Category Archives: Bible

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Worry versus Trust: What Wins?

A Look At Matthew 6:25-34

Worry is something I have long struggled with. I’m a worrier, although I may call it “concern” or “attention” or “caution” or something similar. Whatever I might name it, it needs to be addressed in my life, and Jesus gives us some direct and pointed insights on the topic.

Worry versus Trust: What Wins?

In this passage in Matthew 6, Jesus gives us some direct instructions about worry. There are so many things that take place in our lives that are beyond our control, and worrying about them won’t change a thing. I worry about my wife driving late at night. I worry about my older kids as they travel, as they build and form relationships, and as they seek to live as functional adults.

I worry about my younger kids as they grow into who God has called them to be. I worry about their friends, about how much time they may spend online or playing video games. I worry about their safety and health.

I worry about my job, in my role as a minister. I worry about those I cannot please, no matter what I do. I worry about those who are close to me, and my own influence upon them.

I worry. … A lot.

But Jesus says, “For this reason… do not be worried about your life” (Matthew 6:25). Do not worry. Do not be anxious. Do not dwell on this stuff. The word that Jesus uses here in Greek means “to have the mind distracted.” After all, that’s what worrying is. It’s distraction. It’s focusing on those things that we cannot change instead of what we should be focused on: the one who does have the ability to change things.

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Money And The Heart

A Look At Matthew 6:19-24

Topic after topic is addressed in quick order in Matthew 6, all with the underlying instruction to not worry about such things. In this passage, Jesus tells us not to worry about our money and finances.

Money and the Heart

Jesus begins this passage on money with the words, “Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth.” This is a teaching with a sharp point to it, because we have a passion for our possessions, don’t we? Materialism is a trap that captures many, and no one is immune from it. It’s easy for us to get caught up in acquiring more and more stuff.

Much of the time, the stuff that we acquire isn’t necessarily bad in and of itself. Did you buy a guitar? It may be used for worship. Need a new and dependable car? That’s necessary for day-to-day functions, and you could use it as a ministry tool, too. And I’m sure you could think of scores of examples to add to the list. The problem really isn’t money, or even the stuff that money can buy. It’s the motives behind the money issues that are really at the root of things.

Our passion for stuff shouldn’t lead us to hoard it for selfish reasons. Why not? Because it won’t last anyway. Moths eat clothes. Rust destroys cars. Stuff decays and deteriorates. And our stuff can easily become an idol if we aren’t careful.

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When You Fast

A Look At Matthew 6:16-18

After discussing prayer in Matthew 6, Jesus turns to the topic of fasting. This is a discipline that many Christians often neglect, but it has significant benefits to our growth.

When you fast... Matthew 6:16-18

It seems as if Jesus makes an assumption here, just as he does with the topics of prayer and giving. He says, “When you fast…” Not if you fast. The initial context here is that the Pharisees fasted, and Jesus expected his followers to do so as well. But he has to differentiate between how that was supposed to look for his followers. The Pharisees performed this spiritual discipline in a hypocritical fashion, seeking to be noticed for their supposed piety. Jesus urges his disciples to avoid that trap, and to pursue this for different motives.

If that’s the case, then just what is fasting, and how do we do it?

Different Types of Fasts in the Bible

The Bible describes at least three different kinds of fasts, and I believe that it implies a fourth type as well. These are different ways that we can approach the discipline of fasting.

First of all, there is what we might call the Regular Fast. This is when someone drinks liquids but doesn’t eat food. This is the fast most often found in the Bible, and is the most common style of fasting.

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Watch How You Pray

A Look At Matthew 6:5-15

Matthew 6 contains some of the best known teaching of Jesus on the topic of prayer, and in it, Jesus gives us an example of how to pray in The Lord’s Prayer.

Prayer: Matthew 6:5-15

All through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches with the use of contrasting statements: This is what we should do, versus this is what we shouldn’t do. This is exactly what he does with the topic of prayer in Matthew 6:5-15.

