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Jesus' sermon on the mount...
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Over the course of two millennia, fanciful interpretation, tradition and, indeed, hypocrisy have obscured the profound, and yet simple, message revealed upon the holy mount. Some have misunderstood its purpose; others have become lost in a maze of regulations and sentiment that has hindered men and women from discovering the treasure at its heart.
And so it was on the day Jesus stepped before the crowd--a multitude assembled on a hill in Judea, desperate for words of spiritual insight--and crafted His sermon on the mount; and so it is today as believers look to rediscover the treasures of Jesus' initial, ground-breaking sermon (Matthew 5:1-7:29), delivered two millennia past.
Jesus did not offer the assembled his own reinterpretation of the Law, first revealed to Moses on a neighboring mountain. Rather, Jesus established the foundation upon which His kingdom and righteousness would be established.
The sermon on the mount conveyed the very heart of the gospel. Jesus described the character of those whom He was seeking, His expectations of His disciples, and how His disciples might be transformed from the "inside-out." You might be tempted to turn away as you hear Jesus call His disciples to "a righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees"; but, fear not, for Jesus simply had in mind the futility of a life lived in hypocrisy, and He expressed the desire that His disciples follow Him from the heart--a single-minded devotion emanating from the passions within.
You'll discover the sermon on the mount offers a revolutionary message that unfolds the benefits of life in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. When people heard the sermon for the first time, they left with an impression that penetrated their hearts and left them with practical ways to effectively impact their communities, to pray with purpose, and to earnestly seek life in the kingdom--life that offers attainable, yet profound, peace.
Jesus' authoritative words of grace and truth were in stark contrast to the hypocritical religious institutions of His day. Jesus' words gave hope to a people who were spiritually starved. This sermon, delivered on an unidentified hilltop in the Judean countryside, is the genesis of the gospel message that continues, centuries later, to impact lives and communities around the globe.
Discover through the sermon on the mount how Jesus can revolutionize the way you live and minister. You too can walk away from the sermon on the mount--amazed at His teaching--and confessing, "He does not teach like our teachers...He teaches like a person who has authority" (Matthew 7:28-29, paraphrase).
Have you read Jesus' sermon on the mount lately?
If you'd like to dig deeper, read Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, and Glen Stassen's Living the Sermon on the Mount, or start with our own workbook, The Sermon on the Mount, outlining the landmark discourse.
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Michael Fox m·agine!
530/613.2774 407 Myrtle Drive Farmerville, LA, USA 71241 |
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In addition to personal and professional coaching, m·agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching, employing its proprietary models --Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength-- as well as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® curriculum published by CPP, the People Development People.
Michael's books include Complete in Christ, Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook, and Biblio·files.
Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details. For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net.
Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching. On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees.
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