Jesus was driven by a compassion for the lost. When He sent twelve disciples to heal and spread the Good News, He told them it would be hard. We must, like Him, be willing to go so far as to sacrifice our lives carrying out the missions He gave us as His disciples today.

Here is a short look at image bearing as part of the spring 2024 men's masculinity series. Jason did an entire sermon on being an image bearer on October 22, 2023. See the link below to go to that sermon.

God’s presence on the mountaintop is undeniable. We see it in stories about Moses, Abraham, and Elijah. Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount. We experience it during the high points of our lives. However, in a fallen world, we may wonder if God really is in the valleys. Matthew takes us from the words of Jesus to His works where He demonstrates His absolute authority everywhere. This merits our unwavering allegiance to Him.  

There are two ways to pursue God. One is the religious path where we srive to look virtuous, winning accolades from people. However, inside that person is empty. The second is to abide in our relationship with Jesus being filled with His righteousness, letting Him define our worth. This gives God glory and leads to eternal life.

Judging, or taking a critical attitude toward others, leads us to eventually condemn them. Jesus warns that attitude results in being held to the standard we held to others. Instead, He calls His people to humbly seek moral discernment, treating others as we want them to treat us.

In Jesus’ time, Pharisees modeled holiness. Their acts of kindness; helping the poor, fasting, or prayer, had to be performed publicly. Jesus uses a theatric term, hypocrite, a masked actor performing for people, to describe this. However, Jesus teaches it is not public acts for societal approval but it is pious acts, done in private, that God treasures.

Jesus calls His followers to respond to God's commands by living radically different lives.

Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount with a description of Kingdom citizens' role in the world. He calls for us to live radically different lives. Our response to His commands goes beyond religious rule-keeping.

Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, bold statements about the character traits of citizens of God’s Kingdom. They are foundational to understanding how the LORD works to shape a people that are approved (blessed) by Him.

Bernie Hajovsky and Jay Owen explore why we work as part of the Spring, 2024 Masculine Mandate series. A great resource they mention is Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes