Searching for Meaning and Purpose...

What Does Your Money Say About Your Heart? A Look at Matthew 6:19-24 Money is one of the most uncomfortable topics to talk about, but it is also one of the most revealing. Jesus did not shy away from it, and neither should we. In Matthew 6, He makes a bold claim: your money is not just a financial tool. It is a window into your heart. Two Things That Reveal What Matters Most to You Before diving into Scripture, consider this: two simple things can reveal what is most important in your life. Your calendar and your bank statement. Where your time goes and where your money goes will always tell the truth about what you value most. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus consistently digs below the surface. He moves past behavior and into the heart. Murder is about anger. Adultery is about desire. Prayer is about communion, not performance. Giving is about seeking God, not being seen. And now, He turns to money. Jesus is not asking what is in your wallet. He is asking what is i...

What Is the Lord's Prayer Really About? A Fresh Look at Matthew 6:9-13 The Lord's Prayer is one of the most recognized passages in all of Scripture. Many of us grew up reciting it. But familiarity can sometimes cause us to miss what Jesus was actually teaching. This is not a religious formula to be repeated. It is a model for how to orient your entire life around your Heavenly Father. The Big Idea: Prayer Is Not a Formula The Lord's Prayer is not a religious formula, but a daily reorientation toward a Father whose name, will, and kingdom are the point. In Matthew 6:1-8, Jesus had already addressed the wrong motivations behind prayer. People were praying loudly and publicly to impress others. Jesus corrected that and then gave His followers this model prayer to show them what prayer is truly meant to look like. "Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in he...

Kingdom People Seek the Father's Approval, Not People's Applause It is possible to do all the right things and still completely miss the heart of God. Giving, praying, serving, and appearing spiritually mature can all become performances aimed at the wrong audience. Jesus addresses this directly in Matthew 6, and His words are as challenging today as they were when He first spoke them. What Is Jesus Actually Warning Us About in Matthew 6? Jesus opens Matthew 6 with a clear heading for everything that follows: "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven." - Matthew 6:1 He is not condemning giving, praying, or fasting. He expects His followers to do all of these things. What He is confronting is righteousness performed for the wrong audience, acts of obedience aimed at earning the approval and admiration of other people rather than honoring God. Jesus gives one th...

Love Without Asterisks: What Jesus Really Means When He Says Love Your Enemies Most of us are comfortable with the idea of loving people who are easy to love. But what about the neighbor who returns your lawnmower with a bent blade? The coworker who got the promotion you deserved? The person who hurt you deeply and never apologized? Jesus has something to say about all of it, and it is not what our instincts want to hear. Why We All Want a Loophole When It Comes to Loving Others There is a deeply protected instinct in the human heart. We believe we should get to decide who we love. We want the ability to draw a line and say, "I will love this person, but not that one." It feels reasonable. It feels fair. But God makes it clear: He decides who we are called to love. And He modeled it first. He could have walked away from us. He had every reason to. But He did not. He loved us anyway, and He is asking us to do the same for others. What Does the Bible Actually Say Abo...