As Jesus begins the next section of the Sermon on the Mount we meet instructions that appear to stand in tension with something he said earlier. Are our good works supposed to be observed by others, or not? As we work through Jesus’ words we see him answering three “how” questions: how do we resolve apparent contradictions, how do we understand hypocrisy, and how do we walk in obedience? Join us as we make this first pass through Matthew 6!

What would it look like if we consistently loved the truth in thought, word, and deed? In this passage Jesus puts his finger on the problem of broken word and broken oaths, lays bare the aggravation of mincing words and finding loopholes, and calls upon us to love the truth in thought, word, and deed, even as he who is the way, the truth, and the life helps us by his Spirit.

What might our community look like if we have ourselves over to reading God’s word? In Nehemiah 8 we see a community do just this. The Lord’s people eagerly pursue his word. The Lord’s people take comfort in his word. The Lord’s people seek to obey his word. And the Lord’s people rejoice in his word. May these things be true of us!

What does it look like to take up the whole armor of God in the face of determined opposition? This morning we consider (1) the death throes of a defeated enemy, (2) the strategies of a prepared warrior, and (3) wearing the armor of God today. As we consider Nehemiah in light of Ephesians 6:10–20 we see a living example of what it looks like to put on the whole armor of God.

Nehemiah 3 What have we to learn from a long… read more

In the face of dire circumstances Paul instructs the Philippians to rejoice! Why? How can this be? What does this sort of life look like?