Foundations June 1, 2012

Prophet’s Reading Plan: Isaiah 1- 4
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
 
Read Galatians 5:16-26
This month we are taking an in-depth look at the fruit of the Spirit – the evidence of a life submitted to the work of God. These are not the gifts of the Spirit, though we have been given those as well. These are not the blessings of the Spirit, though they do indeed bless us. A gift is given and a blessing is bestowed, but fruit it grown; fruit is cultivated and nurtured and harvested. Joy and patience and self-control do not just fall onto our laps; we are not sudden masters of the fruit any more than we can snap our fingers and make an apple appear in the palm of our hand.
Perhaps the list of spiritual fruit is daunting to you or maybe one or two in particular strike a nerve. Remember that God is a God of peace and His ways are not formulated to give you anxiety. This is a joint effort. More than once Scripture parallels people to fruit-bearing trees. The psalms tell us that those who are planted in the Lord’s house will grow strong and faithfully bear fruit each season (see Ps. 92). God is the Gardener, watering, weeding and pruning. We have the responsibility to settle into the soil. We must choose where we will plant ourselves. Will we be planted in the courts of our God, pursuing Him and asking His help and relying on Him? Or will we be planted in the soils of selfishness, trying to live as independently as possible? When we are planted in Him, He will produce in us the fruit listed above. But remember – it is a process. As we follow His path, He will plant seeds in us that will grow to become the beautiful fruit of the Spirit.

PRAYER AND MEDITATION
1. Read Galatians 5:22-23. Tell God how you feel about this list. What strikes you as an area where you need to improve? 
2. Which of the fruit do you know is most evident in your life? Reflect on how God has developed this in your life and thank Him for it.
3. Galatians 5:25 says “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Meditate on what this means and ask God to help you keep in step with Him today.

Foundations May 31, 2012

The Great Commission
Read: Matthew 28:16-20
All of the teachings of Christ that we have studied throughout the month can be summarized by the word discipleship. We are to be disciples of Christ. As we prepare ourselves for His second coming
we are also to make disciples. Jesus did not call us to make converts but rather to make disciples.
He defines how we are to do this in verse 20; “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you”. This will require that the disciples are continually transformed in order to become more like
Christ. You can’t lead someone where you are not willing to go. As Christians, we must not become
stagnant in our walk with God, we must move forward by continually confessing sin, dealing with our
issues, serving Him and growing as disciples in Christ ourselves. We are also to lead others along
the discipleship pathway. We do all of this through tapping into the presence of God because He is
with us always, even to the end of the age (verse 20). The Great Commission means that we work
hard to spread the Gospel to our world through discipleship, living rightly, teaching others, serving in
the church and sharing our faith with others. This Commission is not merely a command to witness
to individuals and wait around for Christ to return. Notice how Jesus spoke of His authority in verse
18. We cannot complete the Great Commission on our own strength or with our own ideas and
strategies. Jesus is the one that is to be leading and guiding as, as He is functional Lord of the
church. It is our job to listen to Him and follow His orders.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask the Lord to show you how He has been transforming you over the last few weeks and
months. How have you been growing in your walk with Him? In what areas of your life is He
pleased with you?
2. Ask the Lord to show you what the next steps are for you in your pathway of discipleship.
Where is He leading you?
3. Pray that you would learn to tap into His authority in your life and let Him lead with His ideas
and strategies. Pray that you would grow in listening to Him and following His orders.
4. Pray that as a church we would grow in discipling others into maturity in their walk with God.

Foundations May 30, 2012

The Sheep and the Goats
Read: Matthew 25:31-46
We have seen a theme of judgment running through Matthew 24-25 and here it reaches its climax.
Why is it so important that we are prepared, actively waiting and watching for Christ’s second
coming? It is because there is judgment coming. Today’s verses are not an allegory; they are
speaking of what will happen when Jesus comes back (verse 31). The entire Olivet Discourse
is Christ’s teaching on what will happen at the end of the age therefore it is fitting for Jesus to
conclude with the judgment at the end. Up until now the sheep and goats have been intermixed, it
may have even been hard to distinguish the sheep from the goats. Jesus is returning not only as a
King (sitting on a throne) but as a Judge. In this passage there are only two classes of people and
there are only two destinies. There are those who will go away into eternal punishment (verse 46)
and there are those who will receive a great inheritance (verse 34). It is important to note that even
though in this teaching people are divided according to their acts of kindness and mercy towards
the disadvantaged that scripture clearly teaches we are saved by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). James clearly
teaches that works are also important (James 2) as evidence of our faith. It’s not the works that
save us but the faith the drives the works. Clear as mud? We are saved by our personal response
to the Gospel. We must be careful that we do not casually read the scriptures. Did you notice
that in this passage both the sheep and the goats were not aware of their actions in relation to the
judgment that was given to them? Both asked, “When?” This question tells us a lot about their
hearts. In the case of the sheep, the good works, the love they showed were a direct overflow of
the Holy Spirit that was in them. True followers of Christ don’t have to conjure up a whole lot of
good works to prove their faith; the works just naturally flow out of their right relationship with God.
They didn’t even know that they had done those good things! Don’t let this passage of scripture
bring fear into your life – seek God, love Him, be filled with the Holy Spirit and good works will
naturally flow in your life too!

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time thanking the Lord for the salvation that He freely offers you through faith.
Then thank Him for the works that naturally flow out of a right relationship with God!
2. You cannot earn your salvation through works, nor can you have an inactive faith. Ask the
Lord to speak to you about the balance of faith and works in your life through a word, though
or picture. Keep pressing in and asking Him questions until you receive clarity about what He
is saying to you.

Foundations May 29, 2012

The Parable of the Talents
Read: Matthew 25:14-30
We have seen over the last few days the theme of being ready. This theme is also present in this
parable but here we begin to see what it means to be ready. Being ready isn’t passively sitting around
watching; instead we see activity in producing results that would please the master. The period of
waiting is not intended be empty but rather filled with activity and building God’s Kingdom. In this
parable we see the talents as a sum of money given to each servant. For us they could represent any
privileges or opportunities given to us to serve the Kingdom. These opportunities may differ but the
fact is that we are all to be faithful in using them for God. The master allocates the responsibilities;
some have been given much and others have been given less. It is the master who decides who gets
how much and it’s the servant’s responsibility to merely carry out faithfully the role entrusted to him/
her. It is important to realize that God distributes talents as He sees fit and not necessarily evenly.
The distribution of talents was not equal but it is fair. Each servant was given the same opportunity
to double their talents and the same reward was given to those who did. The master came back to
settle accounts – this shows that God expects us to use what He has given us. The third servant
completely missed the point. He let fear of failure prevent him from even trying to use his talent.
Being ready therefore consists of producing results in the Kingdom. What matters the most isn’t how
many talents you have been given but rather what you do with what you’ve got. Are you working for
the Kingdom? The Master gets to determine how He distributes things; your job is to make the most
of what you’ve got by actively waiting for His return.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How are you using the talents that God has given you to serve in God’s Kingdom? Are you using
you talents wisely?
2. Is there an area in your life where a fear of failure is keeping you from using a gift or talent that
God has given you? Pray a bit about this, ask the Lord to show you how you can gain victory in
this area.
3. What matters the most isn’t how many talents you have been given but rather what you do with
what you’ve got. Have you struggled with being jealous of people who seem to have more
talents then you do? Confess this as sin and ask the Lord to help you use wisely what has been
given to you.

