You are in line at a grocery store and, while there seem to be 50 checkout lines, it seems as if only 3 are open. What are you most likely thinking while you stand there with your items? What are you most likely feeling? I confess that I too often find myself irritated and frustrated.… Continue reading The Lord of the Harvest (Matthew 9:35-38)
Author: First Baptist Church of Scott City, MO
Extraordinary Love (Matthew 5:43-47)
Is there anybody you just don’t like? What do find yourself thinking about when you think of them? Jesus calls His disciples to be His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20) and witnesses (Acts 1:8). As witnesses, we testify to the extraordinary power, love, and goodness of Christ. In other words, we testify about something better than… Continue reading Extraordinary Love (Matthew 5:43-47)
Turn the Other Cheek (Matthew 5:38-42)
We now turn our attention to the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus teaches us to “turn the other cheek.” Before we begin an in-depth discussion of what this means and how to properly apply it, we must be clear about what it does not mean. First, Jesus is not telling an… Continue reading Turn the Other Cheek (Matthew 5:38-42)
The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth (Matthew 5:33-37)
Have you ever made a “pinky promise”? When I was growing up, the “pinky promise” (or “pinky swear”) was the most serious and binding promise any child could make. We made it by interlocking our little fingers together and making a promise. We were not exactly sure what would happen if we broke our “pinky… Continue reading The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth (Matthew 5:33-37)
Gouge Out Your Eye (Matthew 5:27-30)
Jesus cares about us and loves us. He loves us so much that He cares about everything we think, speak, and do. This includes our sexuality: namely, our sexual purity. Sexuality is a hot topic in our culture and we desperately need to hear Jesus’ message about sexual purity. Jesus tells us that God created… Continue reading Gouge Out Your Eye (Matthew 5:27-30)
What Jesus said about Murder (Matthew 5:21-26)
Making a snowman is a lot of fun. It’s even more fun when you have a hill nearby! There is a phrase you may have heard of called the “Snowball effect”. It’s defined as “a situation in which something increases in size or importance at a faster and faster rate.” A snowball effect can be… Continue reading What Jesus said about Murder (Matthew 5:21-26)
Jesus and the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
Can you think of a moment when someone or something greatly exceeded your expectations? Maybe it was a restaurant, job, company or product? Think of a time when you were blown away by how much better it turned out to be than you thought it would. Now try to imagine being in Israel during… Continue reading Jesus and the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
Christian Witness (Matthew 5:10-16)
Those who enter the kingdom of God do so through repentance and faith. God welcomes them into His kingdom; giving them a new heart that hungers and thirsts for righteousness (Matt 5:6). The Beatitudes, as we learned earlier, describe the character of a Christian; namely, what Christ is developing in them. In our next section… Continue reading Christian Witness (Matthew 5:10-16)
The Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12)
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with eight blessings[1] that describe the character of those who have entered the kingdom of God. While it is impossible in this life for any one disciple to perfectly meet these descriptions, they are nonetheless Jesus’ description of a Christian. What does Jesus mean when He says someone… Continue reading The Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12)
The Sermon on the Mount: Introduction (Matthew 5-7)
After Jesus was baptized by John and spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, He traveled through Galilee teaching “in their synagogues...proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matt 4:23). He was so popular that a large crowd followed Jesus and “seeing… Continue reading The Sermon on the Mount: Introduction (Matthew 5-7)
