Matthew 6

July Memory Verse: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Read: Matthew 6

As we continue in the Sermon on the Mount, some of the most comprehensive teaching we have from Jesus, today I want to take us section-by-section and give you an assignment to complete on your own.

There are basically 5 main themes that are addressed in Matthew 6. The challenge is for you to take our text, section by section, and (1) write a summary of what it is saying, and then (2) think through the application of each section. The goals of this exercise are to (1) help you comprehend what the text is saying with a focus of what it teaches you about God and his character first and foremost. (2) Then, in light of who God is, what does it look like for us to respond to God’s Word in faith and obedience?

Take a few minutes to walk through this exercise, then you can come back and read my thoughts as I walk through the same exercise! (BONUS: share your thoughts on one of the sections in the comments below!)

Verses 1-4
Summary: Practicing good works (righteousness, giving to the needy, etc.) for anything other than the glory of God is sinful—it robs God of the glory that he alone deserves. True holiness is not pursued in order to be praised or approved of by others.
Application: Pray and ask God to search my heart and make me aware of the posture and motivations of my heart. Choose to love and serve others for the glory of God and not the praise and approval of others.

Verses 5-15
Summary: This famous section on prayer flows directly from Jesus’s teaching about heart motivation in verses 1-4. Prayer should come from a heart that is not concerned with the opinions of others, but should revolve around truly seeking God and his glory. The posture of prayer comes from a pure heart and an understanding that God already knows what I need more than I do. (v. 8) The elements of prayer that honors God are: recognition of God and his holiness, a desire for God’s Kingdom to reign (which assumes that my kingdom will not), a request for daily, physical provision, a reminder that the forgiveness from God leads to a change in how we treat others, a request for protection against temptation.
Application: My goal in prayer should be to pray from a pure heart that is more concerned with God than me. Do I really pray like that? What can my prayers be characterized by if not by that?

Verses 16-18
Summary: Another way that Matthew 6:1 is lived out is through how we fast. Fasting should be done for the purpose of growing in holiness, not growing in the eyes of others.
Application: When is the last time that I have actually fasted? (Jesus does not seem to think that there is much of an option to NOT fast). When I do fast, do I really do it for God, or do it so that others might see how seriously I am taking my pursuit of holiness?

Verses 19-24
Summary: It is foolish for us to put our hope and trust in created things and not in God the creator. God alone is lasting and eternal.
Application: What do I think about the most? What motivates me in my life? How can I allow Scripture to be an even more central part of my everyday life?

Verses 25-34
Summary: Anxiousness comes when we forget that God is the one who is ALWAYS in ultimate control of our lives, and that God is sovereign, loving, and good.
Application: Anxiousness is something that our culture is super concerned about. In our pursuit of relieving anxiousness, what if the first place we turned was to God and His Word instead of a therapist who will gives us worldly wisdom that got us anxious to begin with?

I hope this exercise was helpful for you! Share your thoughts on one of the sections in the comments below!

By: Graham Withers

5 Comments


Mike Pepper - July 8th, 2021 at 6:25am

Great thoughts today Graham! There is so much packed in chapter 6.



"Anxiousness is something that our culture is super concerned about. In our pursuit of relieving anxiousness, what if the first place we turned was to God and His Word instead of a therapist who will gives us worldly wisdom that got us anxious to begin with?"



This is so true! I've spent the bulk of my career in the pharmaceutical industry and it has been deeply troubling to me how much money is spent on "medications" for anxiety and depression. I don't mean to discount the seriousness of these conditions but I agree that if people spent more time in the Word of God and praying to their Heavenly Father then the need for therapy and medications would be greatly reduced. Thanks for the commentary today Graham. You've given us a lot of good questions to consider.

Tim Parsons - July 8th, 2021 at 6:28am

v.5-15

Summary: This model that Jesus gave His disciples is a great model of prayer for me. I try to use it often.

Praise - Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

‭‭My Focus - Your kingdom come - Your will be done

My Needs - Gives the food we need

My Relationships - Forgives us - we forgive others

Spiritual life - Don’t let us yield to temptation - rescue us from the evil one



Application: My prayer is to be focused on God - Pray like Jesus

Paulina Alemawor - July 8th, 2021 at 8:15pm

Being generous brings light to our lives. when we follow Jesus principals it guides us to be obedient and the steps of holiness. By praying and being considerate with the word.

Application: The Lord's Prayer

Christy - July 9th, 2021 at 4:53am

So much here. I wonder what comes first? If we are generous and have heart for those in need; pray continually with only focus being God; walk with God again for His glory and not ours; value Spiritual victories over earthly possessions/money; and have faith that the Lord will provide for all our needs, then the result is that we fulfill the greatest commandment and Love God with all our heart, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourself. OR do we obey this greatest commandment and THEN all those fruits of the spirit listed above will be the inevitable result? Was that crazy confusing? Sorry guys!

TK - July 9th, 2021 at 7:39pm

Well we love God because He first loved us 1 John 4:19 and so it begins with the Lord, then us accepting His living word, Jesus Christ. Then the spirit moves in our heart to teach us/reach others as God takes care of everything. So the answer is pretty much a hard yes XD

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