Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” - Matthew 7:24-27
Dear Jesus,
When hard moments come, I don't want to be depending on my own wisdom, the opinions of others or faulty human tendencies. I want to be standing on your word alone. I look through your teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and I see rock solid objective truth and unrelenting light on the path of life. You make me honest with myself and humble with my actions toward others. You replace my duplicity with integrity and faith based obedience. You lead me to want your grace and forgiveness. Help me to remember to practice your word in my life instead of leaning on my own understanding.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
Jesus' words about relationships with God and people are the foundation for social and spiritual health.
Additional Reading: Psalm 127, Isiah 55:8-13, Hebrews 4:12
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ - Matthew 7:21-23
Dear Jesus,
I know you want me to be authentic with you. You deserve no less. You're authentic with me. I struggle to keep your command to love everyone because honestly sometimes I just don't want to. I'm conditional, resentful and selfish. I repent of this too. I know you want me to be your light in the world. Help me. Please help me deal with my stubbornness to love the porcupines in my life. Give me the "want to" and the "get to" so I will do the will of your father in heaven. I'm deeply grateful that you never sinned. I hide my shame in your righteousness. Now help me not to hide your righteousness under my shame.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
If you love God who loved you first, you will struggle mightily to practice his love in every relationship he brings your way.
Additional Reading: 1 John 3 and 4.
Matthew 7:15-20
““Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their.l fruits you will know them. - Matthew 7:15-20
Dear Jesus,
You always taught the truth. You made my soul your highest treasure. You showed me how to trust the entire Bible. You revealed to me your amazing grace. Now, help me to avoid those teachers who distrust your word, deny your miracles and lead me to depend on myself for salvation.
I love to learn spiritual insights for my growth and maturity. When I am listening to biblical teachers help me be able to tell the difference between cotton candy and pure honey. And when I dared to speak about your truth don’t let me ever say anything false.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
Truth is not a wax nose that can be turned this way or that please our fancy.
Additional Reading: Isaiah 8, 1 John 3
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. - Matthew 7:13-14
Dear Jesus,
I have been challenged throughout my life by people who said that there has to be more than one way to heaven. But here you remind me that it is a narrow way that leads to life eternal. Your words make me think long and hard about getting it right. I know that if it depends on me I will never make it. You are the narrow way. You lived a perfect life in my place and hung there on the cross with my sins nailed through your soul. I trust in you. I don't trust in myself. I would never want to diminish your personal gift for me by saying there could be ways that people could find a self made way to eternal life. Help me point people to your great gif, so they find the narrow way too.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
The way to heaven through Christ is narrow but easy to find in the gospel.
Additional Reading: Romans 3
Matthew 7:7-1
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! - Matthew 7:7-1
Dear Jesus,
I wish I could take back all the days I spent fretting over my problems and challenges. All the while our heavenly father was with me and willing to help. I thought I was mostly on my own. I wasn't. I was in his home and heart all along. I am going to commit these words to memory and strive to practice them by praying to him about everything. You have earned me the right to speak to him as frankly as you do. I trust that grace and will make good use of it from this day forward. Give me the transparency to show the peace this brings to all those who know me as well.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
God has many blessings still in the closet just waiting to be requested.
Additional Reading: Romans 8, James 4
Matthew 7:1-5
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. - Matthew 7:1-5
Dear Jesus,
You never pulled your punches. You embarrassed the woman at the well with her failed marriages. You berated the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and you confronted the man who slapped you in Caiaphas' court. But you never pricked people's consciences to satisfy your own desire or to justify yourself. Your bold critique was always motivated by love that made you use the law to drive people toward grace. Watching your life helps me understand your words here in the sermon of the mount. The only context in which you want me to point out sin, is a redeeming one. Help me to be honest with sinners about their need for grace while being honest with them about the grace that meets their need.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
God wants his children to confine their law preaching to a redemption context. If you don't know what that means watch Jesus deal with people in the four Gospels.
Additional Reading: Galatians 6:1-6
Matthew 6:28-34
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:28-34
Dear Jesus,
It is enlightening that you tell me I was made to be concerned but not about worldly things. I was made to be concerned about the gospel that gives us all righteousness and eternal life. I was made to be concerned about living my faith through love for you and people. I was made to have a spiritual thrust running through every moment of my day. I was made to be concerned about being fully human. Everything else that concerns me, such as, vocation and hobbies, are second compared to this first concern. Help me always keep my life in this spiritual balance. Give me someone that I can lead back to your grace today.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
We were made to be concerned, but about God and his love, not about self and self love.
Additional Reading: 1 Corinthians 15 especially the last verses.
