This Sunday we’ll be concluding Jesus’ most famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, in our ongoing series studying the Gospel of Matthew. We’ll be reading ch 7:13-29.

Jesus wraps up his instructions with a series of contrasts between two choices. Only two. Two gates, two roads, two types of spiritual leaders, two types of disciples and two different foundations (as well as a sub-set of two fruits and two trees).

All of this is intended to emphasize an “either/or” proposition concerning how we live. We are either following Jesus by mirroring his values into the world, or we are not following him at all. There doesn’t appear to be a third way.

Some things to think about for Sunday: When you read about two trees and two kinds of fruit, what other famous Bible story has a choice between trees in it? Can that give us a clue as to the what doing God’s will might look like? According to Jesus, can a person be representing God’s purposes if they reject in their lifestyle his teachings about greed, forgiveness, love for our enemies, rejecting lust, and not judging others?

Jesus describes people doing some really powerful works and yet declares he never knew them. This clearly indicates that a relationship with Jesus is upmost importance. What might motivate a person to do spectacular things besides a desire to please God?

What would constitute a sandy foundation, that is, what would be something unsuitable to build our life and identity on? What, or who would be a rock-like foundation on which to establish our lives and priorities?

I hope you can join us as we dive into this text on Sunday!

Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.