It’s time for a day of reflection … how are the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount encouraging you? Challenging you? Inspiring you? Convicting you?
If necessary, go back and read anything you received this week that you want to reconsider … or that you missed!
Quick Links
Knowing Our Perfect God
Mercy
Discernment
What Are You Looking For?
No Middle Ground
Test the Fruit!
Reflection
This week’s lesson focused on God’s character. Why is it important for us to know God’s character?
What do you already know about God’s character?
What steps do you need to take to learn more about God’s character?
The Sermon on the Mount has very strong words about what it means to follow Jesus. What has been your response to the words of Jesus?
In what ways have you been integrating the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount into your life?
In what way do the people in your life see you living out the principles of mercy and discernment as described by Jesus?
In “What Are You Looking For?”, Matthew (in the key verses Matthew 7:7–12) challenges us to ask, seek, and knock. How often do you take time to ask, seek, and knock?
Are your requests in line with God’s will?
How did you feel about the challenges expressed in “No Middle Ground”? Do your thoughts and feelings line up with what the Bible says?
In “Test the Fruit?” Beth Yoe wrote: “Jesus tells us we can know false prophets by the actions of their lives. A tree produces fruit according to its own kind. If we want to know if one’s teaching is from God, an easy test is to examine the life of that person! The works of the person’s life will testify for or against them. If the direction of their teaching leads us to godliness, humility, patience, love, joy, and a host of other Christian graces, it surely points us to the truth. However, if their doctrine is one of dissension and pride, and takes people away from governing themselves or their families, we had better flee or at the very least dig deeper ourselves for real truth.”
Are the leaders you are depending on for teaching and instruction bearing the fruit of Jesus?
Is your life bearing the fruit of Jesus?
Go a Step Beyond
This week’s lesson focused on God’s character. Christian writer and speaker Josh McDowell talks about God’s many attributes (his inherent character) in the video resource we’re recommending for this week: Attributes of God (Part 1)
Write It on Your Heart
Take a few minutes to memorize this verse:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” —Matthew 7:7