Matthew 6:1-4 - The True Heart of Giving

Talk about lent: Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert while enduring temptation. Lent is to prepare us for Easter, the day we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. It starts this Ash Wednesday the 5th and ends the Thursday the 17th before Easter which is April 20th. It is a time to be thinking about what Christ’s death and resurrection mean to you and to pray about who you can invite to the Easter Sunday’s celebration. Many traditional churches give up something so they share in the suffering of Christ, but there can also be adding something for 40 days…whatever will draw you closer to Jesus.

Ask these questions:

What can I add to my life in Christ, or what should I give up (fast)? For these 40 days?

Ask God. Lord, do you want me to add something to my walk with You in these next 40+ days or would You like to take something away for 40 days?

Don’t choose something easy. Put yourself in a place of really needing God.  

This is a great opportunity to develop spiritual disciplines such as prayer, reading scripture, Bible Study, fasting, tithing, helping others, repenting, 

Matthew 6:1-4 - The True Heart of Giving

Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 are Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is pointing out our heart is behind our actions. He warns against the performing arts of righteousness for show; and calls us to live with an eternal mindset, built on the foundation of Christ Jesus' indwelling power to mold and shape our heart into a love instrument that resembles God Himself. Therefore the things we do are motivated by God’s indwelling character taking shape in our lives. 

The more we yield to Him the more we are like Him. 

What we will be covering in Matthew Chapter 6