May 19 | Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is God’s kingdom. Blessed are you when they may insult you and persecute and might say all kinds of evil against you, lying on your account. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your…
May 18 | Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are those who are peacemakers, for they will be called God’s sons.” (Matthew 5:9) We live in a world at war. From the political to the social scene everyone is screaming at everyone else. There is no unity or tolerance as we used to…
May 17 | Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) I love M&Ms. But my favorite our peanut M&Ms. There are days when I’m not in the mood for peanut M&Ms. I want to try another kind. I don’t have to be…
May 16 | Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) The world doesn’t see merciful people as strong. In sports, we see unhappy coaches when athletes show mercy to their opponents. Yet, we all want the judge to show us mercy if we…
Summary: Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount with three illustrations of two ways. One way leads to eternal destruction while the other way leads to eternal life. Jesus describes the disciples who have an eternal destiny with Him, the ones He knows by name. Introduction In my last post,…
Summary: Jesus teaches the golden rule in a different way than anyone before Him. It sounds like it appeals to our selfishness, but it spurs us on to treat one another better, to consider another person’s needs before our own and fulfill them. Introduction In my last post, I finished…
Summary: We have already looked at Jesus’s open invitation to increase our faith and pray for anything. But in this second part of Jesus’s teaching, we learn that there are criterion for how to pray for any request and see God answer that prayer. Introduction In my last post, I…
Summary: Jesus’s teaching on asking, seeking, and knocking for our prayer requests challenges our faith, and gives us an open door to ask for more than we can imagine. Introduction In my last post, I talked about what Jesus really means when he says we shouldn’t judge others. In this…
Summary: Jesus tells us not to judge others, but other places in Scripture talk about judging others. What’s the difference, and how does the disciple of Jesus know when and how to judge others? Introduction In my last post, I talked about how Jesus’s disciples handle worry and anxiety. In…
Select Summary: Jesus gives several reasons we must not allow worry and anxiety to rule our lives. Throughout His teaching on worry, Jesus tells us why worry wastes are life and changes nothing. Introduction In my last post, I discussed Jesus’s hard to understand teaching on having good or bad…