Ask, Seek, Knock Ask, Seek, Knock must be viewed in context of seeking the kingdom first. Then God provides understanding of true needs. Read chapter six again. Ask, seek, knock, and he will give me what I need for the day whether that be material, physical, spiritual, or intellectual. At this point in my study, if I ask, seek, knock, …
Judging Others the Way You Want to Be Judged, Matthew 7:1-6
Judging others is wrong I am told. I hear this and I think perhaps I cannot decide what a person has just done is wrong. This passage doesn’t mean I if I see a bad behavior or hear an unkind word or witness a crime, I can’t think it wrong. What I cannot do is make a decision about that …
Done in Secret: A Measure of Belief, Devotional Matthew 6:1-18
‘ Done in secret’ sometimes carries a seedy connotation. These three things done in secret express spirituality, Jesus says these things done in secret provide a measure of his reward. He emphasizes focus on my relationship with him, not on how others view me. Jesus wants me to focus on him, on depending on him to do the impossible, not …
Poor in Spirit
An Update to Poor in Spirit I’m updating Poor in Spirit in response to a Tweet from Kevin Shearer this morning asking what we, the Church, were going to do about the problem of loneliness among various groups. To my friend whose cross is heavy with a mentally ill adult child and parent with Alzheimer’s, ignore this, you just keep …
Yes or No, Anything Beyond is Evil, Matthew 5:33-37
The Power of Yes and No: Living Jesus’s Call My Word, My Faith My “yes” or “no” defines who I am. In Matthew 5:33–37, Jesus teaches that my word should be simple and true: “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything more comes from the evil one.” When I say “yes” to Jesus, He shapes me into …
Just Looking Good Isn’t Enough, Devotional Matthew 5:21-32
Just Looking Good Isn’t Enough Just looking good isn’t enough for God. As long as my focus is on my goodness and my effort to be good—or even my effort to be good in front of others, this section makes no sense because Jesus is not talking about meeting minimum standards, looking good, or just getting by. He is talking …
Sermon on the Mount, Further Thoughts
Sermon on the Mount Although I have not written about the Sermon on the Mount for several days, the teachings of Jesus found there have often been in my daily meditations. I sat aside the blog while my daughters were away at camp and then I had a series of business trips. I also wrote a guest post for Jeremy …
Salt and Righteousness, Devotional Matthew 5:13-20
Salt and righteousness, seek that which is real instead of the appearance of it. If something loses the essence of what it is and only the appearance remains, it is useless. In Jesus’ day, salt had many impurities, and when the salt washed away, the impurities remained. Then as now, many people like the Pharisees are concerned about the outward …