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The Bible stories and verses you know fit in to one story: God’s big story. See how God started it and what happened next from Genesis to Joshua.
Called to follow.
Called to believe
Called back from failure
Called to surrender all.
Continuing His teaching about following God from the heart, Jesus now turns His attention to our ‘religious’ acts, like prayer and giving. Jesus shows us an alternative to empty religion that is concerned only with outward show to impress others. Instead, Jesus teaches us a very simple way to relate to God personally and truthfully.
We live in the real world; we need to make a living for ourselves and our families. We also want comfort and security. What could be wrong with that? And yet true happiness is hard to find because we constantly live with pressure from society to always have more, and we get trapped in a way of life we are supposed to enjoy but often don’t. Is there really a realistic alternative? Jesus says that there is a far better way, and yet it may involve some hard choices.
Jesus sets a new standard of behaviour for his followers. Speaking mostly here about human relationships, Jesus shows it is not enough to be ‘good’ on the outside only, but rather it is our thoughts and attitudes that really matter. But is Jesus setting an impossibly high standard? We will see from this that it is what He has done for us that makes Jesus’ teachings here not only necessary, but possible.
Our family, our friends, our culture and the media are constantly telling us what is important, what is ‘good’. But what does God think is good? How do God’s values compare to our own culture and traditions? Jesus sets out a completely new way of thinking which might seem to turn our world upside down but shows us what it really means to be ‘blessed’ – a life which is happy, fulfilled and pleasing to God.
So how do we do follow Jesus in a world where there are lots of serious demands on our time and commitment? What happens if people, even people we love, are against us living for Jesus? Jesus shows how a close relationship with him is the way to live a meaningful and productive life of love and joy that honours him and benefits those around us.
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