Don’t Judge!

Is this one of the most misunderstood and misused texts in the Bible? We can talk about it all week. Here is what Jesus says:

Matthew 7:1-6

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”

Several questions for you:

• What do you have to say about this?
• What does it mean? What does it NOT mean?
• Are we not allowed to make any kind of judgements?
• How are we to discern what is right or wrong?
• How do we decide anything if we cannot make judgements?

What else is on your heart/mind this week?

Why Worry?

Our text for the week:

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Clearly this text is a continuation of thought Jesus presented to us last week. Our present text illustrates the difference between treasuring earthly things and heavenly things.

Some questions:

Why worry?
Do you worry? What about?
What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God?
Give me some stories.

Where’s Your Heart?

Our text for the week:

Matthew 6:19-24

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Here are some questions to get your thinking started:

• What’s your first impression of this text?
• How do we "store up treasures" here or in heaven?
• How do we decide what is important?
  

Valentine’s Day is Wednesday. Any thoughts on that? (For the blog legalists/purists: "Heart" is in the title this week, and Valentine’s Day is about the heart.)

What else is on your mind this week?

Fasting

Matthew 6:16-18 is our focus passage for the week:

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

What do you think about this passage?

Do you fast? How and when? (Anonymity would be very acceptable here, in light of the passage.)

Is fasting simply about food? If not, then what other things are appropriate to stay away from for periods of time? Sex? (See 1 Corinthians 7) Why?

What else do you want to talk about this week? What’s on your heart or mind?

Secrecy and Prayer (redux)

Here is our text for the week, Matthew 6:5-15:

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Some questions:

• Anything about this passage strike you as remarkable or unusual?
• Is this more a passage about prayer or secrecy?
• Is the "Lord’s Prayer" appropriate for us to pray today?

Tell us about your prayer life. Is it good? Do you struggle? With what do you struggle?

Will you go over to our online prayer journal and post a prayer?

What else is on your mind this week?

Random Thoughts IV

I will be in Alabama next Sunday, so I don’t have a preaching text for you this week. How ‘bout we just do whatever you want this week? I will throw a few thoughts out. Respond to them if you want, or throw your own thoughts out for others to respond to.

Just to get us started:

• I am finishing up my Lilly Clergy Renewal Program grant this week. It is a fairly complicated application, but I think I’ve about got it under control. I’ve been happy that everyone is so supportive. I guess Duane is right, "Hey, Allen, it’s an easy thing for us to accept; you’ll be gone for 3 months." I will share more details of my proposal later on. Not only will this sabbatical, if I get it, benefit me, but it will also benefit the entire congregation.

• The Leadership Team is discussing some exciting Sunday night ideas. The new quarter begins in March, and we are thinking of offering 3-4 options. Again, this is tentative, but we are thinking about offering a Marriage Matters Seminar class, using the curriculum we purchased from Jerry and Lynn, a roundtable class that discusses the sermon, Upper Room worship, and a textual Bible class. Thought? Ideas?

• What books are you reading? I have started a little book on philosophy, How to do Things with Words. It is about performative language.

• What else?

Get in the Closet! Secrecy and Prayer

Here is our text for the week, Matthew 6:5-15:

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Some questions:

• Anything about this passage strike you as remarkable or unusual?
• Is this more a passage about prayer or secrecy?
• Is the "Lord’s Prayer" appropriate for us to pray today?
  

* * *

Tell me about your prayer life. Is it good? Do you struggle? With what do you struggle?

* * *

What else is on your mind this week?

Secret Service

Here is the preaching text for next Sunday (January 7, 2007):

Matthew 6:1-4

"Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Questions to get you thinking:

• As you read this what are the first things that come to your mind?
• What does this passage say about God? about people?

Tell me a story about when you put this passage into practice. (Good time to remain anonymous!)

Tell me a story about when others did not.

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So what else is new? What’s on your mind this week?

This really is an open forum, so jump in and express yourself!