“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” —Philippians 2:3

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 15:7-14; Matthew 5:38-42

Introduction:

Vengeance can make us do incredible things. A man required to pay over $1,000 in alimony each month was so vengeful, he decided to send it to his wife in nickels. Vengeance and retaliation are the subjects Christ addresses in the next passage in the Sermon on the Mount.

Just as many principles from the Old Law had been misconstrued by the Jews of Jesus’ day, so too had the principle

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” —2 Corinthians 13:5

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:21-23; 25:31-46.

Introduction:

How easy it is to say “Lord, Lord” and not do the will of God. It seems the verses in Matthew 7:21-23 are frequently applied to deceived people who profess Christ but haven’t really been converted—they give lip service to the Gospel, but use it for their own personal gain.

For various reasons, we rarely apply the curse of these verses to

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” —Leviticus 19:18

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:10-24; Genesis 45:4-15

Introduction:

The command of Christ in Matthew 5:44 is a paradox for the ages: love your enemies. By definition, an enemy is someone we should have license to hate. After all, they’re our enemy. Just as He usually did, Jesus presented an entirely new paradigm for His disciples. Love those that hate you, and pray for them, and do good to them. This command

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I wilt liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.” —Matthew 7:24, 26

Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:3-10; 2 Corinthians 3:10-15

Introduction:

Whether or not we know God is evidenced by the fruit in our lives. Good fruit only comes from a good tree and the only good tree is one transformed by the life of Jesus. It

They’d been on the Mount many times before for one reason or another. This time it was different, though. Yeshua of Nazareth called them together—He was going to teach. The disciples knew Him, and had seen glimpses of His ministry, but there was a certain expectancy in the air, something beyond what they had heard before. And, they had heard a lot of teaching.

The Pharisees and scribes and Sadducees spoke with great fervor, and great conviction, and great complexity. Deep truths were supposedly pouring from their lips, but what they told the people to do, they couldn’t even do.

“If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of the gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:” —Deuteronomy 15:7

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:1-4; 23:1-12; Exodus 36:1-7

Introduction:

True worship results from the desire to serve God. Worship spawned from any other motivation is idolatry. If we’re more concerned about being in man’s spotlight than in God’s, we’ve forsaken the call to seek the Kingdom first. This principle is especially true when it comes to

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most famous passages of Scripture. Certain phrases are known by Christians and non-Christians alike. “Judge not…” “Blessed are the poor…” “You are the salt of the earth…” While phrases such as these are well-known, how often do we see the Sermon on the Mount in action? After all, if we hear and understand God’s Word, then we’re obligated to do it. If we don’t, we’re deceived, living in spiritual delusion (James 1:22).

Our familiarity with this ageless sermon can be somewhat like an old country road—if we’ve driven it enough times,

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” —John 15:5, 7

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-8; Luke 18:9-14

Introduction:

God is extremely concerned with our actions, but He is just as concerned with the condition of our heart. One of the ways we can know where our heart is at is by our prayer life.

“…When Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” —Matthew 7:28-29

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5-7

Introduction:

When Ronald Reagan began his first presidential term in January of 1981, he did what every great leader does—he cast a vision. For the first 100 days, he let Americans know what he was going to accomplish while he was in office. Then, for the next seven years, 265 days, he tried to accomplish, with great success, what he promised during his first 100 days.

The Sermon

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” —Ephesians 6:18

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-13

Introduction:

Christ’s teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:5-13 establishes the foundational concepts every Christian needs to have an effective prayer life. But how are these concepts incorporated into our daily prayer life in a practical way?

WORSHIP—The Lord’s Prayer begins with worship. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). Prayer should start with a focus on God’s greatness, His majesty, and His mercy and grace in sending His