January 2022 Reflections

by | Jan 30, 2022 | News, Reflections

We’ll finish the Sermon on the Mount in mid-February. What to study next? The poll results were evenly split between the Old and New Testaments (35% each) with the rest voting for “topical” and 1 vote for “anything.” So . . . I’ve decided to take a break from Matthew and study the Old Testament book of Habakkuk.

Habakkuk speaks to two of the most fundamental questions of faith: 1) How can a loving God let evil go unpunished? and 2) Why believe if I’m not exempt from the tragedies of life?

January 2022 podcasts

36 Matthew 6:19-24 Treasures in Heaven

Why is the kingdom of heaven so incredibly valuable that I would invest my whole heart and my whole life in it? In this passage, Jesus gives one of many important reasons:  We cannot keep the treasures of this earth, and we cannot lose the treasures in heaven.

37 Matthew 6:25-34 Anxious for tomorrow

At first reading, Matthew 6:25-34 seems simple and straightforward:  Don’t be anxious.  God knows what you need and He will take care of you. The tricky part of this passage is figuring out exactly what we should not do and what we can expect God to do.

38 Matthew 7:1-5 Log in your eye

The log in your own eye versus the speck in your neighbor’s eye is a powerful image of willfully living a lie. Jesus warns that if you condemn other people for their sins, you are ignoring a fundamental truth about yourself in a way that is almost impossible to imagine.

39 Matthew 7:6 Throwing pearls to pigs

Many people understand Jesus to be saying in Matthew 7:6 something like: you don’t need to share the gospel with hostile, unworthy people. However, I agree with the minority who understand Jesus to be saying: don’t be the kind of fool who throws away what is beautiful and precious.

New Resources

Please tell your friends about the podcast — but more importantly, encourage them with something you learned.

Next: February 2022 Reflections

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Previous: December 2021 Reflections

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