Foundations May 28, 2012

The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Read: Matthew 25: 1-13
The parable of the ten virgins emphasizes Jesus point that it is important to watch and be prepared
for His return. While they are waiting, the wise and foolish virgins seem quite similar yet their end
will be quite different. This parable speaks of the importance of making sure that we are ready for
His return in view of knowing the season. The story essentially is a warning, for those who profess
to be Christians, to be careful in assuming that their eternal destination is secure. All ten virgins
were expecting to enter the wedding feast but only five got in, the other five were told, “I don’t
know you”. We see vividly the division between the ready and the unready. Verse 13 repeats
the warning, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour”. Each virgin’s
preparedness was determined by their own choices; just like each of us must take responsibility for
our own preparedness. Husbands can’t be prepared for their wives and parents can’t be prepared
for their children. Each one is accountable for their own choice to prepare or not to prepare.
Sometimes Christian’s tend to ignore God in the good times and then when the tough times come
they run to God. There is a lot of error in this type of thinking. The best time to prepare for a
disaster is BEFORE the disaster arrives. The police and fire crews practice so that they are ready
for when the real disaster comes. Even schools have fire drills to practice what to do in case of a
real fire. We cannot overemphasize the importance of being prepared. Now is the time to practice
hearing God, now is the time to grow in your relationship with Him, and now is the time to join a cell
group, forgive someone who hurt you, heal a friendship or start serving.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Why is it important to prepare for a crisis before the disaster arrives? How do we do this in
our culture?
2. How is practicing hearing God, growing in your relationship with Him, joining a cell, forgiving,
restoring friendship, serving, etc. all a part of preparing for Christ’s second coming. Which
one of these things does God want you go focus on over the next few days, weeks or
months?
3. Pray that those around you (your family, friends, co-workers, etc.) would see the importance
of being prepared. Pray that you would have the opportunity to speak to them, pray with them
and help them be prepared.

Foundations May 27, 2012

The Day and the Hour
Read: Matthew 24:36-51
Many people incorrectly read these verses and falsely assume that the End Times is just a big
mystery and therefore there is no need to study it. But the End Times is not a minor topic in Scripture;
in fact there are over 150 chapters in the Bible dedicated to the End Times. It is true that we cannot
know the specific date and time when Jesus returns but we can know the season. We learned
already that we are commanded by Jesus to know when He is about to come back (Matt. 24:32-35)
so how can we make sense of today’s verses? Scriptures about the End Times are not confusing.
Jesus is the Truth and the Light and He does not make things confusing or contradict Himself. We
need to look at all of Scripture when interpreting the Bible, not just a single verse here and there.
Today’s verse does not contradict other verses in Scripture. We cannot know the exact date or time
of Jesus return (verse 36) therefore we don’t make predictions or follow End Times fortune tellers.
There are three approaches to End Times prophecy. 1) Ignore the signs (it’s really bad to ignore
massive passages of Scripture), 2) use the signs to predict the future (this leads to abuse, also bad),
3) use the signs to interpret the season (this is what Jesus wants us to do). Verse 42 tells us to keep
watch, this is what we must do, and we must be prepared. One of the keys to interpreting today’s
verses is to see them as talking about being prepared. We don’t prepare by calculating a date or time
but by living a life of constant readiness and by responding to the warnings that God gives us in the
Scriptures. Christ illustrates this to us beautifully by describing two men in a field and two women
grinding with a mill. In both situation, one is prepared and is taken and the other is not. We will see
the theme of readiness permeate the next chapter of Matthew where Jesus emphasizes this point
using several parables. The important thing to remember is that we are commanded to watch and be
ready.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How are you living a life of constant readiness for Christ’s second coming? How are you
watching and waiting for His return?
2. Ask the Lord to show you anything else that He wants you to do in order to be prepared for His
coming? What else is involved in watching and waiting for His return?
3. Pray that the Canadian Church would be awakened from its slumber and begin to be ready
for Christ’s second coming. Pray that God would use Southland in a powerful way – to glorify
Himself and to ready the church for His return.

Foundations May 26, 2012

The Coming of the Son of Man
Read Matthew 24:29-35
In today’s passage (see also Mark 13:24-27 and Luke 21:25-28), Jesus plainly describes the events
of the rapture and His second coming. In verse 29 He says “immediately after the tribulation of
those days.” Which days is He talking about? The days which He just finished describing in verses
4-28, the days of the Great Tribulation. Jesus describes the Second coming as being after these
days and the rapture (angels gathering up the elect) happening at the same time (see also 2 Thess.
2:1-12). In verse 31 we see the last trumpet call (see also 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 11)
which brings in both the rapture and the second coming of Christ. The timing of the last trumpet
is very clear as being at the end of the Great Tribulation. Jesus, knowing that the deception in
the tribulation would be intense, did not want to leave us unprepared. After warning us of false
christs and false signs (verses 23-24), He then teaches the true sign by which we could discern,
for certain, His real return to earth. What is the sign of Jesus’ second coming and the end of the
age? First, the sky will become dark (sun, moon, stars will darken – verse 29) and second, the
whole sky will be lit up as bright as lightning (verse 27) and then we will finally see the real Jesus
coming on the clouds of Heaven. A Heavenly earthquake will accompany the darkening of the sky
during part one of the sign (verse 29). Then all the nations of the earth will mourn (verse 30). Many
Christians believe the lie that we cannot know when Jesus is coming back. Although we cannot
know the exact hour, we can know the season. Jesus tells us to learn a lesson from the fig tree, He
is reinforcing that we can know when His return is near.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time thanking God for His goodness in preparing us for the events that are to
occur in the End Times and for showing us the order of many of these events.
2. Jesus is coming back one day. This will be a very exciting event for all believers. Pray that
many would accept Him as Lord and Saviour and be ready for the day of His return.
3. Pray that God would continue working in your heart to prepare you for the Tribulation that is to
come, pray that you would be found faithful until the end.

Foundations May 25, 2012

Abomination of Desolation
Read Matthew 24:15-28
This passage is referring to things that will happen just prior to the second coming of Christ. Jesus is
teaching His disciples some important things that He wants them to understand. The Abomination of
Desolation is the primary sign that the Great Tribulation (the final 3 ½ years of the 7 year tribulation
period) has begun. It is supposed to serve as one of our key reference points in the End Times.
Based on it we will be able to clearly discern the identity of the Antichrist, the Antichrist’s beast empire
and our position in the Tribulation time period. The Abomination of Desolation is the name given by
Scripture to a series of events in which the Antichrist commits some act of awful blasphemy against
God in the Jewish temple, sets up an idolatrous image of himself and demands that the world worship
him as God. The Abomination of Desolation is referred to six times in Scripture (4 times by Daniel, 2
times in the Gospels). It is also described without using its name 3 more times in Scripture (2 Thess.,
Rev.) Jesus says in today’s verses that the Abomination of Desolation will be a literal event that we
are able to see. It will be obvious and we need to be watching for it. This is a really key event in the
End Times. According to verse 22, the Great Tribulation will be so terrible that if it lasted longer than
3 ½ years, the human race would become extinct. This is an awful statement when you consider that
World War II and World War I were horrendous wars causing tens of millions of deaths, but neither
came close to extincting the entire human race. Verse 21 tells us that it will be the most horrible
time in human history. Jesus encourages us to pray about this event (verse 20). Though we can’t
make these events go away, through prayer and obedience we can alleviate some of the effects of
these events, making them more bearable and enabling more people to get to know Jesus. There
is no reason to become fatalistic when studying the End Times – we are told to pray! Once the
Abomination of Desolation is set up the terrible events of the Great Tribulation are going to happen
very quickly, they will come in a rush, so fast that Jesus warns people to flee immediately (without
returning home to pack).

