Restoration Living

Whenever there is tension between Christians and those from secular worldviews, the idea of judging often comes up. They usually remind us that Jesus said we shouldn't judge, but here we are telling people they are wrong and need to live as the Bible says. This point of contention is even popular among Christians as a way to keep from having to tell anyone they need to change or confront another person with the truth. As a result, many followers of Jesus have become too scared to speak up and fall silent in a culture constantly moving toward moral relativism. How can a Christian find the balance between truth and grace? Join us for the next part of our series on the Sermon on the Mount, where we see what Jesus had to say about judging others. 

Here in the U.S., we don't really 'do' fasting. Giving something up (usually food) to spend more time with God is not what we like, because it means making ourselves uncomfortable. During the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, however, fasting was a normal part of religious life. The struggle they had was that, like charity and prayer, they often fasted to get recognition and praise from people. In God's Kingdom, however, fasting is not done to make ourselves look good but to connect with our Heavenly Father.  In this episode, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about fasting, how we should fast, and ways to ensure we do it in a way that honors God.

In the Christian faith, we spend a lot of time praying. In church services, at weddings, funerals, before meals, by hospital beds, when we are scared, when we want something, and all sorts of other times and occasions. There is never really a 'wrong' time to pray to God. The struggle we often encounter is that our prayers can become a good luck charm; we believe if we say them repeatedly, they will ensure things happen. Or, we pray to make ourselves look better because other people will hear us pray and think we are super-spiritual. In God's Kingdom, however, prayer is not done to make ourselves look good but to connect with our Heavenly Father.  In this episode, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about what we should prioritize in our prayer life in order to pray reverently and respectfully. 

There are many opportunities in our world to give to those in need. We have many charities, foundations, grants, fellowships, and programs where people can donate their time, talents, and treasure to help others. The problem we often run into is that our charity can become toxic; it can slowly change our hearts and move our intentions away from doing good to help others to do charity to make ourselves look better. In God's Kingdom, however, charity is not done to make ourselves look good but as an overflow from a heart that God has changed.  In this episode, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about focusing on our hearts' attitude and not our hands' actions. This ensures that we are showing the world the love of Christ by doing the right things with the right attitude.

Our culture loves stories involving good vs. evil; superheroes who defeat the villains, police officers who catch the criminal, and the victim who gets revenge on their enemy. There is something emotionally satisfying about seeing a bad guy get their punishment for what they have done. In real life, however, we recognize that no amount of punishment can replace the things that enemies take from us. The only way we can experience true restoration is through the power of God in our lives. This is why Jesus tells us to live a life that seems crazy in the eyes of the world. His Kingdom culture even has a way for us to make peace with our enemies, if we are willing to trust His process. In this episode, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about loving our enemies, getting revenge, and showing the world the love of Christ.

Many of us know what it means to make a promise, as well as how it feels to break one. To get around breaking promises, many times we will look for loopholes or ways out (such as "crossing our fingers'). The same thing was going on in Israel during Jesus' earthly ministry, especially among the religious elite. They had found ways to work around the laws within the Law of Moses to get out of their vows and oaths by technicalities.  Jesus had much to say about how His followers make promises to God and people. In this episode, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about vows and oaths. 

The struggle with living in a nation with laws is that we can find loopholes; ways to follow the 'letter' of the law but not the 'heart' of it. The same happened in Israel during Jesus' earthly ministry, especially among the religious elite. They had found ways to work around the laws within the Law of Moses to claim that they lived holy lives while having unclean hearts.  Here, again, Jesus has much to say about how we should live because, in God's Kingdom, we care about both the actions of our hands and the intentions of our hearts. In this episode, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about adultery, divorce, and the state of our hearts.

The struggle with people is that we hurt each other, and the old saying is true: "hurt people hurt people." A sad part of connection and community is that people hurt, cheat, betray, and abuse each other in mean and terrible ways. When we experience these pains caused by others, we want to hold those things against them in our hearts. In God's Kingdom, however, we are taught to live life very differently from our natural desires. In this episode, we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say about anger, forgiveness, and reconciliation. 

In the Church, we can so easily drift from one extreme to another. In some circles, we move towards legalism and say we have to follow all of the commands in the Law of Moses. Others say that we have been set free from the Law of Moses and now subscribe to radical freedom where they can live however they "feel" is right. What did Jesus have to say about this? Join us for the next part of our study of the Sermon on the Mount as we look at Jesus' teaching on the Law of Moses and how it applies to His followers.