Adult
• 5 Sessions of Learner’s Materials
• 5 Sessions of Teaching Materials
• 4 Handouts
1. Matthew 5:1-12
2. Matthew 5:13-20
3. Matthew 5:21-6:6
4. Matthew 6:5-15; 6:19-7:12
5. Matthew 7:13-27
Living a Christlike life has never been easy, whether in Jesus' day or our own. A study of this wonderful teaching will refresh our memories on the daily demands of following Jesus as our Lord. This teaching is the moral compass by which we practice discipleship. As we become better disciples we grow in Christ. As we grow in Christ, we become more Christlike!
Session One: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount as a whole, and especially the Beatitudes, is centered in real life and real commitment to God's Kingdom. Difficulties come to any who choose to follow Christ. Though we would often like to think otherwise, life in the Kingdom of God is not devoid of hardships. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says to endure difficulties. Immediately before teaching the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus endures his own temptation ordeal. To the meek, poor, and merciful, Jesus offers words of hope. The Beatitudes remind us that even in times of difficulty, God is with us and we belong to God.
Session Two: Life in the Kingdom of God works much better when we focus on an attitude of gratitude. As we focus on our attitudes, we are then compelled to tell others what God has done for us. As we are intentional about our attitude and our sharing, we grow in a more mature and sincere faith. When we focus more on what God has done and is doing in our lives, we are more motivated to share God's blessings with others. As we recognize God at work in our everyday lives, we can't help sharing our joy with others. In fact, Jesus says that it is impossible to keep God's goodness hidden.
Session Three: How often does someone hurt your feelings? How often do you hurt someone else? Seeking revenge is often a response when we have been hurt. When someone hurts my family or me, my first reaction is the desire to retaliate. The people who scare me the most in life are those who live by the rule "I don't get mad, I get even." But into our pain and thoughts of revenge, Jesus comes. Jesus moves the bar higher, calling us to a mature way of relating to one another.
Session Four: The Lord's Prayer is one of the most meaningful "confessions of faith" that a Christian can utter. Yet many Christians often question the usefulness or power of prayer. Why should we pray? Does prayer matter? Is God really hearing our prayers? The mere act of prayer expresses one's faith that prayer does matter and that God does hear.
Session Five: The Sermon on the Mount is a masterpiece of teaching and preaching. Jesus is an amazing teacher. He is consistent, has divine insights into human nature, and speaks with bold authority. Jesus says that it is not enough simply to understand the Law and the Prophets. One must understand the intention of the Law and then act on it.
by Bo Prosser
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