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask the Lord to show you some specific things that you can do to prepare yourself and your
family for the End Times.
2. Ask the Lord to grow your prayer life, to increase your desire to pray and your passion for prayer.
3. Thank the Lord for the Scriptures, that in His love He has warned us ahead of time of what is
to come. Thank Him that He is in control of these terrible events and that He will be with us,
guiding us and helping us.

Foundations May 24, 2012

The Birth Pangs
Read: Matthew 24:3-14
It seems in verse 3 that the disciples link the destruction of the temple with Jesus coming and the
close of the age. This allows Jesus to distinguish His coming which is an eschatological (End
Times) event from the destruction of the temple. Jesus teachings are to extend their horizons, to
make them realize that a continuation without the temple until the close of the age is possible and
that the end of the temple is not necessarily the end of all things. Jesus reply begins immediately
with what is to be one of His main themes – the danger of being led astray. He tells them that
many will come in His name and will lead many astray (verse 5). This does not mean that they
come with, or even claim, His authority. He is the only Christ and anyone else claiming that role is
an imposter. Throughout the history of the church many have made claims to messianic identity.
Jesus disciples must be on their guard against such people. Similarly, wars and natural disasters
such as famines and earthquakes are a signs of the beginning of the end (verse 6-7). These are
the beginning of the birth pangs (verse 8). Birth pangs indicate that there will be a time of suffering
prior to Christ’s second coming. Verses 9-12 similarly speak in general terms of the sufferings to
come. Jesus predicts tribulations, death and hatred towards His disciples. This persecution will
take its toll in that many will fall away. He also prophesies that many will fall away because they
have been led astray by false prophets; that people will betray one another and hate each other.
Deception from both the world and from within the church will be prevalent. Disciples must test the
spirits to determine whether or not they acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah (1 John 2:18-27;
4:1-6). Jesus speaks of lawlessness increasing and love growing cold. This is a somber picture of
the church in decline. Yet the gospel will be preached to all nations – then the end will come. The
end cannot come until the gospel has reached all people. Endurance is a key End Times theme
and we see it in verse 13. The one who endures to the end will be saved - either through the return
of Christ or the end of one’s life.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Read through today’s passage of scripture again. What are some of the birth pangs that
Jesus is talking about (verses 4-8)?
2. What are some of the other key events that will signal that the end is drawing near (verses
9-14)?
3. What is the key to making it through this tough time (verse 13)? Ask the Lord for some ways
that you can being to build a solid foundation so that you will stand firm until the end.

Foundations May 23, 2012

The Olivet Discourse
Read: Matthew 24-25
This is the fifth and final discourse in the Book of Matthew. It is often called the Olivet Discourse
because Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:3) when He spoke these words. The purpose of
this discourse is to give His disciples a prophetic overview of the events to transpire in both the near
and distant future. Its theme is the future repercussions of His ministry which includes judgment. In
Matthew 24:1-2 Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple. The disciples are curious about what
Jesus is saying and ask for a sign. Jesus then goes into the main aspects of this discourse which
teach about the End Times. He explains the birth pangs, tells of the abomination of desolation (which
was spoken of by Daniel) and then goes on to teach about the rapture and His Second Coming.
In chapter 25 we see a theme of judgment and the division of mankind. Through the use of three
parables, Jesus clearly teaches that some will prepare and be ready for His second coming and some
will not. He shows what it will mean to be ready and what the final outcome will be for those who
are ready and those who are not ready. When studying the End Times scriptures, it is important to
remember to study the whole of scripture and not just take a verse here and a verse there and come
up with a doctrine. These two chapters are best studied along with the books of Daniel, Revelation,
2 Thessalonians and other End Times passages. The focus of these devotionals is to mediate on
Christ’s teachings in the book of Matthew therefore we will only be able to brush the surface of the
End Times teaching. Feel free to access other End Times resources on the church website.
 
PRAYER  and MEDITATION
1. How do you feel about the End Times? Does it scare you a bit? Ask the Lord to show you any
fears that you may have about the End Times?
2. Now ask the Lord to show you how He is in control of all the events of the End Times and to give
you a word, thought or picture about His Sovereignty.
3. Pray that over the next few days, as you read and study the Olivet Discourse, that your heart
would be opened to receive Truth from the Scriptures and that you would be ready to embrace
fully God’s plan for the End Times.

Foundations May 22, 2012

Examples of Sacrifice, Suffering and Service
Read: Matthew 20:17-29
In verses 17-19 Jesus gives an announcement of His death including that He will be condemned in
a trial and that He will be mocked, flogged and crucified. This is to be no glorious martyrdom but
an ugly, wretched butchery. Yet this is not the end, He will be raised again on the third day! This
death will be an act of service, a source of life for many. The narrative goes on to speak of common
themes which have already been illustrated. The idea of heavenly rewards and the theme of the
first being last are emphasized once again. The mother of James and John asks Jesus if her sons
could sit in the place of honor in His future Kingdom. The cup Jesus mentions in verse 22-23 refers
to His coming suffering. There is a necessary connection between the cup and the throne because
there is a connection between suffering and glory. Jesus teaches that their place in Heaven is
not to be earned but rather is prepared by His Father. Jesus also tells them that they will drink
His cup – James became the first apostolic martyr (Acts 12:2) and John suffered persecution and
exile (Rev. 1:9). They must submit to the Father’s will for their future, just as Jesus does. When
the rest of the ten heard what this mother asked for, they got a little ticked off. Jesus settles things
down by teaching them that authority and greatness among the disciples are the reverse of what
the world is used to. True greatness is in service (verse 26-27). Once again, Jesus has turned
the world upside down. Self-importance and the desire to be noticed and respected, the ambition
to make one’s mark and to impose one’s will on others, this is the value scale of the world, not of
the Kingdom of God. Verse 28 is the final conclusion of the matter; “just as the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (NIV). Jesus is our
example of a life of service and putting others first. The specifics of our service will be different than
His but we will be called to self-sacrifice. It was Christ’s mission to fulfill the role of God’s servant
and to give His life for the sins of His people. The Servant’s death provided the ransom for many
to be saved. He had to lose His life that many would receive life. Those that choose to follow Him
then have the privilege of losing their lives so that many more can hear of His great work!
 
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. In what areas do you desire to be noticed and respected? How is this contrary to what Christ
is teaching in this passage?
2. Spend some time thanking Jesus for His life of sacrifice, suffering and service. Jesus had
to lose His life that many would receive life. In what areas is He calling you to do the same?
Pray that you would be found faithful in these areas.

Foundations May 21, 2012

Parable of the Vineyard Workers
Read: Matthew 20:1-16
In this parable we see some interesting business practices. The age was one where there was no
unemployment insurance or no government security programs and no worker’s unions to protect the
labourer. An employer could literally do whatever he chose with what belonged to him. The point of
the parable is that God’s generosity transcends human ideas of fairness. No one receives less than
they deserve but some receive far more. But His generosity is offset by the natural resentment of
those who received only a fair wage. Jealousy ensues! Yet God’s grace to the undeserving should be
a cause for joy, not for jealousy. God’s standards are not those of strict reward for services rendered
therefore none of us can claim a right to His goodness. Jesus just said in Matthew 19:30 that the first
will be last and the last first. The rewards God gives are not calculated from the viewpoint of human
justice therefore they sometimes look unfairly generous. Most Christians feel sorry for the person in
this parable who worked all day and earned the same amount as the people who worked only a few
hours. Through this parable, Jesus is revealing how loveless and unmerciful we basically are. God
is good and compassionate far beyond His children’s understanding. In this parable, the landowner
addressed the complaining workers gently, explaining the fairness of his actions. The labourer failed
to be thankful for his own wage because he was blinded by his self-interested lack of compassion
for his fellow worker. As Christians, let’s commit to being happy for all who enter the Kingdom.
Let’s accept all people – no matter what their background, past sins or problems. Let’s show God’s
love and goodness to each person that enters the church by being kind to them, helping them and
welcoming them into our church family.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time reflecting on God’s goodness towards you. In what ways has He been
generous towards you? You have not received what you deserve, you have received much
more! Thank Him for these things.
2. Are you able to be truly happy for others when good things happen to them? How do you feel
when a friend succeeds or gets a promotion? Ask the Lord to grow you in feeling joy when those
around you experience joy.
3. Pray that God would grow the church in showing mercy and compassion to people. Pray that
as a church, we would be known for lovingly accepting people no matter what their background,
past sins or problems. Pray that we would grow in showing His love and goodness to each
person that enters the church.

