Sermon on the Mount – Household Words:

ARE RUINS IN YOUR FUTURE? Matthew 7:24-26.

I just re-read Matthew 5-7, Jesus’s first recorded sermon, commonly called “The Sermon on the Mount.” There is so much in there! It is as if Jesus packed a year’s worth of sermons into three chapters. Imagine the millions of sermons based on these well-known scriptures. He touches on so many topics: worship, fasting, giving,Continue reading “ARE RUINS IN YOUR FUTURE? Matthew 7:24-26.”

Pray for Discernment. Matthew 7:15-17, 20.

One of the toughest challenges of modern life is knowing whom to trust. Whom can you date? Whom can you trust with your secrets? Whom can you hire? Whom can you elect? Which preacher is worthy of your attention? Which reporter or news organization can you trust to give you all sides of complex stories?Continue reading “Pray for Discernment. Matthew 7:15-17, 20.”

SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Matthew 6 is About the HEART. Matthew 6:33.

Yesterday I wrote that the Beatitudes (the opening lines of the Sermon on the Mount) are about the heart. This is a theme of the Son of God’s first and most important sermon: your heart. The Old Testament encouraged God’s people to obey the law. And the words of Jesus are consistent with that. HeContinue reading “SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Matthew 6 is About the HEART. Matthew 6:33.”

SERMON ON THE MOUNT:You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows. Matthew 5-7.

I try to read the Bible with fresh eyes. It’s hard to read the familiar Sermon on the Mount as though I were hearing it for the first time. But I try. Jesus created images, ideas, and poetry as rich as anything by Shakespeare or MLK. And what a poetic opening! “Blessed are the poorContinue reading “SERMON ON THE MOUNT:You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows. Matthew 5-7.”

FIRE INSURANCE. Matthew 7:24.

In 1942, Winston Churchill made interesting remarks when the British had General Rommel’s Nazi army on the run in Egypt. “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” We think the war is over when a sinner gets saved.Continue reading “FIRE INSURANCE. Matthew 7:24.”