Let’s start at the end, and begin to understand the value of these words.  Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

²⁴ ”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Rock On!

 Sermon on the Mount: Final Edition

  ²¹ ”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 21-23)

These words are as frightening today as they were to the first century Jewish audience. Does this passage, as some suggest, mean that you can somehow lose your salvation? Have you ever worried that you will hear Jesus say “I never knew you”? Continue Reading…

Let’s start at the end, and begin to understand the value of these words.  Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

²⁴ ”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Rock On!

 Sermon on the Mount: Which Way?

 ¹³ ”Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)

These two verses always drive me to reflection. Honestly, sometimes I don’t FEEL like I’m on the right side of the narrow gate. I suppose that is one of the things that causes the way to be hard. I do remember some of the things I had to put down in order to fit through that gate. None of the external identities would fit through the gate; drummer, skier, cyclist, bad husband, dreamer, drinker, God didn’t send Jesus to die for any of those things. For the first time it was just me and God. What did or would you lay down to experience real life? Continue Reading…

Let’s start at the end, and begin to understand the value of these words.  Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

²⁴ ”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Rock On!

 Sermon on the Mount: The Most “Mind Blowing” Sermon Ever Preached!
Pretend to be a Jewish follower and think back on the mind-blowing verses in this sermon.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (5:11-12)

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (5:20)

²²But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (5:22)

²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. (5:29)

³⁷Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (5:37)

³⁸”You have heard that it was said, ’An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (5:38-39)

⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (5:44-45)

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (6:14-15)

³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (6:33)

 ¹ ”Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (7:1-2)

 ⁵You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (7:5)

(Still Pretending) What would be going through your mind at this point? Has the impact of these verses really changed in 2000 years? Which one “blows your mind” the most? Continue Reading…

Let’s start at the end, and begin to understand the value of these words.  Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

²⁴ ”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Rock On!

Focal Passage – Matthew 7:1-6

 ¹ ”Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

 ⁶ ”Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Judge NOT! The most popular verse among the critics of Christianity.
¹ ”Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1 English Standard Version)

 ¹ ”Don’t judge others, or you will be judged. ² You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you. (Matthew 7:1 New Century Version)

Satan has used those trapped in popular culture to create a false understanding about Matthew 7:1. What we ended up with is a destructive attitude that came from the misinterpretation of what Jesus said in verse 7:1 – “It’s really none of my business“. The phrase “It’s none of my business” can mean more than one thing. It can be an acknowledgment that we must respect the right of others to do their own thing. On the other hand, it can be used as an excuse for not stepping in to help when it is clear that a person needs our help. The phrase has almost become a motto for a society in which individuals are so totally absorbed in their own life that they fail to consider the common good.

How did we get to the point where our next door neighbor’s life is none of our business, but Tiger Wood’s life is everybody’s business? What does that say about our character? Continue Reading…

Let’s start at the end, and begin to understand the value of these words.  Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

²⁴ ”Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Rock On!

 Anxiety – It’s a term that’s often tossed around in conversation—as a casual synonym for stress, or worry, or that feeling you get when you look at your to-do list. But for 40 million Americans, anxiety disorders are debilitating and omnipresent, and women are twice as likely to suffer as men, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.[1]

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Anxiety (from Merriam-Webster Online)
1     a : painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill

       b : fearful concern or interest

       c : a cause of anxiety

2:    an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.

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“There is an intense, constant fear that is hard to describe. It’s a sinking feeling in your stomach—almost as if someone is stalking you and you never know when those arms are going to wrap around you and drag you away.” (34 year old women from Denver)

A recent study of about 63,700 college students found that five times as many young adults are dealing with high levels of anxiety as in the late 1930s (itself a stressful time!).[2] Continue Reading…