This week Bren tackles what he calls one of the most paralyzing scriptures: judging others. He walks us through what it means, how it applies to our hearts and motives, and how it plays out in our life and walk.

This week Bren speaks on worry. He ties in this passage with the previous one, building on the idea of what we put first in our lives. He argues that what worries us is an indication of where we've put our focus. He issues us a challenge, to consider if we're focused on and worried about things that don't really last that long, or if we're focused on building our relationship with him and seeking what God wants before our own wants.

Bren walks us through the next section about "treasure", or the things that we spend most of our lives focusing on. He challenges us to consider where we devote our time and energy -- either in the things we can see, or in following Jesus. We can only choose one (because there can be only one), and Bren cautions us to choose wisely so that we don't spend our lives focusing on useless things.

This week Bren returns to the beginning of Matthew -- a section of text we skipped previously. He ties the scripture in with his trip to the Philippines, telling a story about one Sunday morning. Most people in the Philippines live in extreme poverty, but Bren explains that on that morning everyone gave something to the church. This doesn't violate what Jesus teaches in this passage ("do not let the left hand know what your right hand is doing"), he says, because Jesus is teaching about motive. Ultimately, he challenges us to consider our motive when giving, and to make sure it's both in line with what Jesus wants and an act of worship.

Mike Gordon continues with part two of this text, jumping into how Jesus says we should pray. Again, he says that it's about our approach. Jesus teaches that we must first acknowledge that we want life to happen as God wills. Once we've acknowledged that, and only after, can we begin to ask God for what we need and want.

In this introduction to the Lord's Prayer Mike Gordon talks about how we approach God when we pray. He says we have two choices: to approach God like it's a business relationship (love is granted on contingency that we are 'good') or approach like it's a family relationship (love is unconditional). Mike reminds us that we are God's children and we should always approach him with that relationship in mind.

Josh wraps up the Sermon on the Mount this week, talking through the rest of Jesus' "you have heard it said, but I say points." Ultimately, Josh points out that Jesus' examples show that God calls us to lay down our rights in order to follow God's will that we love others, trusting that He will seek justice on our behalf.

Although Jesus' admonition to not swear anything on oath sounds straightforward, the cultural context around it sets the bar higher than ever. Bren talks through how this applies to our life and hearts, showing how the text addresses our life on a day-to-day basis and, finally, reminding us that Jesus does for sinners like us; his grace covers it all.

In the next part of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tackles lust. Jesus says that lust isn't just about what we do but also about how we think. Bren explains that lust is a condition of the heart. He talks through some practical ways Jesus says we can turn away from the temptation, bringing it back around to the worth that we have in Christ alone.

In this continuation of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins to reinterpret the law for us, correcting the false interpretations of other teachers. Bren walks us through the first section, explaining that Jesus raises the bar so high that anger towards someone else is akin to murdering them. Furthermore, Jesus tells us to seek out those who we've done harm against and seek peace before doing anything else in our life. Ultimately, Bren explains that all of this goes back to having a right heart, and that we can only have a heart like that through following Jesus.