Foundations May 20, 2012

Wealth and Rewards
Read: Matthew 19:23-30
Wealth is both deceptive and intoxicating; it fools a person into thinking that he or she is selfsufficient
apart from God. Jesus views wealth as a handicap in the Kingdom of Heaven; in verse
23 He says that “only with difficulty will a rich person enter the Kingdom of Heaven”. He goes on
to illustrate the point with a ludicrous example of a camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a
needle. The eye of a needle was the smallest hole found in the Jewish home. Jesus is painting a
picture of something impossible. Yet the impossible is possible with God! It is not merely difficult
for the wealthy to be saved; without God’s grace it is impossible! By Jewish thinking, the disciples
were right to be astonished in verse 25. The common belief was that the rich were those who God
had blessed therefore if they can’t be saved then who can? Jesus’ reply firmly places salvation in
the category of the supernatural work of God. On this basis, although wealth may be a handicap,
no earthly circumstances can determine a man’s fate. In verse 27 Peter’s question may seem selfseeking
but Jesus acknowledges the rewards that His disciples will receive. The first reward that
Jesus mentions is in the new world. When Christ returns the world will be restored. Christ will rule
and reign sitting in His glorious throne and the twelve will sit on twelve thrones of their own, judging
the tribes of Israel. The disciples can look forward to sharing in Christ’s kingship! What a hope!
Yet this is not just for the twelve, Jesus goes further and includes everyone who has lost something
as a result of following Him and teaches that they will be handsomely repaid! The clincher is verse
30; it speaks of the upside down value system in Christ’s Kingdom. In His Kingdom servanthood
and humility are elevated as greatness.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. If Jesus sees wealth as a handicap in the Kingdom of Heaven, then why do so many believers
live to build wealth? How has wealth been a distraction in your walk with God?
2. Salvation is a supernatural work of God. Spend some time thanking Him for this free gift.
Make a list of ten things that you can thank God for today and then spend some time thanking
Him for each thing on that list.
3. Believers have a glorious day to look forward to – the day Jesus returns and begins the
restoration of the earth. Jesus promises that you will be repaid for each sacrifice that you
make for Him. What sorts of sacrifices have you made for the Kingdom? What sacrifices
is He calling you to make in the future? Thank Him for the hope that you have to receive a
hundred times in eternity.

Foundations May 19, 2012

The Rich Young Man
Read: Matthew 19:13-22
In a culture where wealth was regarded as a sign of God’s blessing and where a religious teacher
was expected to be moderately wealthy, the lifestyle of Jesus and His disciples was quite different.
The relationship between wealth and discipleship was a therefore an important issue. The question
that the rich young man asked Jesus in verse 16 reflects a common assumption that eternal life is
to be found by what I must “do” rather than by what I “am”. Is there a specific act that can earn the
favour of God instead of a life of consistent obedience? Jesus reply picks up on this and explores its
implications. In verse 17 we see that there is only One who is good – only in understanding God as
infinitely good can the young man discover that human good deeds cannot earn eternal life. Jesus
encourages the man to obey the commandments and He lists the commandments that are primarily
concerned with the way that we treat other people, in verse 18-19. These commandments are
primarily concerned with observable actions and are relatively easy to check off a list. It is on this
basis that the rich young man claims that he has observed them all (verse 20). This claim betrays a
superficial understanding of the commandments. Jesus knows that the man’s wealth has become
his means to his personal identity, power and a sense of meaning in life and that it has become
idolatrous in his life. Jesus strategy is to turn this man from focusing on external conformity to the law
to examining his heart, revealing his ruling god. Verse 21 does not teach a legalistic self-sacrifice in
earning one’s salvation by selling everything or that poverty is an essential condition of discipleship
but rather it teaches us to give up the gods in our lives. Idolatry is sinful and we must constantly
examine our hearts to see which things have priority over God since He demands first place in our
lives. The demands of discipleship will vary for different individuals and situations. Jesus did not
command all his followers to sell all their possessions but He did require all of his followers to give up
their idols.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you sometimes been caught thinking that what you “do” for God is better than the person
whom you are becoming? Ask the Lord to show you what this looks like in your life and how to
break free of this thinking.
2. Ask the Lord to show what things are idols in your life, or what things are in danger of becoming
idols in your life. Spend some time in prayer confessing any idols that He shows you. Then pray
that you would grow in putting God first, as top priority in your life.

Foundations May 18, 2012

Teaching about Divorce
Read: Matthew 19:1-12
We see from the beginning of the chapter that Jesus is now moving out of Galilee and is making His
way to Jerusalem. He knows the crucifixion is on the horizon. Yet He still teaches with authority as
conflict arises among the Pharisees who question Him, attempting to try to get Jesus to incriminate
Himself through misinterpreting the Law. Divorce was a hot topic of the day as varying Pharisaical
parties debated the correct interpretation of Moses’ divorce regulations in Deut. 24:1. It is important
to remember that the issue was not divorce in the modern sense but rather the right of the man
to reject his wife by a simple unilateral declaration against which there was no appeal. Jesus
describes marriage (the positive) instead of focusing on divorce (the negative) in verses 5-6. He
speaks of the principles laid by God in Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 which show that sexual union is
God’s creation purposed for man but also that union is exclusive and unbreakable. “One flesh”
vividly expresses a view of marriage that is much deeper than either human convenience or social
convention. After further questioning, Jesus explains that divorce was not commanded but allowed
and this concession was an accommodation to human hardness of heart. Jesus refuses to let a
concession to human sinfulness be elevated to a divine principle. The ideal is rather to be found
in going back to first principles, to what was in the beginning. An ethic that is truly to reflect God’s
will must be built, not on concessions, but on basic principles. An implication is drawn that divorce
and remarriage is adultery, since it substitutes a new sexual union for that indissoluble union which
God has created. But here again an exception is made in the case of a divorce that is the result
of sexual immorality since the marriage has already been broken. Christian ethics will always be
subject to sinful situations and therefore sometimes it is impossible to implement the ideal so in
some cases we must choose the best course open to us. Jesus’ answer provokes the disciples to
conclude in verse 10 that it may be better not to marry at all. Jesus’ reply does not so much put
celibacy as the ideal but rather that whether one is married or not is not a matter of better or worse
but of God’s gift, which is not the same for all disciples.


PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Thank the Lord for the institution of marriage that He established, that He has created the “one
flesh” union to be celebrated and honored.
2. Pray that God would strengthen the marriages in our church, that those who are struggling
would find help through marriage ministry.
3. Thank the Lord for His compassion and mercy, that His ways are higher than our ways and
that He knows what’s best for us.

