationships fall apart. So how do we move from brokenness to restoration in our communication? In a word: forgiveness! In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorted believers to put away relational sins and practice Christlike forgiveness as a Spirit-led expression of their new life and oneness in Christ.…
Today, we’re talking about a topic that every family—and every believer—must face: anger. Let’s be honest, anger shows up in every home, every relationship, and even in the church. It can flare up with a harsh word or simmer beneath the surface with a cold shoulder. But left unchecked, anger can wreak havoc on the relationships God has called us to nurture. Uncontrolled, sinful anger is a danger to our family communication and ultimately our unity. Whether we’re talking about your family or the church family, the way we deal with anger will either strengthen or sabotage our relationships. Anger itself isn't always sin, but what we do with it often is. We need God's power and wisdom to respond in a way that builds up rather than tears down. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorted believers that they must control their anger as members of one another in Christ Jesus.…
In families and churches alike, conflict and the need for correction are inevitable. But how we speak the truth, and how we receive it, makes all the difference. Without spiritual preparation, correction can wound instead of heal. We need Christ to shape us into people who can both give and receive correction with grace, truth and love. Real peace doesn't come from avoiding truth, it comes from speaking and hearing it in love, with hearts transformed by Christ. Paul knew that correction was essential for unity in the church, but it had to come from hearts shaped by Christ. In today’s text, he shows us how to prepare our hearts for those challenging, but necessary conversations. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he taught believers how to spiritually prepare themselves to truthfully give and receive correction in unity.…
We often think of good communication as just getting our point across or being heard. But God's vision is bigger: He wants our communication to lead to oneness. In both our families and our church family, the goal isn't just to express ourselves—but to grow together in Christ, building unity through our words and attitudes. Yet so often, our communication leads not to unity, but to division. Good communication for the Christian is more than hearing and being heard, it's being at one with the Lord and with one another. Hearing and being heard is good start, but being at one is better. That’s the real goal of communication: oneness. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he called believers to pursue oneness in the Lord as the goal of their communication.…
Throughout this series, Jesus has described what life in His Kingdom looks like—what it means to live under His rule and reign. He has called us to a righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees. And now, He closes His sermon with a sobering warning and a gracious invitation, a call to examine whether we truly belong to His Kingdom. There are many today who assume they are right with God simply because they try to live a good life, say the right religious words, got baptized, and joined the church. But not everyone who claims to follow Jesus truly knows Him and are known by Him. The question is this: Do I have real assurance that I belong to the Kingdom of God? Can we have real assurance of our salvation? As Jesus brings His sermon to a close, He contrasts those with a superficial faith with those who have a sincere and saving faith. He warns of self-deception and shows us how to be certain of our place in His Kingdom. In Matthew 7:21-29, Jesus closed His Sermon on the Mount by both warning and inviting people to pursue a sincere faith that brings real assurance in God’s Kingdom.…
Last week, we saw how He speaks of two different gates or paths and how one leads to life, but the other leads to destruction (7:13-14). Now today, Jesus moves the discussion from warning about the path of destruction to warning against the prophets of destruction. He calls them wolves in sheep’s clothing. Why do we need this warning? Because not everyone who claims to speak for God is from God. Some are deceivers in disguise. And not only are they deceptive, they are dangerous. For claiming to be guides to the narrow gate, they actually lead people to the wide gate and destruction. What we need is spiritual discernment. If we don't exercise spiritual discernment, we risk being led astray. Without discernment, we could follow someone who ultimately leads us away from Christ and into destruction. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warned His Kingdom citizens to beware false prophets by being spiritually discerning of their fruit. As kingdom citizens, we can exercise spiritual discernment to recognize false prophets.…
As we’ve studied His sermon, we’ve seen how Jesus has laid out what it looks like to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. Now, as He closes, He calls us to a decision, to a choice. Whose kingdom will you choose? And it’s this choice that we’re discussing today. It’s a simple choice. For Jesus only offers two options: the wide gate or the narrow gate. That confronts our desire for spiritual autonomy. It challenges the mindset that we can take a little bit of Christianity, a little bit of self-help, and maybe sprinkle in some Eastern philosophy and end up just fine. But Jesus doesn’t leave room for a middle path! And that’s why we need this message today. Because the narrow way isn’t just hard to find—it’s easy to reject. Not because it's unclear, but because it's unpopular. And yet, it’s the only way that leads to real and lasting life. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus began to conclude His sermon by warning His first-century Jewish audience that there were only two spiritual paths, the broad way that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life, and He instructed them to enter through the narrow gate.…