Matthew 6:25-27
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? - Matthew 6:25-27
Dear Jesus,
The birds around us live such carefree lives. They wake up in the morning and playfully search for food. They don't worry about anything. They just live. What a great example you use for me. My body was not designed to worry. So, when I do, I overwork it and push it to the breaking point. No wonder I feel the negative effects! My life is already mapped out for me by you. I cannot make it last any longer by worrying. So, teach me to number my days, so I might enjoy them in faith and peace without worrying about anything. Help me live as if this could be my last day on earth but with the peace of knowing that if it is, it will give wy to my first day in heaven.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
Life is a gift meant to be spent in joyful spiritual productivity. You cannot save it for another time.
Additional Reading: Psalm 90
Matthew 5:14-15
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 5:14-15
Dear Jesus,
I know that you have fully and freely forgiven of all my sins. But at first glance at this verse following the Lord's Prayer, it looks like you are making my forgiveness conditional on how well I forgive others. I have meditated on these words for years. I understand it like getting a gift from someone but never talking it out of the box. You don't give forgiveness for nothing. You intend for it to totally change the way I look at life and people. If I accept forgiveness from you but refuse it to anyone else, it denies the power of your love to change me. I don't want to do that. Help me Jesus to forgive everyone just as freely as you did from the cross. When I struggle with forgiveness, help me work through my anger until it's all washed away at the foot of your cross.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
Grace changes us into forgiving people or it rolls off our back and way from our lives.
Additional Reading: Matthew 18, Ephesians 4:32
Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. - Matthew 6:13
Dear Jesus,
I truly want to please you when no one but you is watching. But I am fearful of the devil. He and his beastly friends have been taking down people for thousands of years. They are well practiced and have their swords constantly sharpened. I'm no match for them. So, I beg you to protect me from them. Give me a keen awareness of their traps and remind me of the passages from your powerful word that will hide my heart from their lies. Help me navigate through their land mines on the way that leads to eternity. I'm thankful that you lived a perfect life for us, but that only motivates me more to live up to your standard. I want to glorify your grace by being good out of gratitude.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
We are no match for the devil. So, take Jesus into the ring when you box with him.
Additional Reading: Hebrews 12, 1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. - Matthew 6:12
Dear Jesus,
I can see how important forgiveness is to you by the place you give it in your parables, your sermons and your prayer. It's the reason you came to live with us. It's the reason you submitted to the cross. It's the reason God the father loves you so much. For me to say that I freely accept your grace and forgiveness and then to withhold forgiveness from anyone else is a denial of your mission and effect on my life. I am embarrassed by how hard it is for me to forgive some people. I'm on my knees before you begging for you to fill me with yourself and your redeeming forgiveness. Without you I cannot forgive anyone. But with you in my, heart I can forgive everyone, even the worst, just like your child, Stephen, did in the book of Acts. So, Jesus, do the miraculous in me and make me a grace filled person. I don't want just a little grace. I want it overflowing out of my life to all people.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
The world is filled with thousands of people trying to be good. Precious few are striving to forgive those who are bad.
Additional Reading: Psalm 130, Matthew 18
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread. - Matthew 6:11
Dear Jesus,
You modeled for us all how to live this prayer. You did not fret the past or worry about the future. You knew that your father would take care of you. Instead, you asked for daily bread with a hopeful heart. Then you threw yourself into loving people and spreading the everlasting hope of eternal life. Thank you for telling me to pray for daily bread and nothing more. It "right sizes" earthly things for me. It prevents me from the ill gotten pursuit of worldly wealth and makes me dependent on you for all things. It makes me peaceful when I make business deals, even when I lose out in them too. I can rest knowing you and the father are guiding my life even though I am trying this or that, even though I go through flood and drought. Give me the peace that comes from depending on you for daily blessing. Help me to manage the blessings you give me well without living for them in my heart. Make me generous and mission minded in how I spend my excess blessings too.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
When we pray that God would give us daily bread, we are confronting our idolatry of self and things and comforting our otherwise worried heart.
Additional Reading: Matthew 6:19-34, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9
Matthew 6:10
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:10b
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for leading me to pray this petition. It reminds me to let your father run his world his way. It also reminds me that my highest calling has two parts: 1) Learn to trust your father's providential will and 2) Learn to do the right thing in his eyes no matter what my heart says. This prayer brings me into line with him, my gracious God and Savior. Oh, Jesus, help me with this. For me, a sinner, it's so difficult to let go of my own will and desires. It's hard to accept the unchangeables about my life too. Give me the faith to pray this from the heart, "Thy will be done!" Then, with a heart that accepts your father's will, make me a productive and peaceful follower of you.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
God's will is always best even when we think we should have a say otherwise.
