Men's Ministry | Southeast Christian Church

Matthew 6:1-6

In this section of Jesus’ sermon, His followers were met with arguably the most challenging call of the Christian life. He commanded them to withhold retaliation from and even go the extra mile for those who wrong them. He also commanded them to love and pray for their enemies. Only someone who has done this has the authority to require it of others. This week, we look at Jesus, who loved us while we were at enmity with Him, and learn to do the same to others.

Jesus continued the Sermon on the Mount by correcting a misunderstanding by the religious people regarding what the Bible states about divorce and taking oaths. The sinful nature of the human heart had corrupted the Law of God. Jesus did not abandon the Law that God had commanded, but led people back to the original purpose of it. In a world where faithfulness is rare, we are going to study the words of the God who remains faithful.

Drawing from the sixth and seventh commandments, Jesus covered the topics of murder and adultery in sequential fashion. He showed that the evil thought that provokes evil action is equally deserving of punishment. This week we will be challenged to face our own inner thoughts and desires in light of a holy God.

Contrary to most western ideologies, Jesus did not denounce the Law of the Old Testament. Instead He raised the bar by saying that His followers’ “righteousness” must exceed that of the religious elites of their day. This week we will define what righteousness is, how it is achieved, and discover the relationship between the Old and New Testaments—the Law and the Gospel.

By using the imagery of salt and light, Jesus teaches that stopping the spread of evil and promoting the spread of truth is the twofold role of the Christian. These roles are built on two fundamental realities. First, that the fall of man has left the world in a constant state of both physical and spiritual decay. Second, the only hope of piercing this present darkness is Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12).

(Sam Reader & Kyle Idleman) - We live in a world that hinges on prerequisites. Schools, jobs, committees,

In this bizarre passage, we see people who were trying to manipulate Jesus and His power, but their plan backfired. They discovered that Jesus doesn't conform to their will, but rather that they should conform to His. They confessed their involvement in evil spiritual practicers and literally burned any ties that they had to their old sinful patterns. This week, we're going to focus on the authority of Jesus and how it should prompt us to dramatically reorder our lives around Him.

In this week's passage, we meet Barnabas, who relies on the Holy Spirit and is unleashed to be extraordinarily generous. His generous act of selling a field and donating the money to the ministry of the apostles is contrasted with the greed of a man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, who sold a field and kept the money for themselves. This passage shows us that we can choose between greed and generosity, and that we need to rely upon the Holy Spirit in order to make the right choice.

(Mason Bramer, Chris Burke, Sam Reader) After being beaten and incarcerated in the city he loved, Paul was given an opportunity to speak to the ardent Jews who were hoping to kill him. His defense was his testimony. Paul looked into the eyes of a violent mob, resonated deeply with their religious zeal, and told them of Jesus, who forgave his sins and commissioned him to take the good news of grace to the world. This week we’ll study the story of a man who left his religious striving to live a life fueled by the love of God.