Matthew 7:13-29 There are four main religions in the world, followed by ¾ of the world’s population, but there are over 10,000 other smaller ones. And then there are so many other paths among the 37% in our country who say they are of ‘no religion’. With so many options to choose from, it can all feel rather bewildering. But Jesus makes things refreshingly simple – there are just two ways.
Matthew 7:1-12 In a crowd of people you can spot the Muslim woman by her hijab, and the Buddhist monk by his saffron robe, but you can’t spot the Christian. Because the Christian is to stand out not be distinctive dress but distinctive living. That is the challenging message of the Sermon on the Mount. This next bit looks at our distinctive relationships.
Matthew 6:25-34 Have you felt anxious in the past two weeks? If so, you are not alone. Nearly 75% of the population say they have. Anxiety is pandemic. What is the antidote? That is what Jesus teaches his disciples in this next part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:19-24 Would you say you are materialistic? The society in which we live is preoccupied with money and stuff – getting more money, having the latest version of everything, pursuing a higher standard of living, being more comfortable. Materialism is the majority religion. But it cannot be ours, if we are disciples of Jesus.
Matthew 6:1-18 Whose approval are we living for? If we live for the approval and praise of others, it will damage our health – physically, emotionally, but also spiritually. As disciples we are to live for the audience of one – for our Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:17-48 What does walking with God actually look like? Some give the impression that obeying God’s Law is just Old Testament religion, and that the life of discipleship today is very different. But Jesus doesn’t see it that way. Obedience still matters.
Matthew 5:1-16 All of us want to make our short lives count. We don’t want to just fill in time on the planet. We want to make an impact, leave a legacy, make a difference. But how? In this passage Jesus tells us how to make the biggest impact – an eternal one.
Matthew 4:12-25 In the selfie, self-obsessed culture in which we live, the danger is that the Christian message gets distorted and becomes all about me. But Jesus’ message was about the kingdom of heaven, and ours should be too. This coming reality should shape everything.
Luke 1:77-79 The prophet Malachi foretold that one day ‘the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings’. At Christmas we celebrate the coming into this dark world of that promised sunrise in Jesus, and we give thanks for the blessings which radiate out in the heavenly sunbeams.
Luke 2:10-11 To many people the Christmas story feels very remote – angels appearing to shepherds; a virgin giving birth. It feels a very long way from our experience. But there’s an emotional bridge between us and those distant events – fear and joy. We have plenty of fears, and we would like more joy. This passage tells us how it can be ours.