Additional Reading: Psalm 25, Romans 8, Hebrews 11
Matthew 6:7
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
-Matthew 6:7
Dear Jesus and God, the Father,
How you must hate it when we pray like distant acquaintances instead of dear children talking to their dear Father! Thank you for patiently teaching us how to pray the prayers you like. They do the highest good for our souls too. Ever since I understood the gospel and what you did to save me from my eternal condemnation, I have felt reverence for your name. But even so, I have lapsed often into treating you like a common little part of my life. You are the greatest "part" of the entire universe and you deserve honor as such in my life as well. Help me to reflect the honor I feel for you in the way I use your name and the way I defend your goodness out in the world today. You are the great Creator, the sacrificial redeemer and the lover of all souls. I want you to be thought of that way by everyone, especially me.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
When you hear your dad's name what do you feel? Well then, feel the same way about God.
Additional Reading: Exodus 20
Matthew 6:5-6
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:5-6
Dear Jesus,
You had the perfect relationship with your father when you walked the earth. How hard it must have been to watch religious leaders exploit prayer as a public show. Thank you for reminding me to go into the secret place and pray to our father. I have tested your promise many times and have been amazed at how he rewarded my faith with blessing when I talked to him alone about things. I believe that you and the father are big enough to have a one on one relationship with every single human being, all 9 billion of us. So, I will keep seeking you in private while believing you listen and respond. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be close to you and the father, even though I have often disappointed you.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
God wants us to test his promises to answer private prayers, so get after it.
Additional Reading: Luke 18
Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matthew 5:43-48
Dear Jesus,
As you sat on that hill telling us to love our enemies that we may be sons of our Father in heaven, you knew that in a few short months, as the perfect Son of God, you'd have to pray from the horrible cross, "Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing." Like the sun and the rain your Father sends, he also sent you for all people. Fill me with that same indiscriminate love for all people, even those who disappoint and mistreat me. I want to reflect the identity you have given me as a redeemed child of God who has your blood running through my spiritual veins.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
God wants our enemies to see the family resemblance between him and us.
Additional Reading: Romans 12
Matthew 5:38-42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Matthew 5:38-42
Dear Jesus,
Your words are very difficult to apply to my life because I am so prone to wanting to get even with people. It takes great faith in you to let go and trust that you, the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit will do what’s best for those who offend and mistreat me. Thank you for living these difficult words in my place. Give me the supernatural power to boldly love the bad guys as much as the good.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
A soul that offends others and is loved in return has almost touched the face of God.
Additional Reading: Romans 12, 1 John 4.
Matthew 5:27-30
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. - Matthew 5:27-30
Dear Jesus,
How serious you are that I would learn to live a pure life not only by not cheating on my wife, but also by not cheating on you with my eyes! You created each of us to live in a beautiful, safe marriage or in friendships void of selfish indulgence. How you must ache every day to watch women objectivized and exploited! I live in a generation that has forgotten how to blush. Help me to protect my own heart and the hearts of people around me by giving me the strength to deal seriously with the temptation to lust. I would rather do without certain freedoms than to use my freedom to sin with my eyes and heart. Make the sanctity of every marriage my highest cause, so I support struggling couples and make every woman and man feel safe and served in my presence.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
God made all people to serve his beautiful purposes. Don't yank them down to serve your selfish desires.
Additional Reading: 1 Corinthians 6
Matthew 5:21-26
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. - Matthew 5:21-26
Dear Jesus,
You preach the law in a more exacting way than anyone else I have ever read. I would like to pride myself that I have never murdered anyone. But you convict me that I have made them feel rejected for their mistakes and have been angry with them for costing me. I am sorry. I know I am forgiven too. You make loving me, your greatest priority. I know that. I need you supernatural help to make loving people a priority too. Simply put, I just want to write some people off. But you don't. Help me to value every person my life touches. Help my family and friends to feel you love from me even when we disagree. Help acquaintances to believe in grace by what they hear from me too. Help my adversaries to experience unconditional love when they are mistreating me. Oh, Jesus, make me be and do what I am not at all naturally inclined to. Make me a "minnie-me" of you.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
In regard to your relationship with people, Jesus wants you to be a "minnie-me" of him.
Additional Reading: Philippians 2
Matthew 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. -
Matthew 5:13-16
Dear Jesus,
If it were not for the people you sent into my life who were salt and light for me, I most certainly would have ended up in a very bad place. But literally hundreds of people have been examples and have spoken your truth into my soul. They turned me back to you, showed me a better way to think and live. They comforted and restored me too. They were your salt and light for me. Help me honor their hard work by being the same kind of blessing to others today.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
God wanted the world to be better when he made you. Don’t let today drift by without joining him on that mission.
Additional Reading: Psalm Genesis 50, Psalm 139, Colossians 4