Foundations May 17, 2012

Helping a Lost Brother/Sister
Read: Matthew 18:10-35
Matthew writes of one lost sheep in verses 10-14 as a picture of God’s pastoral care over His
children. In the beginning of the chapter, Jesus has explained to the disciples what true greatness is
and now He tells a story to demonstrate it. To ignore a lost sheep is to show that you haven’t grasped
the principle of true greatness. The parable teaches us that God’s pastoral care is extended to all His
people. The moral is clear; the true disciple must share God’s concern for people and not despise
any. Verses 15-20 are often used to guide church leaders on disciplinary action in the church but they
are also addressed to the individual disciple. The concern is not with the punishment of the offense
but rather the attempt to rescue a brother whose sin has put him in danger. This passage is about
being concerned and caring for the wondering brother in Christ. The ultimate goal is restoration of
the offending brother. The disciple is not to ignore a fault he sees in his fellow-disciple, but rather
to lovingly confront him with the hope that he will repent. Sometimes this concern degenerates into
a critical spirit or being judgmental therefore the disciple must be careful how this is done and with
what attitude. Extreme caution is advised, so is being prayerful about it as to not cause further harm.
Jesus continues to explain Kingdom community principles in verses 21-35 by emphasizing the priority
of forgiveness in the area of personal relationships. Jesus demonstrates that forgiveness must be
unlimited by using a parable. The unimaginable size of the debt is used to show us the measure
of the forgiveness that the servant received. The King went well beyond what the servant asked
by cancelling the debt when the servant only asked for time to pay off the debt. This emphasizes
the free basis of God’s forgiveness. The point to this parable is seen in verse 35; those who will
not forgive cannot expect to be forgiven. If the church is the community of the forgiven, then all its
relationships will be marked by a forgiveness which is not a merely words. Someone who does not
grant forgiveness to others shows that his heart has not experienced God’s forgiveness.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How have you experienced God’s pastoral care in your life? Pray that you would grow in
extending that same care to others in the church.
2. Spend a moment and pray about someone that you can extend care to this week. Ask the Lord
to show you something that you can do this person.
3. Ask the Lord to show you if you have any areas of unforgiveness in your heart and who this
unforgiveness is towards. Pray that you would grow in feeling God’s forgiveness so that you can
forgive others.

Foundations May 16, 2012

The Greatest in the Kingdom
Read: Matthew 18:1-9
We now jump to Jesus’ fourth discourse in the book of Matthew. The general theme of this
discourse is the anticipation of a future community of followers and the role of Christ’s apostles
in leading them. The discourse emphasizes the importance of humility and self-sacrifice in this
community. It teaches that in the Kingdom of God, it is childlike humility that matters, not social
prominence or influence. Today’s passage begins with the disciples asking Jesus a question about
how the hierarchy of God’s society works. Jesus answer is still radical today. The disciples ask
the question, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” They have misunderstood what
greatness is, they see it as human endeavor, accomplishment and status. Their question wasn’t
merely about church hierarchies or the pecking order in Heaven but about the way God evaluates
and what He sees as important. In Jewish society, a child was of no importance. To become like
a child represents a radical reorientation of their value system. The humility of a child consists of
childlike trust, vulnerability, and the inability to advance his/her cause apart from the help, direction
and resources of a parent. Jesus is teaching that true greatness is to be found in the acceptance
of an inferior position. In verses 6-9, Jesus goes on to teach about stumbling blocks. Jesus uses
exaggeration to emphasize the necessity of rigorous self-discipline in radically removing sin from
the disciple’s life before it leads to judgment. A stumbling block is something which trips someone
up or draws them into sin. Stumbling blocks can be friendships, the internet, alcohol, media, etc.
– basically anything that lures Christians into sin. Jesus understands that disciples are vulnerable
and that stumbling blocks are a real danger. We are all vulnerable but we are also responsible
for our actions. Jesus uses the examples of the hand, foot or eye. In our culture, we could
paraphrase…if your computer causes you to sin, throw it away or if a friendship causes you to fall
into sin, stop hanging around with that person and so on.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask the Lord to show you anybody that you have misjudged by using the world’s value system
instead of the Lords. Confess this as sin. Then ask the Lord to show you what He values
about this person.
2. Ask the Lord to reveal to you any stumbling blocks in your walk with Him. Is there anything or
anybody in your life that needs to be cut off in order that you can keep growing in your walk
with God?
3. Thank the Lord for what He has shown you today. Ask God to continue to work in your life
in these areas and to help you continue working through these things. Pray that you will
experience much joy as you obey Him.

Foundations May 15, 2012

Hidden Treasure and Pearls
Read: Matthew 13:44-46
In Jesus time valuables such as coins or jewels were often put in a jar and hidden in the earth
therefore discoveries of such treasure were a favorite theme of popular stories. The point of the
hidden treasure parable is the joy that the man feels when he finds the treasure and his willingness
to give up everything else for this. The treasure the man finds is the Kingdom of Heaven. The true
disciple will give up much for the greater joy of walking in relationship with Christ.
The message of the parable of the pearl is similar. Pearls were highly valued in the ancient world for
the fantastic prices they could fetch. The key to this parable is understanding that eternal salvation
and the freedom from sin and its consequences should be sought after above all things and prized
beyond all that God has made. In this parable the merchant does four things: seeks, finds, sells and
buys. This merchant is different than the one who accidentally found the treasure in the field. In this
case there is seeking involved. His mind is engaged and his energies are thrown into it. He knew
what He was seeking; there was a purpose behind his actions. He wasn’t searching for something
that was common like a brick or a stone but rather he was seeking fine pearls and he sought them
with diligence. Eventually the man found a pearl that was of great value and he sold all that he had
that he might buy it. He was resolved that he would have that pearl, even if it meant that he had to
let all the little pearls that he owned go. It is a grand thing when the Christian finds that all they want
is Christ and he/she must have Him, at any price, whatever it may cost! This merchant sold out for
Christ and bought the pearl because he knew what a great bargain it was.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What are some of the things that you have given up for the greater joy of knowing Jesus? Are
you experiencing the fullness of joy that is available to you as His disciple? Ask the Lord to
increase your joy as you follow Him and seek to do His will.
2. In what ways have you been seeking the Lord with diligence? Ask the Lord to speak to you
about this, to give you a word, thought or picture about the pleasure that this brings Him.
3. Pray that more and more people in the church would see the value of seeking God with
diligence. Pray that they would be motivated to keep pressing in and that they would have great
joy in their walk with God.

Foundations May 14, 2012

The Parable of the Weeds, the Mustard Seed and the Leaven
Read: Matthew 13:24-43
The parable of the weeds is often understood as depicting the mixed character of the church in
which true and false believers coexist until the final judgment. Unfortunately, the righteous and
the wicked are often mingled in the visible Church. Every Christian society has its weeds – those
who bear a resemblance to the good, but whose hearts are not right with God. In verse 27 we see
that a faithful and vigilant servant discovers the weeds and laments over them. The servant wants
to know where the weeds came from and desires to go and pull them out. But God judges quite
differently. He knows the good which are present and He has patience with the wicked. Christian’s
should be different than the world in conduct and character. But the fact is that we live in the midst
of a corrupt and godless society. As disheartening as this can be, we must understand that final
judgement will come. Verse 42 speaks of the end result for those who choose not to follow the
Lord. At the end of the age the wheat and the weeds will be separated and those that do evil will be
thrown into the fire whereas the righteous will shine like the sun (vs. 43).
A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds known but the point of the parable is not the actual
size of the mustard seed. Rather it’s that the mustard seed comes from insignificant beginnings yet
the greatest of shrubs results from it. The same could be true of you. Do you have an insignificant
past? Do you sometimes feel unworthy or insecure? Jesus has a message for you today – you are
valuable in the Kingdom of God. Although you may feel like a tiny mustard seed, the grace of God
and His love can grow you into a huge shrub in which the birds of the air take refuge. Apply His
love and grace into your life and see what He can do through you!
The final parable talks about yeast or leaven and is a contrast between the tiny quantity of yeast
and the size if it’s effect. Just like the mustard seed is small, so there is a tiny amount of yeast yet it
spreads to huge proportions. It is similar with the Gospel – it started out small and insignificant but
has steadily grown! God’s Kingdom is growing, it is advancing – will you be part of it?
 
