SOM 40—Wow!
Posted: February 9, 2020
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28-29)…. Read More
SOM 39—Sand
Posted: February 8, 2020
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. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came,… Read More
SOM 38—Lord, Lord
Posted: February 7, 2020
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… Read More
SOM 37—Prophets?
Posted: February 6, 2020
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from… Read More
SOM 36—Narrow
Posted: February 5, 2020
“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. For the gate… Read More
SOM 35—Gold
Posted: February 4, 2020
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Comment This sentence sums up much of… Read More
SOM 34—Ask
Posted: February 3, 2020
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the… Read More
SOM 33—Swine
Posted: February 2, 2020
“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” (Matthew 7:6). This text connects with… Read More
SOM 32—Judge
Posted: February 1, 2020
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… Read More
SOM 31—Kingdom
Posted: January 31, 2020
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will… Read More
SOM 30—Anxious
Posted: January 30, 2020
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…. Read More
SOM 29—Mammon
Posted: January 29, 2020
“No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other. Or else he will hold fast to the one and despise the other…. Read More
SOM 28—Darkness
Posted: January 28, 2020
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body… Read More
SOM 27—Treasure
Posted: January 27, 2020
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where… Read More
SOM 26—Fast
Posted: January 26, 2020
Moreover, when you fast, do not put on a sad face like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to men to fast. Truly I… Read More
SOM 25—Forgive
Posted: January 25, 2020
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew… Read More
SOM 24—THE Prayer
Posted: January 24, 2020
“Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is… Read More
SOM 23—Prayer
Posted: January 23, 2020
5 “And when you pray, do not be as the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, so they may… Read More
SOM 22—Alms
Posted: January 22, 2020
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly,… Read More
SOM 21—Show-off!
Posted: January 21, 2020
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew… Read More
SOM 20–Perfection
Posted: January 20, 2020
“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). On the previous topic, “Enemies:” Jesus, Paul, and the early church spoke clearly and definitively about the… Read More
SOM 19—Enemies
Posted: January 19, 2020
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may… Read More
SOM 18—Retaliation
Posted: January 18, 2020
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps… Read More
SOM 17—Oaths
Posted: January 17, 2020
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take… Read More
SOM 16—Divorce
Posted: January 16, 2020
“It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the… Read More
SOM 15—Lust
Posted: January 15, 2020
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in… Read More
SOM 14—Anger
Posted: January 14, 2020
You have heard that it was said by those of old, you will not kill; and whoever kills will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you… Read More
SOM 13—Pharisees
Posted: January 13, 2020
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Jesus’ words would probably have… Read More
SOM 12—Fulfillment
Posted: January 12, 2020
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to… Read More
SOM 11—Light
Posted: January 11, 2020
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a basket, but… Read More
SOM 10—Salt
Posted: January 10, 2020
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt becomes foolish, how will it be salted? It is thereafter good for nothing but to be thrown out and… Read More
SOM 09—Persecuted
Posted: January 9, 2020
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men speak abusively of you,… Read More
SOM 08—Peacemaking
Posted: January 8, 2020
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). “If most of us are honest with ourselves, we know that there are many… Read More
SOM 07—Pure
Posted: January 7, 2020
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). (1) PURITY: A constant theme in Jesus’ teaching is that God looks not only at… Read More
SOM 06—Merciful
Posted: January 6, 2020
The 5th beatitude: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). My friend David Berçot, who has examined all the ancient Christian writings, helps… Read More
SOM 05—Hungry
Posted: January 5, 2020
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness / justice, for they will be satisfied.” What does this mean? Consider such passages as: “Man does not… Read More
SOM 04—Meek
Posted: January 4, 2020
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) “Meek” is a word we seldom use. It does not mean “weak.” It derives from the Old Norse mjúkr,… Read More
SOM 03—Mourning
Posted: January 3, 2020
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). In the background there are well over 100 scriptural passages on mourning, like this one, where Jesus identifies himself… Read More
SOM 02—Poor
Posted: January 2, 2020
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). There are at least 20 beatitudes uttered by Jesus in the N.T. (8 in Matthew,… Read More
SOM 01—The Mountain
Posted: January 1, 2020
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. (Matt 5:1-2 ESV) Mountains in the Bible are associated with Moses (Exod 19-20),… Read More
SOM 00—Introduction—It Still Haunts Us
Posted: December 27, 2019
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is the section of the New Testament widely agreed to contain the very heart of Jesus’ kingdom message. The teachings were and still are… Read More