Matthew 6:1,25

"[Jesus continued:] "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.""

"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."

"[Jesus continued his Sermon on the Mount,] "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward..."

"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,..."

"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,..."

"[Jesus taught his disciples, saying:] "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear......"

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 6:1 -- 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.

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 6:25 -- 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?

Why is it all about taste and aroma? Katha Winther talks about all the smells and tastes that are associated with marketing products today and reminds us that life is more than food and clothing.

"[Jesus continued:] "That [you cannot serve both God and money] is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food and....."

So what are we supposed to think about if not this? Tom Norvell uses Matthew 6:25 and several translations (NIV, Message, and KJV translations) to help drive home Jesus' point and that many of us who look good on the outside are filled with worry on the inside, worry Jesus wants to take off our shoulders.

How do you react to this kind of stuff? Lisa Mikitarian shares an event in the life of her daily routine with her son and how her reaction to a broken mug leads to even more destruction and a family lesson.

"[Jesus warned his disciples,] "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in..."

So how do we obey these hard commands to not worry? Rubel Shelly reminds us that trust in God to act is not passive, but an active life that does what is required, trusting that our difficulties and challenges are problems for God to solve.

Why do you do the things you do? People look at the outside; God examines the heart. Rather than trying to impress those around you, put your time and effort into doing the things that God would have you do. Don't do it to try and get something in return; make pleasing God your goal.

What are you willing to do that only God knows? The greatest is often not the one we think is most important, but the one who serves with the most selfless heart.

Why is it so hard to do things quietly and without drawing attention to ourselves Tom Norvell reminds us that true piety is about quiet, anonymous, kind acts of service and generosity for others done to honor God and not ourselves.

Are humans that predictable? Are people really so selfish? Do we nearly always pursue some payoff or reward in every situation? Phil Ware writes out of a quiet time study of Matthew 6 and the memory of the crass motivation often behind our behaviors, even our most religious behaviors.

Why do we dread what we don't know? Larry Davies shares a childhood experience and reminds us that we don't have to fear the unexpected or unexplained; we can pray and avoid a whole lot of sleepless nights.

What's a young guy got to do? Rubel Shelly wades into the Tim Tebow issue with some good insight and a reminder to wait and see how this all turns out.

"Dear Disciple, I have a question: Why are you doing spiritual things? Are you trying to impress someone and prove you are religious? Are you trying....."

"Dear Precious One, Are you worried about finances? Retirement? Funding college? Too little money at the end of too long a month? Or paying off your....."

Can I live up to my purpose? Teresa Bell Kindred shares some ideas about New Year's resolutions and living for others.