Valley Community Church

Reading:

Matthew 4

Matt 6: 16-18

Matt 9:15

Isaiah 58: 3-7

This week we do a deep dive on fasting. What is the ancient practice? How does it fit into my relationship with God? Was it a command? We discover that fasting is first and foremost, worship. It is a killswitch to human desire. It shows us where our true sustenance and peace comes from. We close with a quick look at how to fast with a few suggestions.

An introduction to our new series examining various spiritual disciplines and practices we will include in our lives and gatherings moving forward. Paul exhorts us to beat our bodies and make them our slaves, the writers of Hebrews challenge us to move on to maturity and Peter makes a plea for holiness in the faithful. The Bible anticipates our transformation, and Jesus models a way of life that keeps us attentive to the Holy Spirit, and our flesh in check. These disciplines have served the church for millennia and we'll work to incorporate more of them into our personal and corporate lives.

Reading: Matthew 7: 13-28. In the final passage of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he tells the story of two paths, two trees, two claims and two houses. We look back on the broad strokes of Jesus message - like a parent calling out sin and hypocrisy, that the child would be transformed and enjoy a full life - so Jesus is calling a distracted, unrepentant Israel back to faithfulness and life.

Reading: Matthew 7: 1 - 12. This week we examine two well known passages, drawing out three cautions delivered by Jesus as He closes the Sermon on the Mount. Judgement of others, the need for right discernment and persistence in prayer to see the Kingdom come in our own lives.

Reading: Matthew 6: 25-34. Working through a well known passage this week, we consider the radical claims Jesus is making about the King's provision. We also look at the importance of mission and Kingdom perspective in our lives and how it changes our view of needs and wants. Finally, what is the community response to Jesus' own life of generosity and what do we learn from the early church in Acts and the epistles.

Reading Matthew 6:19-24. In this session we consider our allegiance - our place of rest and identity. God has grown and nurtured us, as a father, and yet we are tempted to place our hope in other things. There is one safe place for our treasure, and there is one man, Jesus, who modelled an undivided loyalty and an allegiance to the Father.... in so doing opening the way for us to have a hope and future.

Reading Matt 6: 1 - 18. This week Jesus teaching shifts to our personal piety. He teaches through three examples of religious activity, that though objectively good, is practiced in such away that its actually bad for our formation. God is deeply concerned about the people we are becoming, not just the things we do. On Thursday we'll discuss the situations we find ourselves in today, as individuals and a church, that might put us at risk of the same hypocrisy.

Reading: Matt 5: 33 - 48. This week we look at Jesus teaching on Oaths, Justice and Love for enemies. As we work through them we explore the Kingdom themes of power, our responses and the nature of our battle. Jesus's words teach us about His Kingdom and also help us explore His own beauty and grace as we discover all that He's done for us.

Reading Matthew 5: 17-32. In this week's session we explore Jesus first teachings on practical matters, Anger, Lust and Divorce. We see the primacy of authenticity in the Kingdom and also how the values of the Beatitudes inform each part of our lives, including these three challenging areas. As we talk through each section, we continue to marvel at Jesus example to us in each area.

Reading: Matthew 5:1-16. In this week's session we explore the Beatitudes. Jesus teaches on the values of the new Kingdom He is ushering in. We see a call to holiness for ourselves, and we also see Jesus shining brighter as we recognise a picture of His own life as we work through each beatitude.