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Thank the Lord for His patience and that He desires for all to come into His Kingdom. Pray
that you would grow in having a similar desire.
2. Do you relate to the mustard seed? Are you willing to start small and let God grow you
throughout your lifetime? What are some of the small things that He is calling you to do?

Foundations May 13, 2012

The Parable of the Sower
Read: Matthew 13: 1-9; 18-23
There is nothing abnormal about the conditions which the sower encountered, all the conditions
present may have been encountered within the same field. The point of this parable is the fate of
the seed. The title of the parable may be misleading because the sower himself is not the focus of
attention. It is the seed and the soils which are the subjects. The description of the four types of soils
focuses on their varying receptiveness to what they hear. It’s important to note that they all hear the
same word. Yet each type is identified as being sown in a different type of soil:
Path – This person hears the Word but doesn’t understand it. The word that is only heard is easy
prey for the evil one. It is a non-starter.
Rocky Places – Here the Word is received with joy but without any understanding and commitment it
cannot last. When persecution, trials or conflict arises this person falls away. There is a start but then
when pressure hits, the person collapses under it.
Thorns – This time the soil is good but it is already taken up. The world (secular concerns) offers
pleasures that the seed can’t compete with. The seed starts and even grows a bit, yet is choked out
by these weeds.
Good Soil – Finally the hearing is matched by understanding and a crop is produced with a large
yield. This is the purpose of sowing of the seed.
In the context of Jesus ministry, this parable serves to explain why it is that the good news of the
Kingdom meets with such a varied response. The fault lies not with the message but with those who
receive it. We see both lack of understanding and pressures from the outside effecting the harvest.
The wonder isn’t that so many don’t produce fruit but that any do!

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Unreceptiveness, shallowness, preoccupation with the world, etc. are not faults merely confined
to unbelievers. Do you see any of those things in your life?
2. Have you ever been discouraged when you see the people around you show a lack of response
to the Gospel? Ask the Lord to show you which type of soil these people are and how you can
pray for them.
3. Spend some time thanking the Lord for your response to the Gospel! It is amazing that you have
come so far in your journey with God. Ask Him to help you to keep following Him and to keep
growing you!

Foundations May 12, 2012

The Purpose of Parables
Read: Matthew 13:10-17
The third discourse in Matthew is found in chapter 13 and is comprised of several parables. Division,
and the problem of how some could reject Jesus’ message while others responded, are the underlying
themes of this chapter. Today’s verses are crucial for the understanding of this chapter as they set out
the division between the enlightened disciples and the unresponsive crowd. They represent a private
conversation between Christ and His disciples. Jesus understood that some of His hearers would be
unable to grasp His message. So why use a cryptic form of teaching rather than a plain statement?
The Greek word for parable translates to proverb, riddle and wise sayings as well as the word
parable. Speaking in parables is therefore mysterious and requires careful interpretation. To know
the truth about the Kingdom of Heaven is to know God’s secrets. God’s truth comes only through
revelation, not by natural insight. Only those to whom it has been given by God can understand the
nature of God’s Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus. To those who are hostile to the Kingdom of God or
merely curious, parables are simply stories. Yet to those who have the capacity to receive them, the
secrets of God’s Kingdom can be grasped. Jesus alludes to the prophet Isaiah’s message (see Isaiah
6:9-10) which describes Israel’s failure to respond to the prophet’s message. Jesus sees Himself
in a similar prophetic role, meeting a similar unresponsiveness in those of His hearers who are not
disciples. This makes the use of parable an appropriate teaching method. Anyone can hear but only
a disciple can understand. In verses 16-17, Jesus speaks blessing on His disciples since they share
the privilege of seeing what Jesus does. The key thing to remember is that natural insight is not
enough, spiritual enlightenment is necessary to comprehend the Scriptures.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Pray that the Lord would grow you in receiving His revelation as you read the Scriptures. That
the Holy Spirit would speak to you and give you understanding as you spend time in the Word.
2. Pray that as a church we would grow in maturing in this area. That we would be a church that
goes deep into the Word of God, a church that is not satisfied with scratching the surface.
3. Pray for our pastors and our teachers. Pray that they would continue to receive revelation from
the Holy Spirit as they read the Word and meditate on it. Pray that they would be given greater
authority in preaching the Truths from God’s Word.

Foundations May 11, 2012

The Character of Missionary Disciples
Read: Matthew 10:24-42
The disciples have the privilege of sharing Jesus’ work and representing Him but this also means
that they will also share His unpopularity. More specifically, they will face the same insults that He
faced. In verses 26-33 Jesus encourages them not to fear but to look to their reward in Heaven. Fear
is the key word of this section. There are right and wrong fears for the disciple and true discipleship
depends on distinguishing them. The fear that is a natural response to the conditions described in
verses 17-25 could put a stop to the disciples’ mission. Their duty to this mission must override their
natural reluctance to incur men’s hostility. In verse 28 Jesus contrasts the two types of fear. Fear of
men is a self-interested cowardice, but fear of God is a healthy response of awe and obedience in
the face of the Almighty. God can destroy both soul and body in hell. Hell is the fate which awaits
the disobedient. Compare this to the far less fearful fate of martyrdom. It’s all about perspective.
The God who can destroy in hell is also the God who cares for the sparrow. In His hands there is
nothing to fear. Sparrows were the cheapest food sold to the poorest people in Jesus time. Nothing
in God’s world is outside His concern or control. Yet sparrows and Christians still die. Verses 29-31
do not promise escape from suffering or even death, but the knowledge that both are in the hands of
God. Verses 32-33 provide a warning that to deny Christ is to be excluded from fellowship with Him.
Verses 35-39 teach that true discipleship comes at a cost and may bring conflict of loyalties. In that
case, following Jesus must take precedence over the natural love of family. Jesus is not teaching
that we should have an unloving attitude but for a willingness to put Him first in any situation. The
disciple puts Jesus before his own natural inclinations and interests as well as before those of his
family. Jesus demands complete loyalty. This is the cost of being His disciple. Yet the story doesn’t
end here. Verses 40-42 speak of the rewards of discipleship. Those who pass the test will receive a
reward. These verses place the disciple in the privileged position of the one who, representing Jesus,
also represents God. This is solid comfort for those who find the world against them because they
belong to Jesus.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask the Lord to show you any fears that you may have in following Him. Pray through each one,
asking Him to show you the root of that fear and the truth about Him that He wants you to hold
on to.
2. Pray that you would grow in trusting the Lord’s sovereignty. Pray that your loyalty to Him would
be strengthened as you learn to trust more fully in Him.

