Matthew 6
Jesus gives more teaching, including how to pray and prioritise in life
Discussion questions
- Is your giving to the needy something which is done to attract the praise of others, or out of love for God?
- What is a prayer? Who is authorised to say a prayer? Does it need to be a certain length? Does it need to be said out loud? Does it need to be said at a certain time?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet with the hashtag #boundlessbible.
Going Deeper – From 'Words Of Life'
The eighth Commandment tells us not to steal. Straightforward. But is it?
We may never be tempted to rob a bank or even steal something from a shop. But what about the more subtle ways of stealing? Things at work, for instance: pens, paper, even paper clips.
And what about claiming business expenses when the expense was not really business-oriented at all. Or fiddling with paperwork, to get something that really should not come to us in the first place. It might be extra-long lunch breaks – which also become far more frequent! It could be leaving early when we have no genuine reason to do so. It may be not coming into work when we really are not sick. It’s not ethical. But, what is our excuse?
‘Everybody does it,’ we say.
At church, ‘stealing’ could possibly relate to our tithing – when we are giving far less than we could and should. And again, we ask who will ever really know about these things – after all, everybody does it! But do they?
And would it really matter if they did, anyway?We are all accountable before God. It is all about trust. If we claim Christ as Lord, we are to be trusted – by everybody. We are to be people of integrity.
Honest. Once we can’t be trusted, relationships start to break down. Then society at large is affected. It’s the beginning of corruption, disillusionment. For sin is present, and God is grieved.
As we ponder these things, looking into our own hearts, let us close with a prayer that helps us focus on God alone:
Lord, I leave aside my shoes – my ambitions;
undo my watch – my timetable;
take off my glasses – my opinions;
unclip my pen – my work;
put down my keys – my security…
to be alone with you, the only true God. Count me worthy to be
called your child, heavenly Father.
Beverly Ivany
'Teach Me' produced by Gary Rose