The world says, “You get what you earn.” The world’s currency is merit—performance, success, hard work, self-reliance. But the currency of the kingdom is asking. It’s coming to God not trying to earn His blessing, but as children depending on a generous Father. Now, that goes against everything we’re taught from an early age, doesn’t it? Many of us were raised to be self-sufficient, to never ask for help, to earn our way forward. And that’s why we need this message today. Some of us have grown weary in prayer. Others have stopped asking because we think God isn’t listening, or that we don’t deserve an answer. Some of us have tried to live the Christian life in our own strength and we're running on empty. Today’s message is a gracious reminder from Jesus: You don’t earn God’s favor—you ask for it. In Matthew 7, Jesus continued His Sermon on the Mount by teaching kingdom citizens how to experience the generous provision of their heavenly Father. We can experience the generous provision of our heavenly Father.…
Does our country feel more polarized today than in the past? Do you know what happens a lot when there are issues that divide groups of people? Most times, people identify with that issue. They make that issue part of their identity. Jesus continued His Sermon on the Mount by addressing judgment as He transitioned His message towards more interpersonal issues. In Matthew 7, Jesus continued the Sermon on the Mount and taught His listeners to avoid harsh and hypocritical judgment while also maintaining spiritual discernment. We can avoid harsh and hypocritical judgment and practice spiritual discernment.…
Anxiety is a topic that dominates the narrative today. You may not be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, but are there stressors in your life that you are anxious about? Have you lost a job or looking for a new one? Are there final exams coming up, college decisions, financial aid or other academic stresses? How about relationship stress that causes anxiety? Marriage issues, dating problems, friendship relationships that are not “two way” can all cause anxiety. Jesus, with the crowds on the mountainside, guides us away from a life of anxiety, stress and worry and guides us towards a life of freedom with their Father. In the Sermon on the Mount, after Jesus called His listeners to make God their master, He then challenged them to not be anxious by freeing themselves from the worries of the world. Having made Jesus our Lord, we can free ourselves from the worries of the world.…
Many have discovered the emptiness in the pursuit of things that compete with the culture that God intends for His people in the Kingdom. God did not create us for the rat race. He created us to pursue Him and nothing can substitute the peace, joy and purpose we find in that pursuit. In today's text we will see our savior Jesus offering a better pursuit in the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 6, Jesus continued the Sermon on the Mount by teaching that those whose heart is on God, His Kingdom citizens, will lay up treasures in heaven.…
Jesus, with the crowds on the mountainside, began to remove some of those obstacles in prayer and guide them towards an intimate and purposeful fellowship with their Father. He guides through His Word today. In Matthew chapter 6 as Jesus continued the Sermon on the Mount, He taught the crowd how to pray as citizens in God’s Kingdom.…
In today’s world, appearance often trumps authenticity. Social media thrives on applause. Our culture encourages us to project a curated image—whether through photos, achievements, or even spiritual acts, like saying we’ll pray for someone or give to some cause we say we care about. But what if the pursuit of human recognition corrupts our faith? What if God isn't impressed by our outward acts at all, but is instead watching our hearts? Watching our motives? That’s really been the theme of the Sermon on the Mount—Jesus shifting the focus from outward behavior to inward transformation. He’s moved the emphasis of the Law from external compliance to internal motives. And now, in Matthew 6, He turns to our spiritual practices, not to say we shouldn’t do them, but to teach us how and why we should. He challenges us to examine not just what we do, but why we do it. For in the Kingdom of God, the heart and its motives and attitudes matter most. In Matthew 6:1-6; 16-18, Jesus warned His disciples against practicing acts of righteousness with the motive of human recognition rather than God’s.…
Have you ever been wronged so deeply that your first instinct was to strike back? Maybe it was a harsh word, a betrayal, or someone who simply made your life miserable. The world teaches us to stand our ground, defend our rights, and get even. But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers us a different way—a kingdom way. Jesus calls His followers not to live by the law of retaliation but by the law of love. Kingdom love doesn’t play by the world’s rules. It refuses revenge. It reaches across enemy lines. And it reflects the heart of God. What does love in the kingdom look like according to Jesus? In the gospel of Matthew 5:31-37, Jesus taught His disciples that true righteousness in the kingdom of heaven required a greater love than what was taught by the religious leaders of that day. As Kingdom citizens, we can answer Christ’s call to live according to His greater love.…
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