From Matthew 6:19-24 (part of "The Sermon on the Mount"), the Lord taught how Kingdom citizens are to have the right perspective on earthly "treasures," which are merely temporary, as compared to heavenly "treasures," which last forever. The Christian is to set his affection on things above, "For where your heart is, there shall your heart be also".

In this lesson, we discuss how the Christian is to have a single focus and a solitary Master, "For no man can serve two masters . . . ye cannot serve God and mammon [money/material things". This is a serious message for our day of vast materialism!

To be effective in our prayer lives so God is honored and pleased by our prayers, we need to fulfill certain Christian "responsibilities". In this second lesson on the Lord's "Perfect Prayer Pattern" from His "Sermon on the Mount". Whereas the first three petitions of the Lord's prayer pattern deal with exalting God, His name, His Kingdom, and His will, the last three petitions (6:11-13) have to do with us (the believers). We discuss these petitions under the headings of (1) or present provision, (2) for past pardon, and (3) for future protection (from temptation and evil).

We also discuss the closing doxology of the prayer ("For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen"), as well as the postscript on the subject of forgiveness found in verses 14 and 15. That postscript has upset a lot of Christians over the centuries, for they think Jesus was saying a person's savlational forgiveness is conditional upon his own forgiveness of others. That is not what He was teaching, and we explain the meaning of those verses in this lesson.

Prayer is perhaps the single greatest activity in which the human soul can engage, for in prayer we come face-to-face with God. Prayer is our golden opportunity to give God the opportunity to manifest His power, majesty, love, and providence to His beloved children. Although prayer is one of the most vital aspects of the Christian life, most of us feel it is the area in which we are the weakest. The disciples of Christ obviously felt this way, too, which is why they asked Him to teach them to pray. Thus, He gave them instruction and guidance for proper, effective prayer in Matthew 6:7-15 (part of "The Sermon on the Mount").

First, Jesus spoke about the errors of ineffective prayer (vanity prayers, valueless prayers, and verbose prayers), before He then taught about the essentials for effect prayer (having right relationships, with God and others; having right responsibilites, and making right requests - which is discussed in Part II of this study).

In Matthew 6:1-18, the Lord Jesus (in His "Sermon on the Mount) continued to emphasize true, heart righteousness by contrasting it with false, hypocritical "righteousness" in the realm of three practical, religious activities: (1) giving, (2) praying, and (3) fasting. His words about giving deal with a person's righteousness as it acts toward others; His words about prayer deal with righteousness as it acts toward God, and His words regarding fasting discuss heart righteousness in relation to oneself.

In this study, we discuss the sins of silent cowardice, selfish complacency, and showy conduct. We learn where the term "blowing your own trumpet" (or "sounding your own horn") originated. We discuss "silent hands" and "secret closets" and the four ways people approach religious responsibilities (only two of which earn God's praise, not the praise of others or the praise of self).

This lesson is on Matthew 5:43-48. Nowhere is there a greater contrast between the false, hypocritical "righteousness" of the Jewish religious rulers of Christ's day and true, godly heart-righteousness than in the Lord's sixth and final illustration on the section of "The Sermon on the Mount" entitled "Reinterpretations of the Law". This greatest contrast deals with LOVE. In no more important area had the scribes and Pharisees so critically departed from God's standards of holiness. Unfortunately, they were far too "in-love" with themselves and their social status to have time to be concerned for anyone outside their inner circle.

We divide this study into three sections. First, we look at the Mosaic principles about love (Leviticus 19:18), then we discuss the Pharisaic perversion on the subject of love. Finally, finally we look at Christ's perspective, which is to possess a supernatural love that enables us to love and pray for our enemies, and be equal in our treatment of everyone.

This lesson is on Matthew 5:38-42. In this section of "The Sermon on the Mount" (5:21-48), Christ was contrasting Pharisaic, external "righteousness" (see 5:20) with God's true, inner righteousness, using examples like murder (Lesson 35), adultery (Lesson 36), divorce (Lessons 37 and 38), and oath taking(Lesson 39). His next topic to use in comparing the teachings propagated by Israel's religious rulers (gross misinterpretations of the Law) and His own teaching dealt with the matter of personal vengeance and retaliation.

We will first look at the Old Testament teaching on the subject of retaliation (the Mosaic principles found in Exodus 21:22-25; Leviticus 24:19, 20; Deuteronomy 19:20, 21), and then see how the Pharisees had perverted that teaching. Finally, we will look at the Lord Jesus' perspective on the subject! He teaches the following: do NOT retaliate even though your dignity is smitten, your security is sued, your freedoms are sacrificed, and your possessions are surrendered. Wow. Turning the other cheek, surrendering your cloak also, going the second mile, and giving to him that asks! Being a Christian is not easy!

This lesson is on Matthew 5:33-37, part of "The Sermon on the Mount". Throughout this famous sermon, the Lord Jesus was attempting to convey to His listeners the fact that everything a citizen of His eternal Kingdom says or does is important to God. If a Christian is to be an effective witness to this world where fake news, half-truths (which are lies), vain philosophies, false religious, evil cults, and massive deceptions reign, he or she must be a person who guards both his or her heart and tongue to speak only the truth and to keep every vow made to God or man! God looks with great seriousness on every aspect of our lives!

We consider three sections on the matter of "Taking Oaths and Speaking Truth". First, we look at what the Old Testament says on oath-taking (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21). Then we consider what the Pharisees taught on the matter and, finally, compare the Pharisaic teaching with what the Lord Jesus had to say about it.

In his purposely selective account of Jewish history (which kept the attention of the Council members, for they loved their own story), Stephen was making his defense against the accusations that he had blasphemed Moses, God, the Temple, and the Law. In doing so, he was also (unknown to them, at first) building his case of indictment against his Jewish audience! He was exposing their unjustified physical obsession with the land (Israel), the Law, and the Temple. Rather than humbly acknowledging these were great privileges to be used wisely for God's glory in their witness of Him to the rest of the world, they proudly turned them into their false triune "god"! They had come to view them as pillars of proof for their heavenly security!

The most important thing Stephen was accomplishing (yet unknown) in his powerful sermon was presenting the High Council of Israel with evidence for faith in Jesus! He did this by using several key figures from Israel's history: Joseph and Moses. In this lesson, which is Stephen's jet-tour account of the life of Joseph, the Council members heard for the first time the Biblical account of Joseph used as a graphic illustration of their own evil, envious betrayal and murder of Jesus!