This Sunday we begin a new section of the Sermon on the Mount, the center point of the Sermon. After showing a re-interpretation of 6 different commandments in the Law, Jesus turned toward personal piety and righteousness by speaking to bring clarity to almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Each of the next few weeks we will spend time working to understand the practices Jesus described, while paying special attention to His repeated warnings that our religious practices be focused on a heavenly reward from our Father God rather than in the recognition and applause of people who see us. This Sunday we will look at the first of those three, almsgiving. teaching about these three religious practices