Let's read Matthew 7:7-11: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for …
Matthew 7 – Do not give what is sacred…
Let's read Matthew 7:6: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Questions This verse seems a little odd, standing on its own in between Jesus' warning about hypocrisy in passing judgement …
Matthew 7 – to judge or not to judge…
We've reached Matthew 7 at last - it's only taken us ten months! Today we're going to look at what is perhaps one of the most frequently quoted - but also most often misunderstood - passages in all of Jesus' teaching. Let's read Matthew 7:1-5: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For …
Matthew 6 – Don’t worry about tomorrow
Welcome back. In today's post we'll cover a longer section than usual, from Matthew 6:25 right to the end of the chapter (v34). This section will conclude Jesus' teaching on the theme of where our true number one priority in life lies. Let's read Matthew 6:25-34: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your …
Matthew 6 – God vs Mammon
In our ongoing study of Matthew 6, we've looked in verses 19-21 at Jesus' teaching on the absolute necessity for a Christian's ultimate priority to be 'in heaven', in other words God, not here on earth. We've also considered in verses 22-23 his warning that a Christian who values their earthly possessions too much - …
Matthew 6 – the Lamp of the Body
Let's read Matthew 6:22-23: The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! What was Jesus …
Matthew 6 – Where your treasure is…
We've now reached the second half of Matthew 6, in which Jesus' attention turns from non-hypocritical religious observance to how we ought to set our priorities in life. Let's begin by reading Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. …
Matthew 6 – Don’t be a Hypocrite – Fasting
Let's read Matthew 6:16-18When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be …
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Matthew 6 – the Lord’s Prayer – Concluding Thoughts
Unfortunately it's just a short post today as I've been unwell for most of the past week. Last week we looked at the last verse of the Lord's prayer. Today we'll quickly consider the footnote that Jesus added. Matthew 6:14-15: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will …
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Matthew 6 – How to pray – The Lord’s Prayer part 5
The final verse of the Lord's prayer, as recorded by Matthew, reads like this (Matthew 6:13): And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Whereas the previous verse was a plea for God to forgive us for the things we've done wrong, this one shifts focus to ask for God's …
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Nihilist to Christian 