Matthew 7

So how much gear do you have that lies lifeless? Rubel Shelly reminds us that a big study Bible is about as worthless to us if we don't read and apply it as workout equipment and clothes that are never use

"Dear Child of God, The Father is holy and wholly given to doing what is right, just, holy, gracious, and merciful. What about you? What is your..."

"Dear Beloved, We often make understanding what God wants much harder than it really is. One of the important aspects of My teaching is that I tried....."

Do you really KNOW the truth? Real knowledge is experiential knowledge: knowledge we've gained by acting on the truth.

"[Jesus continued:] "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit,..."

How can we avoid the foolish man's crash? Phil Ware reminds us of the harsh truth about knowing more than we put into practice, we are certainly called to be much more than a biblical thumb drive.

What do you do when you receive sharp criticims? Criticism hurts and we often respond unappropriately and hurtfully only making things worse so why don't we take time, weed our own garden, and learn from it.

What's got you stuck in neutral? Phil Ware looks at the last chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7, and emphasizes Jesus' call to us to obey, put into practice, bear fruit, and do what he says.

"[Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount:] "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock....."

"[Jesus said to the disciples:] "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the...."

"[Jesus continued:] "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father..."

"[Jesus continued:] "And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let..."

""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...."

"[Jesus continued:] "You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give....."

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 7:3-5 -- "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 th

Where are you building your house? The world is looking for Christians who are really willng to be obedient, real, authentic, and genuine in their walk with the Lord and do what he says.

"Dear Beloved, We are returning today to what is often called My Sermon on the Mount. What I want you to see today is a clear, simple, time-proven..."

Are you really trying to please God or yourself? Rather than following the whims of culture, let's obey God's word.

Doesn't our faith have to impact the way we live our daily lives? Rubel Shelly reminds us that our faith must make a difference in our normal lives or it matters little.

"When Jesus had finished saying these things [in his Sermon on the Mount], the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority —...."

"[Jesus continued:] "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is....."

"[Jesus continued:] "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be...."

"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the..."

""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.""

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.But small is the gate and narrow...."

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow..."

"Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads....."

"[Jesus said,] "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the...."

"When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of..."

"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..."

""Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to....."

""Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to....."

"[Jesus promised his disciples,] "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks..."

"[Jesus continued:] "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who..."

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 7:28-29 -- When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Graphic image Matthew 7:26-27 - But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 7:13-14 -- Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

What are we overlooking in ourselves to criticize others? Patrick Odum writes about firefighters burning down their own station, hypocrites, criticism, and our desire to run others down.

Tired of sitting on the dock? Then jump in! Rick Brown challenges us to get off the dock and into the water, to quit talking and to start obeying, to dive in and to swim.

What are you reaching for? We show we are Jesus' disciples by what we do, but so often what we reach for is the wrong thing.

Doesn't discipleship involve more than just saying the right words? Phil Ware shares his second post in his four article series on Peter's confession, focusing this time on our tendency to reduce faith to words and not actions and discipleship.

How can we deepen, strengthen, and become more aware of our Lord's constant and loving presence? Phil Ware reminds us of the Lord's nearness, four ways we can experience that nearness, but most importantly, he reminds us to seek the Lord's presence in our lives, always.

Who really is responsible? We need to quit blaming others and take responsibility for ourselves.

Can you believe it's true? Hypocrisy does exist in the church and we should weed it out, but it doesn't exempt us from church.

Why do we keep hanging on to what destroys us? Selfishness destroys families while self-examination helps us improve ourselves and bless our families.

Why is it hard to let Jesus have control of our lives? I wonder what would happen if we truly let Jesus have control of our lives.

What are you seeing as you go to church this morning? Tom Norvell reminds us that we must take a closer look and not judge on mere appearances as Jesus said.

"Dear Seeker, Folks have talked for centuries about My methods as a teacher. Many have been intrigued by My stories that are often called parables..."

"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."

"In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the prophets."

"[Jesus taught his disciples:] "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.""

"[Jesus taught his disciples, saying:] "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.""

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

"[Jesus continued:] "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and..."

"We know of a place in England still existing, where a dole of bread is served to every passerby who chooses to ask for it. Whoever the traveller may....."

"[Jesus continued:] "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.""

Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened.

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 7:1 -- 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.

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 7:2 -- For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 7:12 -- So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Most people say they believe in Jesus. They are wrong. Saving belief in Jesus is much more than believing a set of facts. Real belief is to follow Jesus.

Does he really act at just the right time? Russ Lawson reminds us that even though it is hard to wait patiently, God always responds to our prayers at just the right time and we should never give up asking him for his help.

