The Foundation of PrayerMatthew 6:7-15“Our Father who is in heaven, hollowed be Your name.”The Lord’s Prayer is, without question, the most popular prayer in the Bible.  It is often used to close serv...  Read More

A Façade or Authentic FaithMatthew 6:1-6“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” (vs. 1)It is easy t...  Read More

Resetting the BarMatthew 5:43-48“Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”Growing up on the farm, we often focused on getting the job done.  Because there is always so muc...  Read More

Responding to an AdversaryMatthew 5:38-42“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”How do we respond when someone personal...  Read More

Integrity in Our SpeechMatthew 5:33-37“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or No, no;’ anything beyond these is of evil.”All of us say and promise things that we fail to fulfill.  We make promises o...  Read More

The Seriousness of Sin.Mathew 5:27-32If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it away, for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be t...  Read More

The Freedom of ReconciliationMatthew 5:21-26“First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”Author Lewis Smedes wrote, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover...  Read More

Living a Life of Influence.Matthew 5:13-20“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”What does it mean to be a disciple ...  Read More

Obtaining the Blessed LifeMatthew 5:1-13“Blessed are….”The Beatitudes have long been the favorite of many.  In Matthew 5-7, Christ sets forth the conduct and character of those who desire to be his fo...  Read More

The Blessing of a Changed LifeMatthew 5:1-12“Blessed  are…”The Sermon on the Mount remains one of the central passages of the teaching of life in the Kingdom of Christ. It has been often referred to a...  Read More

Responding to Christ’s Call.Matthew 4:18-25“Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”The day started like any other day for Peter, Andrew, James, and John.  For them, their livelihood was fi...  Read More

The Hope of ChristMatthew 4:12-17“The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned.”    In preparation fo...  Read More