Pursuing Biblical Masculinity

The passage of scripture we will look at today is, in my opinion, one of the most terrifying pieces of scripture to read. It's very challenging and it really makes us look at what we are doing and why we are doing it.

We find ourselves in Matthew 7:21-23, and it says this. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord. Did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 

 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 7:15–20.

Matthew 7:12 says, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." So how do we live this out practically in our live as men?

In this episode, we are going to explore Matthew 7:7-11 and what it means for us a Christian men.

In this episode, we take a look at Matthew 7:1-6. We see the dangers of judging others and what we as Christians should do instead.

Several things, including work stress, family dynamics, traumatic events, and more can cause anxiety. In this episode, we look at Matthew 6: 25-34, where Christ teaches us how to approach anxiety.

In this episode, we explore Matthew 6:19-24.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.   Mt 6:19–24.

For many of us, fasting is not a normal part of our Christian walk. We may only think of it in the context of Lent or when we come across a section of scripture that addresses fasting. Today we will be looking at Jesus' teaching on fasting from Matthew 6:16-18

Links:

https://www.ligonier.org/guides/fasting

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/role-fasting

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/new-covenant-fasting

One of the amazing gifts God gives us is the ability to speak directly to Him. Theologian Charles Hodge says that "prayer is the converse of the soul with God." It is in prayer that we connect with God, confess our sins, glorify and praise him as well, and seek his help in our lives.

In this episode, we are looking at Matthew 6:5–15 and how we can cultivate a prayer life that honors God.

While this desire is not necessarily bad, when we seek the approval of others for doing good, we are seeking approval in the wrong place.

In the previous section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was comparing the teachings from the Religious leaders of his day, with the original intent of God's law. In Chapter 6, we see a similar style of contrasting as Christ teaches the difference between righteous and righteous actions.

Over the next 3 weeks, we will look at giving, prayer, fasting, focus, and anxiety from this perspective. Today we begin with giving.