There are people who build their house on the rock and ones who build on the sand. In affect he is saying: What are going to be? Who are you going to define yourself as? What message are you going to follow? What gate are you going to enter into? What path are you going to follow on?

Jesus is giving us an invitation to consider his words and to put them into practice, to consider all of the voices we have been hearing and to listen to his voice, to consider the way we have been living and to follow his way.

Our prayers need to be rooted in the promises and will of God. Our faith is not in faith itself; we place our faith in God. We need to pray in the name of Jesus with a clean heart and pure motives out of an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.

If we think about prayer as having a magic lamp and all we have to do is rub the lamp to receive our three wishes, we are not thinking about prayer the way Jesus teaches us to think about it.

There is a residual goodness in every person, but we are all sinners by nature and by choices. Even when we cross the line and come into new life in Jesus Christ there is still this internal struggle.

On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is contrasting the prevailing attitudes both of our culture and of religion. The message of religion and the message of our culture only have it partially right. If we follow those messages, we will get it totally wrong. The only truth is found in Jesus Christ and his teaching of an inner heart transformation, which produces a change of life, a kingdom disciple.

Where is your treasure? What are you putting your eyes on? Who is your master?

Whatever you treasure, that is where your heart is. You can have heavenly treasure and your heart will be there. Or you can have earthly treasure and your heart will be there. So treasure up your treasures in heaven.

From the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is challenging us to a rigorous spiritual life.

Jesus is telling us what it means to live as a disciple.