Foundatoins May 10, 2012

Instructions for Missions
Read: Matthew 10:16-23
Verse sixteen serves to introduce the theme of persecution. The disciples are sheep in the midst of
wolves and are in constant danger therefore they must depend on the Shepherd. Their vulnerable
positions demand that they be wise and pure. This balance will enable Christians to both survive
and fulfill their mission to the world. Jesus assumes that His disciples will meet with rejection and
persecution. Do you find it interesting that He gives instruction for their response when they meet
up with opposition or persecution but He doesn’t instruct them on how to deal with the converts of
a successful mission? Jesus warns them of the possibility of trials before governors in verse 19,
which would have naturally terrified the disciples. But in this section He tells them not to be anxious
but rather to listen to the Holy Spirit. He promises them that God will inspire their speech. This
provides us with an excellent reason to practice listening in prayer regularly. The time may come
when we must be able to Hear God in order to survive in our troubled times. Practicing hearing
God’s voice now is a necessity for when tough times come and we need to know His voice and
be able to hear Him correctly. Notice how verse 21 suggests that there is the possibility of there
being social disorder within the family unit. Following Christ is not for the faint of heart. In verse 22
Jesus says that people will actually hate believers because of Him. Have we believed wrongly that
the Gospel brings peace? Yes, peace between God and man but not necessarily peace between
man and man. Jesus encourages the disciples to endure and stand firm until the end. The hatred
that is for His namesake will cause rejection. Yet the disciples are commended to faithfully hold
on through it all. Jesus concludes by making reference to His second coming in verse 23. As
believers there is much in these verses that still hold true today. We are to be on guard, listen to
the Holy Spirit, stand firm and wait for His second coming. We have not been left alone, He has
told us what is to come and if we are careful to prepare, we will be ready for His return.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time thanking the Lord for the preparation time that He is giving us to get ready
for coming persecutions. He is a Good Shepherd who cares for us!
2. Ask the Lord to show you ways in which He wants you to prepare, guard, listen to the Holy
Spirit, stand firm and wait for His second coming. Ask Him to show you specific, practical
things.
3. Spend some time praying for our church, that it would rise up and prepare our country for His
second coming.

Foundations May 9, 2012

Commissioning Disciples
Read: Matthew 9:35-10:1-15
Jesus Second Discourse begins in Matthew 10 where He provides instruction to the Twelve Apostles
about how to travel from city to city on their missionary journeys. The harvest is plentiful and it is
ripe which refers to the readiness of people to respond to the gospel. The context shows that the
labourers here are people sent out to rescue people from judgment. For this task there are too few
workers therefore they are commanded to pray for more laborers. Chapter ten spells out the mission
God is sending His disciples on and what will be involved for those who are sent out. Jesus now
gives His authority to His disciples to prepare them for this mission. In verse five we see that the
apostles were given a restriction in their ministry. There were told not to go among the Gentiles and
not to enter any town of the Samaritans. They were told to go only to the lost sheep of Israel. God
knew what the immediate mission was and He knew His greater plan including the timing that was
needed to unfold it therefore He placed restrictions on the apostles. Before the resurrection, both
Jesus and His disciples were limited to Israel. The time for the Gentile mission was later. To call Israel
to repentance was the primary focus of Jesus earthly ministry. This call was urgent and needed to
be their focus. The apostle’s ministry consisted of both preaching and healing. The two go together
as complimentary aspects of the announcement of the Kingdom of Heaven. The healing activity of
Jesus and His disciples is part of the proclamation of God’s Kingdom. They are to preach the words
of Jesus and are given authority from Him. They needed no special equipment and no fund-raising
was required. They were to go as is and leave the provisions to God. This is a call to keep God
first and trust Him fully. We can see in verses 14-15 that Jesus fully expected His message and his
messengers to meet with rejection as well as acceptance. More on that topic tomorrow!

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time in prayer for workers in today’s harvest fields. Pray that God would send many
workers to bring in His harvest.
2. The apostles were given restrictions in their ministry areas based on God’s greater plan. Spend
some time asking the Lord to show you His greater plan for your life and what restrictions you
need to have in place in order to fulfill that plan. These restrictions could be things like media,
relationships, hobbies, or whatever He shows you.
3. Pray for the Lord to grant our church greater authority, especially in preaching the gospel and in
healing people. Pray that He would provide for us in the same way He provided for the apostles.

Foundations May 8, 2012

Warnings against False Discipleship
Read: Matthew 7:13-29
The Sermon on the Mount concludes with four warnings which contrast the genuine and the false.
It is interesting to note that the genuine is not found in the disciple’s talk but in his walk. Your talk
can be very impressive and deceive others, even yourself, but Jesus gives warnings that it will not
deceive God who looks for practical results.
Warning One: Two Roads (vs. 13-14) Entering the Kingdom of Heaven is not found in following the
crowd, but by a deliberate and costly decision. True discipleship is a minority faith.
Warning Two: Two Prophets (vs. 15-20) Jesus tells His disciples to test preachers and teachers
by their fruit. There are two tests – one is the fruit in the life of the preacher and the other is the fruit
of the doctrine. It is easy to be captivated by a beautiful life or a beautiful truth therefore test the
doctrine by its fruit and the teacher by his fruit.
Warning Three: Two Types of Disciples (vs. 21-23) Beware of confusing appearance and reality,
of judging only by external evidence. The men in verse 21 were tools but a tool is not a servant.
A servant is one who has given his right to himself to the God whom he proclaims. The test of
discipleship is fruit such as godly character. The disciple is warned not to be blind.
Warning Four: Two Foundations (vs.24-27) The emphasis in these verses is hearing versus
doing. Jesus demands that we live as His disciples and not merely hear. Every foundation will
be tested by the storms of the world, the flesh and the devil. There is a tendency in all of us
to appreciate the sayings of Jesus with our intellect while we refuse to do them. It is then that
everything we build will come crashing down.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What are a few things that you have found difficult in following God? How are these signs that
you are on the narrow path?
2. Ask the Lord to show you some of the fruit of your life. Are you bearing the fruit of the Spirit
(Gal. 5:22-23)? Are there any areas in your life where you have been blind? Ask the Lord to
reveal to you the truth so that you can grow in godliness and be prepared to meet Him one
day.
3. Pray that you would grow in applying the Word to your life, that you would be a doer of the
Word and not merely a hearer.

Foundations May 7, 2012

The Disciples Attitudes
Read: Matthew 7:1-12
Most Christians are familiar with the verse, “Do not Judge, or you too will be judged” and have
used it to excuse their own lack of discernment. Yet Matthew 7:6; 15-20 teaches the importance of
discernment. It is important to realize that verse 1 is concerned with faultfinding and condemning
others, not the correct use of discernment. Fault finding and condemning others are both linked to
blindness in knowing your own failings. Jesus uses the illustration of the speck of sawdust in your
brother’s eye and the log in your own. This indicates that there is in fact a fault in the brother. The
error is not in the diagnosis but in the failure to apply a similar standard to youself; it’s really about
being overly critical of others. No human being dare criticize another human being because this
immediately this puts him/herself in a superior position to the one being criticized. Criticism is deadly
and it divides. The reason we criticize others is because this makes us feel better about ourselves.
When we find fault with other people we may be quite sincere but Jesus says in reality we are frauds.
Yet at times, the Lord does reveal to us what is wrong in others but His discernment is never for the
purposes of criticism but for the purposes of prayer. When the Holy Spirit reveals a character issue
in someone it is for the purpose of intercession. His purpose is not to make us feel superior but to
bring us to our knees in prayer for that person. Verse six tells of another form of discernment. God’s
gifts are not to be laid open to abuse or His truth to mockery. There is a right discernment which
is different from judging others. Verses 7-12 speak of prayer. Ask, seek and knock are metaphors
for prayer. They represent a consistent, continuous, persistent prayer life. Such prayer will find
an answer. If persistent appeals will open the hands of hard-hearted men, how much more certain
should you be that your persistence in prayer will open the hands of your Heavenly Father? Today’s
passage concludes with verse 12, “Do to others what you would have them do to you”. This Golden
Rule makes a sweeping demand for unselfish love in action.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend a few moments thanking the Lord for the practical wisdom that He gives us through His
Word. Thank Him for the many application of today’s passage in your life.
2. In listening prayer, ask the Lord to show you any areas of criticism in your heart that need to be
dealt with today. Confess this as sin. Ask the Lord to root out the pride in your life that causes
you to be critical.
3. Pray a prayer of blessing on the people that you have been critical of. Ask the Lord to show you
some of the things that He loves about them. Pray that you would grow in seeing the positive in
the people around you.