To start off, Jesus gives an example of the wrong way to pray, and tells his followers not to be like the hypocrites. These are people who make a public show of their piety for the reason of drawing attention to themselves. Their motives are wrong. Their desire was to be seen by others, and not to have a conversation and communion with God. That’s what the hypocrites do. The word “hypocrite” is an old word for actor, or one who impersonates another. It was used to describe someone who pretended to be someone else, or who wore a mask. It was used originally to describe actors on a stage, but came to mean anyone who was pretending to be something he is not…And it’s not usually used in a good sense.

Instead, Jesus suggests that we go to an inner room, someplace where we can withdraw from the world, shut out the distractions, and commune with God. Find a private place to pray, and don’t draw attention to yourself from others. The only attention you should be after is that of God. And when you withdraw, speak to him genuinely, and from the heart. Why? Because God already knows what’s on your heart. So just talk to him about it.

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Keep An Eye On Your Giving

A Look At Matthew 6:1-4

Matthew six is the second part of Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount. In this section, Jesus tells his listeners to watch certain areas of their lives: their giving, their praying, and their fasting.

Keep An Eye On Your Giving - A Look At Matthew 6:1-4

Jesus begins this section of Matthew 6 with the phrase, “Take care,” which carries the force of, “Beware.” That immediately tells us that this is an area of our lives that we need to keep a close watch on so that we do not go astray. And, as with the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus doesn’t just deal with our actions, he deals with the motives and attitudes behind them. He gets to the root, and in the case of our giving, if the root motive isn’t right, it won’t be long before we are off course.

The next thing that is interesting is the connection between giving and righteousness. The Pharisees had several outward expressions of their righteousness, and Jesus address three of them in this chapter: the giving of charitable alms, prayer and fasting. But when they are performing the acts of righteousness for show, so that others can see how pious they are, their root motives are wrong.

But don’t misunderstand what Jesus is saying here. He is not saying that others should not see any of our righteousness, or that we must keep it hidden, he’s condemning those whose motives is to be seen by others. The fruit of our life must be displayed, so that others can see Christ in our actions, but our motive must be pleasing to God first and foremost.

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Get Even Or Get Over It? The End Of Matthew 5

A Look At Matthew 5:33-48

Matthew 5, the first of the three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount, wraps up with what seems to be a few odds and ends. But they are critically important topics that address how we interact with God and with others… which has been a theme throughout most of Matthew 5.

Matthew 5 - Get Even Or Get Over It?

Many people have found various themes that run through these three chapters of Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount. Many of them seem to be obvious, others not so much. But throughout Matthew 5, it is hard to miss the recurring theme of relational topics. Jesus seems to focus on our relationships with other people in this section, and will move on to our relationship with the Father in Matthew 6.

Just as in previous passages, each of these last three topics begins with the familiar phrase, “You have heard that it was said…” Jesus is drawing from the vast quantity of instruction to be found in the Old Testament, of which his hearers would have been intimately aware.

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The Silence Of Christmas

Peace And Quiet? Or Peace On Earth?

My kids typically sleep in a little more than most. And that has been a blessing in a few different ways. Especially at Christmas time.

The Silence Of Christmas

We homeschool our kids, and because of that, we can begin our day on a little different schedule than many families. That enables us to allow them to stay up a little later than some, and it results in the fact that they sleep in a little later than many kids do.

That’s a fact that my wife and I enjoy, especially at Christmas time. I’m typically an early riser, and most of the time, I am in my office at the church before most of our kids are even awake. More often than not, even my wife is still snatching the opportunity to sleep a little more before the day’s chaos begins.

But at Christmas, I don’t head off to the office, I stay at home. I’m still up early. I shower and dress, and then I sit down with a cup of coffee and my Bible.

It’s quiet. It’s almost eerily quiet. I know that, soon enough, everyone will be awake, and then it will become crazy around our home while we begin the Christmas festivities and traditions that we enjoy.

But for a time, I enjoy the peace and quiet.