When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment in the Law, He responded with two: Love God and love your neighbor.

The first of those is easy. Most people who call themselves Christians have little problem loving God (I hope). But loving others? That might be a little more difficult at times.

Fortunately, Jesus qualifies His statement. He says to love others “as yourself.” The statement is clear then – we can’t love others until we love ourselves. It’s not a sinful form of self-idolization, but a respect for who you are because God made you.

Anxiety is a major issue, but the instructions that Jesus gives during the Sermon on the Mount have the ability to completely take it away. Implementing His words though will take rearranging our thoughts.

After Jesus talks about prayer, He discusses the location of our treasures. Is it in Heaven or on Earth? Why does the location of our treasures matter so much?

For years, I have heard people try to excuse their actions by saying “God knows my heart.”

You know what? They’re right. God does know your heart; in fact, He knows it a lot better than you do.

That should be a scary thought for everyone. So how do we know what is actually in our heart – and, just as importantly, how do we fix it?

Jesus’ model prayer in Matthew 6 is the best template we have for praying to God. It was given by God, after all, so it’s Him telling us how to talk to His Father.

As Christians, we know that we’re called up on to carry the cross with Jesus. But what does that really mean? Does it mean the physical suffering that went alongside Jesus’ crucifixion? Does it mean public ridicule from His teaching?

In a word, it has to do with His shame. In addition to being painful, crucifixion was an extremely embarrassing process. We are called, just like Simon of Cyrene was, to bear that cross with Him.

Are we willing to do that? To despise the shame (Hebrews 12:2) and to glorify Him (John 12:27-33)?

Jesus continues His epic sermon with a discussion about the three main pillars of Jewish piety: Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. These three had the appearance of humility, but in practice, for the Pharisees, they turned into yet another opportunity to exalt themselves.

How can we avoid the same trap?

A message from the series “Decide! (Hillside Theme – 2024).” We need to be more intentional about our relationships. All of us. Every one of us.

Why? Because the relationships that we form with people we consider close eventually become influences that shape who we become. You wouldn’t just let a random person inside your house; why let them inside your heart?

Nowhere is this better seen than in the life of David with his two friends: Jonathan and Joab. One of them had David’s best interests at heart; the other only thought of himself.

After the beatitudes, there comes a section called the “similitudes.” It’s where Jesus famously refers to His Kingdom citizens as being the “salt” and “light” of the world.

But what does He mean by that? Are we to preserve the world? Bring forth flavor? Shine our light? How are Christians called the salt and light of the world around us?

The Beatitudes are arguably the most famous part of the Sermon on the Mount, but what do they actually mean? What is Jesus trying to tell us? Is the order important?

These are all questions that we have about this section of Scripture, and what we’ll seek to answer in this class.