Dropping the Sunday Best
Day 1: The Perfection Standard Matthew 5:20, 48 (ESV) "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven... You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Rundown If anyone thought they had the market cornered on righteousness, it was the scribes and the Pharisees. The scribes were the ultimate photocopiers of the faith. They didn’t just transcribe the text; they were so terrifi
All Gas, No Brakes
Day 1: The Danger of "Relaxing" the Standard Matthew 5:19 (ESV) - "Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Rundown: Whenever you see the word "therefore" in Scripture, you have to stop and ask what it's there for. Jesus isn't speaking this warning in a vacuum. For eighteen verses prior,
Beyond a Self-Help Book: Trusting the Inerrant Word of God
Day 1: An Unshakable Foundation Matthew 5:17-18 (ESV) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." Rundown: When Jesus stood on the mount and delivered these words, He was making a radical, line-in-the-sand claim about both His own identity and the absolute authority of