Why not listen to the old story and look for something fresh and new? Sometimes we trust too much in what we've learned in the past and things we have learned from our parents rather than seeking the truth ourselves and then living it.

Are we guilty of being critical of others who do what we do? Are we criticizing others for the very things we are doing?

Have you seen Him lately? Even though they did not recognize Jesus at first, he was with those early disciples all along. All they had to do was keep looking for him.

"Dear Beloved, Grace can have a strong touch of redemptive irony! As you read in the verses below about Paul and Silas being thrown into jail, notice...."

So you believe in God, big deal, what are you going to do about it? Phil Ware challenges us to ask the 'Now, so what?' question to our own faith in Jesus and God and to make life changes based upon it.

Can you sway without breaking or falling? Mike Barres reminds us that we need to be like trees: flexible, rooted, connected, and built on the rock.

Seen God's grace lately? Take notice of God's grace and share it.

Who are you judging before looking at your own life? Before we criticize others for being too busy, maybe we ought to look at our own schedules!

Because we could not be James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that we all needed Jesus' redemptive death on the cross so we could find new life in the grace of God.

Have I truly decided to follow Jesus no matter where it may lead me? Jesus is the artist and the potter; each of us needs to be the canvas and clay where he creates a masterpiece. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead through worship in song, the Lord's Supper, a powerful message from God's word, and a blessing to enable us to worship from home or with family and friends in a meaningful way and ask this important question: Can I rea

What can we do to restore sanity and balance in our sexually charged world? Our world is out of balance in our sexually charged atmosphere and Christians aren't doing much to help, but we must!

We rejoice in the grace so lavishly given us in Jesus by obeying the Lord. Phil Ware concludes his six-part series on the man with leprosy that Jesus heals (Mark 1:35-45) and how we can learn to impact the lives of others as Jesus did.

"Dear Disciple, Unfortunately, much of the world has repeatedly given up honoring the Creator. Most in the world have chased after worthless and..."

Have you been trapped lately? Satan loves to trap us when we wander away from God's people.

What really makes our days bad, hard, and difficult to swallow? Steve Higginbotham reminds us that many of our most difficult days come from our negative and judgmental assumptions about why things happen.

So is there really something good about being judgmental Rubel Shelly takes on the risky topic of being judgmental and risks saying that there are times when we must be discerning and use proper judgment.

Jesus asks us to trust him — not just for receiving our salvation, but also by obeying him in our daily lives. Phil Ware concludes his six-part series on the man with leprosy that Jesus heals (Mark 1:35-45) and how we can learn to impact the lives of others as Jesus did.

Is this any less amazing than Paul’s unlikely meeting with Onesimus? Steve Higginbotham connects us with God's amazing work at getting people together and helping them live as brothers in Christ both in Bible times and today!

Where do you find your strength? Russ Lawson reminds us that faith is a muscle we exercise and when we do, we mature and grow in faith and spiritual strength.

You mean we are supposed to do this everywhere! After reading the passage again, have you seen anything new, like maybe it should apply in everything you do -- the Golden Rule!

How content are you in a bad traffic situation? We learn contentment by learning to be at peace with others.

What motivates us to change and growth? If we are going to change and grow, we're going to have to know what motivates that kind of change: affection, acceptance, and self-respect.

What does this have to do with Phil Campbell Rick Brown reminds us that community, church, family, can make a huge difference in our lives when devastation hits.

How are you doing living up to these commandments? Rubel Shelly shares some insight on the golden rule applied to office relationships.

How do I really look? Rubel Shelly reminds us that our self-perceptions may be totally inaccurate.

What does true love do? While true love waits, true love also obeys. Whatever happened to obedience?

Will you put your life where your mouth is? Practice what you preach, walk your talk, and live the life you profess.

Some days, I find that I'm a little of both! Larry Davies talks about a morning of tranquility shattered by an unexpected event with his son and then realizes that some days you are the windshield and some days you are the bug!

Parenting cuts deep to the core. It lays open our needs before God, and we can either resent it or embrace the powerful cleansing that comes from God's purifying fire Melissa Troyer reminds us that life's messes should drive us to our knees and open our hearts to the love, grace, and freedom of God!

What is your greatest fear about the release of The Passion? The Passion of The Christ is released tomorrow, but Dave has fears that it will not be used as evangelistically as it should be.

Now that Christmas is over, can you see Jesus? Mike Barres talks about a plaque in his office that spells out Jesus, but many folks don't see the name, just like most folks besides Anna and Simeon didn't see Jesus for who he truly was; but will we see him?

Can you love the unlovable? If we are willing, we can love the unlovable and encourage them to know Jesus.

We actually exchanged real words with both of them. It was amazing. Would you believe that they are both real living, breathing human beings? Michael DeCamp shares a chapter out of his new book, "Loving Out Loud," and challenges us to use our words to bless and not hurt, to give life and not steal it from someone.

