TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48
Read: Matthew 5:48
Listen: Matthew 5
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Jesus wraps up this section of the Sermon on the Mount by telling his followers to be perfect. This advice was probably a bit intimidating to his listeners and certainly is to us today. Jesus didn’t mean for us never to make mistakes or always do the right thing all the time. None of us are capable of that. Instead, the word he used is meant to convey the idea of being mature—to grow into mature Christians whose hearts and actions reflect the things he taught in this sermon.
Among other things, Jesus taught us all to rethink anger, desire, retaliation and love. We looked at each of these in our RE:THINK series and saw that Jesus is concerned about the hearts of those who followed him. We have a significant advantage over his original audience. We know that Jesus didn’t simply ask his followers to think and behave in radically abnormal ways—he lived it out and carried these principles all the way to the cross.
This week, we wrap up the RE:THINK series with the challenges of having hearts like Jesus. When we think about our heart attitudes, we have a role, and so does God. We can’t just will ourselves into spiritual maturity. We need God’s help as we practice being humble and willing to grow. As we move toward God, we become more like Jesus each day.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Pray and ask God to help you to become mature and more like Christ. Ask him to reveal to you which of these four areas you might need to focus on in the coming days and weeks ahead. Then go back and revisit the sermon (find the series at adabible.org/series/rethink) and Beyond the Weekend (beyondtheweekend.org) from that week.
NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN
Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.
Today’s reading is Romans 13.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
