Fully Alive in Christ

In Matthew 6, Jesus shifts us from the public performance of religion to the secret places where real transformation happens.
Prayer, fasting, and forgiveness aren’t meant to impress others or manipulate God. They are invitations into intimacy with a Father who sees in secret.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus confronts how spiritual practices, when done with the wrong motives, can actually deform us. But when rooted in love, they align us with the Kingdom. Jesus isn’t just offering a better method for prayer. He is rewiring our hearts to desire His presence over applause.

The real question isn’t Are you doing the right things?It’s Why are you doing them and who are you doing them for?

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, we explore how Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38–48 aren’t a list of rules to follow, but a vision for a life completely reshaped by love. Jesus flips everything we think we know about justice and power. In a world that demands retaliation, He teaches us to turn the other cheek, go the second mile, and love even our enemies. It’s not about surviving culture—it’s about subverting it. What looks like weakness to the world is actually a Spirit-empowered strength. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, love becomes our resistance, forgiveness becomes our power, and grace becomes our witness.

In this section of The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses our motive for giving. Giving isn’t meant to be a performance for praise, rather a quiet overflow of our relationship with Him. The way of the Kingdom is upside down. It’s not about being seen, but being known by the Father who sees in secret.

So the question is: Are we giving out of love or out of a need to be loved? Are we following Jesus with depth, or just checking the boxes of what a good Christian should do?

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exposed the heart behind lust, adultery, divorce, and oaths. Lust isn’t just about what we see—it’s about what we cultivate in our hearts. It’s desire that takes and consumes instead of honors. When it comes to marriage, Jesus challenges the way people treated covenant like a contract they could break when it no longer served them.

Jesus isn’t just calling us to avoid sinful actions but to address the seeds that lead there. Because what takes root in us—whether lust, anger, or deception—shapes who we become. Just as a plant grows toward sunlight, our hearts grow toward what we desire. If our desires are shaped by selfishness instead of love, we will justify behaviors that destroy relationships.

Jesus' way is about a heart-transformed life, reshaping us from the inside out, making us the kind of people who live in truth, honor covenant, and walk in love.

Jesus isn’t just after our behavior, He’s after our hearts. In the Sermon on the Mount, He takes the Law beyond “Do not murder” and gets to the root of the issue—hatred, anger, resentment, and broken relationships. He shows us that the Kingdom way isn’t just about avoiding sin; it’s about confronting what’s beneath the surface before it destroys us and the people around us.

In this message, we dive into Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where He declares, “I didn’t come to abolish the Law or the Prophets—I came to fulfill them.” What does that mean for us today? Jesus upgrades the Old Covenant, fulfilling it through His perfect life and death, freeing us from its burden (Heb. 8:13). From Moses on Mount Sinai to Jesus on the Mount, we see a shift from rules to a transformed life—His law now written on our hearts (Jer. 31:33).

Explore how Jesus calls us to a righteousness that surpasses the Pharisees—not through legalism, but through His life in us (2 Cor. 5:21). His teachings (Matt. 5-7) aren’t just inspiration; they’re a call to action: “Everyone who hears these words and puts them into practice” builds their life on the rock (Matt. 7:24-27).

Discover how Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law and the destruction of the Temple (AD 70) mark the end of the old “heaven and earth,” ushering in a New Covenant of Kingdom living—resilient, Spirit-led, and free.

Jesus calls us to be salt and light in the world—not someday, but right now. Just as salt preserves food and enhances flavor, we are meant to bring the goodness of God into the lives of those around us. Our lives have real value and purpose in bringing hope, truth, and life to our communities. And just like light helps guide the way in the darkness, we are meant to shine brightly, showing others the way of Jesus.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches what it looks like to live FROM the heart and INTO a very real, present, and available Kingdom that He came to show His followers.

The life of the kingdom is principally (but not exclusively) spiritual - therefore, it has to be a matter of the heart before it can expand into a manifest reality through our day-to-day lives. Jesus is teaching us that we must live from the inside out to be people who see His will done and His Kingdom come.

In this special gathering, we took time to honor and thank everyone who contributes to Living Waters—whether through time, talent, or treasure. It was a morning full of gratitude, celebration, and vision for the year ahead!

As followers of Jesus, our lifestyle is not just a reflection of our beliefs—it is the evidence of our intimacy with the Holy Spirit and how we access and release our inheritance from our Father. We aren't just called to receive His Spirit but to steward His presence in our daily lives to leave an impact on those around us.

What we do, how we live, and what we prioritize either aligns us with the fullness of God or hinders us from walking in it. As co-heirs with Jesus, His power, authority, and love are available to us, but our choices, surrender, and obedience determine whether we truly live in the richness of His Kingdom.

And so the invitation he gives us is to walk in a way that makes us available to His Spirit, to remove what hinders, and to press into a life that overflows with His power.

What are we sowing into? What are we making room for? Let us not settle for a life that justifies disconnection. Instead, let's become a people who continually step into the fullness of our inheritance and let His life flow through us.