As we continue our series on the Sermon on the Mount, we come to a passage where Jesus describes the kind of influence we, as Christians, should have on the world. Jesus doesn’t call us to withdraw from the world and leave it, but neither does he call us to attack the world and conquer it. Becoming like the world is not an option either. Rather, Jesus calls us to be salt and light.

In the opening verses of Matthew 5 Jesus offers us something more than happiness. He offers us divine blessing. In these 8 beatitudes Jesus marks the path to true “sacred delight.” In a world where everything leaves us empty, Jesus shows the way to fulfillment.

Often the question is not whether God is speaking; the question is are we listening. There are many many things that help us listen: reading scripture, meditation, solitude and silence, conversation, listening to good teaching, watching the beauty of a sunset, listening to great music, however, there are a few things that are essential to hearing God.

Three simple words in English – “It is finished.” In the Greek, it’s one word. Picture Jesus on the cross and he yells out this one word before breathing his final breath. He draws up all his last remaining bit of strength to make this one final proclamation, “Tetelestai!” This one word tells us so much.

If you ask most people why they don’t go to church or why they don’t become a Christian, or why they left the faith, one of the most common answers is a variation on this, “The church is full of hypocrites.”

Jesus was well acquainted with hypocrisy and had much to say about it. So, what should be our response to hypocrisy in the church.

He was a musician. He was a singer. He was a worship leader. His songs sung by believers all over. His songs sung by generations of worshippers. They are included in the greatest hits of praise of all time. He fathered a long line of singers and musicians with a legacy of worship.

And yet he came to a moment of crisis in his life. He calls it the day of his trouble. He felt that God didn’t love him anymore. He felt as though God had turned his back on him. He questioned the very goodness of God. Asaph was able to crawl out of this h0le by changing his thinking that put his circumstances and feelings in a new perspective. We can use this same approach in our own lives.

The changing of your mind leads to the changing of your life.

Making good decisions and sticking with them is essential, especially when it comes to our financial freedom. The challenge is going to be you’re dealing with more than just the normal difficulty in sticking with a commitment. Following God’s way leads to freedom, but it is never easy.

Are you living the life you chose, or a life that was handed to  you by someone else. The reality is that financial freedom is something you choose, not something that happens to you. Yes, our starting points vary widely. Some of us were given a head start. Others of us had to start a lap or two down, but it’s the choices that we make on top that make the difference. Where you start does not define where you end up. This message looks at some biblical choices that lead to financial freedom.

In this series we’re asking you to dare to dream about living your life differently. Don’t just be another debt statistic. Be the outlier. Have you ever wanted to live a life of financial freedom? To know that all your money isn’t already spent before you even get paid? You can live a life of financial freedom, if you follow God’s ABC’s of financial freedom.