Learning to live in tune with God! Phil Ware gives us three key principles to follow as we approach the New Year, ask the Lord what he wants us to do, learn to rest, and get to know Jesus better.

Who do you look like? Rubel Shelly reminds us that even when things or people look alike doesn't mean they actually live the same way or live out the same role.

The Golden Rule is a fundamental principle in our life with others. Jesus lived this principle, and we have chosen to follow the example of our Savior. Phil Ware and Demetrius Collins lead us into worship through songs, Communion, and the Word God, inviting us to realize that in Jesus, we have the power to break every chain of bondage in our relationships and in our lives.

What are you filling your tank with? We can think we are following God's will, but the only way to know for sure is by consulting his word.

Phil Ware challenges us to look beyond the New Year's resolutions on to a life pursuing Jesus. Phil Ware challenges us to look beyond the New Year's resolutions on to a life pursuing Jesus.

When is a homerun not quite a homerun without some help? Steve Higginbotham reminds us of a great home run story from D II women's softball and how the opposing team helped an injured competitor.

Is that person really so bad? Rubel Shelly reminds us of the incredible importance of how we view people.

So how do you do in those challenging situations? Phil Ware continues his letters to his grown children Zachary and Megan about the principles his dad tried to instill in him, and this week the focus is on how we treat people that the rest of folks don't feel they have to treat nicely.

"Dear Disciple, Read My harsh words to the Pharisees about their all-talk-legalism and not-much-help religion (Matthew 23:1-36). When you do, you will..."

Are you paying attention? When it comes to finding your way through this world, no GPS can help you. No map program will get you there. You need directions from someone who really knows the way. The book of Psalms says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Ps

Prayer that the Father hears is directed to him in faith with an unselfish attitude, seeking to bless and honor God's will because of our love for the Father. Bill Sherrill reminds us about the importance of prayer and how we should pray to honor God.

God isn't going to accept anything we offer him — our hearts, our Sunday worship, our offerings, our praise, our hopes, our private prayers, our dreams — if we knowingly remain at odds with a brother or sister in Christ. Phil Ware takes the two love commands of Jesus, the Greatest Commands, and applies them to all of life for a follower of the Lord.

There is more to the crown of thorns Jesus carried than meets the eye at first glance. Max Lucado reminds us of the grace and love shown to us in the crown of thorns Jesus wore to the cross.

Does God still speak and make his presence known in our lives or is he silent, leaving us to decipher our own way through our troubled world? Phil Ware continues his series on finding God's vision for our lives and living on mission for God.

What are you going to do in the storm? Many tough things happen in life, are we ready for the storm or to help others caught in the storm?

Who would you try to make contact with? Russ Lawson emphasizes that we shouldn't be motivated out of fear, but urgency and love, and mend our relationships.

Can you find the energy to do something? People are ready to help in the Katrina crisis, thank God!

When is losing not such a big deal? Rubel Shelly describes a rare but beautiful story of sportsmanship that helps us prepare for March madness.

March madness is here, but the best game was played in February! Rubel Shelly takes us to El Paso and shares a story that will warm our hearts about a coach, a boy, a team, and good sportsmanship.

Are you so sure you don't judge people? Rubel Shelly reminds us that we have to make correct judgments about many things and many people, the secret is not being judgmental.

When sports fail to bring us together as one, then what will we do? Rubel Shelly reminds us of MLK, Martin Luther King, Jr., and how he taught us we were all equal in God's eyes and that Jesus was the answer to uniting us into one people under God.

Do you have the strength to stand? The power of an anonymous motel room doesn't have to claim our purity or cause us to cave into sin.

Can we live like we know for sure? God is at work in the ordinary and unimportant aspects of life as well as the extraordinary and debilitating aspects of life.

Finding more than we are looking for! Russ Lawson talks about the origin of the word serendipity and asks how we will use these blessings in our lives?

What are you expecting to get for your Christian commitment? Are we only interested in bargain basement Christianity, or are we willing to pay the price to be productive.

Can we build a culture of honor in a world that has a different set of values? Phil Ware begins a series on building a culture of honor using Romans 12 as the basis and foundation of the study.

Jesus wants to be real to us and be vibrantly present in each of our churches, gatherings, and groups, as well as in each of us individually. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in an online, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to open our hearts and our churches to Jesus and invite him in and ask him to be real and to take charge of our future.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Phil Ware challenges us to look beyond the cosmetic image we see in the mirror and view ourselves as God does.

So how do we get real about the church? Phil Ware continues his series from Matthew on God's presence in Jesus and this week talks about church as family, not community.