Read
Matthew 5:2-3 –2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:16-30 – 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
PONDER
- When the man went away sorrowful because of his great possessions, what did this reveal about how he viewed Jesus?
- Do you believe that Jesus is worth everything?
- Consider your spiritual bankruptcy. You are dead in your sins apart from Christ, and yet He offers eternal life to those who follow Him. Meditate on His mercy and His generosity, and let this reality lead you to worship.
PRAY
- Father, help us to know that all life is found in you. Nothing this world offers can compare.
- Father, help us to hold loosely the things of this world in light of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
- Father, thank you for Jesus who graciously gives us more than we deserve.
- Father, by your Spirit, help us to see, know, and love you more through your Word.
- Father, prepare me to gather with my church and worship you. You are worthy! To you be the glory!
Sing: Listen to this week’s songs on Spotify
PRactice
Gather! 9:30am or 11:00am.
Our sin leaves us spiritually bankrupt—dead, totally unable to change our standing before a holy God. Sin corrupts the whole world, leading all of creation away from the God of life to death and destruction. How should we understand our world in light of the problem of sin? Join the Worldview Forum tomorrow at 9:30am or 11:00am.
Talk About It:
- Tell someone one thing that you learned from your Bible reading this week.
- Practice telling someone the story of God’s Word, from the beginning to what you have read so far.
5 Practices to Gathering Well:
- Be Present – The first step to gathering well: Gather!
- Be Early – Prioritize the gathering with your time. Don’t be late. The practical discipleship of this priority can be profound for you and your family.
- Be Prepared – Ponder, pray, sing, fast, and praise are all good ways to prepare.
- Be Uncomfortable – Sit with different people. Sing loud. Challenge routines. Gather on mission.
- Be Responsive – Don’t just be hearers of the Word, be doers. Pray. Ponder. Practice. Too often we gather to affirm what we already hold, rather than be taught, rebuked, corrected, or trained in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Gather to be transformed.
- Get help and accountability in Prepare Sundays at either 9:30 or 11:00 am across from the Give2Go Cafe. Prepare is a Go Study Group aimed to help us grow as doers of the Word by working through the next steps required to faithfully apply the biblical text we’re reading and preaching through at TCBC.