Foundations May 6, 2012

Righteousness in Personal Life
Read: Matthew 6:19-34
Yesterday, we looked at the contrast between earthly and heavenly rewards which leads naturally to
today’s verses on earthly and heavenly treasures. Treasures in Heaven are “stored up” obedience
to God in all areas of life. They are the rewards that are given to the disciple who puts God first.
Treasures on earth give no permanent security or satisfaction; they can be destroyed by moths or
by other means. Many misinterpret these verses to be only about wealth, but verses 19-24 seem to
be more concerned with the disciples’ loyalty than their wealth. Materialism is in direct conflict with
loyalty to God. The danger of amassing possessions is that the treasure will demand the disciple’s
loyalty and take away from Kingdom work. The focus is undivided loyalty which is why Jesus says,
“no one can serve two masters”. Possessions can be used to serve God, but they also can claim a
man’s allegiance.
The remainder of the chapter deals with anxiety and the conflict it has with faith. It is important to
note that Jesus is not forbidding having a responsible concern for people’s needs. His concern is
with priorities and keeping God first. Anxiety achieves nothing. It cannot add time to our lifespans,
in fact, it may shorten it. In verses 31-32 Jesus tells us why we need not worry. The Father is the
antidote for worry; Jesus assures His disciples that God can and will provide for them. The climax
of the passage is verse 33 which tells the disciples what they are to do. Instead of emphasizing the
negative, Jesus now sets out the positive attitudes required by disciples. “Seek first His Kingdom”.
This is the kind of life that God requires of His disciples - to find and to do the will of God and be
loyal to His purpose. God does not want our lives to be crowded with material concerns which are
distracting and unnecessary. Jesus is not promoting irresponsibility, happy-go-lucky- optimism or
fatalistic acceptance of the status quo but rather He is calling the disciple to an undistracted pursuit
of His true goal which is to put first things first and let God take care of the rest.
 
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Throughout His teaching, Jesus is constantly giving His disciples warnings so that they can
receive their full reward. Spend some time thanking God for these warnings, that He cares
enough to warn us.
2. Ask the Lord to give you a word, thought or picture about your loyalty to Him. Ask Him to
show you anything that may be in in conflict with this loyalty.
3. Ask the Lord to show you about the priorities in your life. Are you seeking first His Kingdom?
What gets in the way? Ask Him to speak to you about these things.

Foundations May 5, 2012

Hypocrisy when Giving, Praying or Fasting
Read: Matthew 6:1-18
Many people judge their personal relationship with God based on the external things that they do for
God. One person may find security in their service within the church, another may find security in the
fact that they tithe, still another person’s security lies in their consistent prayer life. In Matthew six,
Jesus is teaching that spiritual disciplines aren’t supposed to be done in order to gain the approval
of others, even ourselves and they can’t earn us salvation. Many feel secure in their relationship
with God because of their giving, praying or fasting among other things, but this is not the mark of
true Christianity. True Christianity lives for an audience of ONE; it directs all religious devotion solely
towards God. Yes, spiritual disciplines are good things and we need to strive for them. It is good to
give, fast, pray, serve, etc. But did you know that these disciplines are in most world religions? What
makes Christianity different than other world religions is the God that we do them for. The key is to
look at your heart. Are you busy trying to earn your salvation through the spiritual activities that you
are involved in? Are these activities where you find your security or does your security lie in God’s
grace, love and truth? Why do you give? Why do you pray? Why do you fast? Is it for God? Is
He at the centre of your religious activity? Religious activity is to be directed towards God, not selffulfillment,
not gaining the approval of men and definitely not to earn eternal security. As Christians,
our lives are to bring glory to God, not glory to ourselves. When we do things out of selfish motives,
God does not receive the glory. There is also a difference in the reward that we will receive one
day. The show-off gets his reward on earth through the praise of man and misses the true reward
that comes from the Father in Heaven. As true disciples, we must strive for heavenly rewards and
pleasing our Father in Heaven and resist settling for earthly rewards such as the praise of men.
 
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time praising God for salvation. You do not have to earn it, it is a free gift, given
because of God’s great love and grace!
2. Are you busy trying to earn your salvation through the spiritual activities that you are involved in?
Are these activities where you find your security or does your security lie in God’s grace, love
and truth? Why do you give? Why do you pray? Why do you fast? Is it for God? Is He at the
centre of your religious activity?
3. Spend some time in personal confession and prayer. Ask the Lord to be the centre of your life
and to be your primary motivation for all the spiritual activities you are involved in.

Foundations May 4, 2012

Jesus’ Attitude towards the Old Testament
Read: Matthew 5:17-48
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount we see the connections that Jesus makes between
Kingdom Life and the Old Testament Law. Jesus explains how He fulfills the Law of Moses and
then goes on to give correct interpretations of the Old Testament Laws. The Pharisees struggled
with merely obeying the letter of the law and ignoring the application to their hearts. Jesus provides
for us the proper interpretations and applications of the Old Testament. He is not correcting the Old
Testament, but the misunderstandings of the Old Testament that were prevalent at the time.
1. Anger – It’s not just our actions that matter to God, our attitudes matter too! We will be held
accountable for angry outbursts toward people as well as any hatred that is in our hearts. God
wants unity among His children!
2. Lust –Jesus looks past the actions of a person and into our hearts. Purity is important to God
and should be something His children strive for.
3. Divorce – In Jesus day, men could divorce their wives with no just cause. Here Jesus teaches
of the importance of the marriage vow.
4. Oaths – Jesus is Truth and therefore He wants His children to tell the truth at all times. There
is no need to make an oath if you live with integrity and always tell the truth.
5. Retaliation – Jesus words were quite different than what was acceptable at the time. He
taught of not demanding justice or taking revenge but showing love.
6. Love – God is love therefore everyone who is His child should show love to all people. Christ
sets up a high ideal of perfect love by His own sacrifice on the cross and by forgiving those
who caused him to suffer.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time thanking Jesus for the connections and interpretations that He made in
regards to the Old Testament Law. Thank Him for His Word, that we have as a guidebook to
help us grow in discipleship.
2. Read through the six topics listed above. Ask the Lord to show you a few areas where He
is pleased with you. Then ask Him to show you a few areas that He wants you to work on.
Specifically ask Him to show you something that you can do today to please Him in that area.
3. Pray that you would grow in each of the six areas and that God would refine your character
and draw you into a deeper holiness! Thank Him for helping you with this and that He hasn’t
left you alone.

Foundations May 3, 2012

Salt and Light
Read: Matthew 5:13-16
What is the purpose of salt? Firstly, salt functions as a preservative. In Biblical times there was no
refrigeration therefore they relied on salt to keep food from spoiling. That’s the job of disciples – to
keep the world from becoming rotten and corrupt! Christianity should benefit society, like a moral
antiseptic that keeps society from decaying. In verse 13 Jesus teaches that if salt loses its saltiness
then it would become useless and worthless. Can Christians lose their saltiness? Yes, through
worldliness. When we conform to the world and follow the materialistic, self-centred philosophies
around us then we become spoiled. Just like unsalty salt has no use in preserving food, Christians
without character have no value in preserving society.
Light, like salt, affects its environment by being distinctive. The disciple who is visibly different from
the lost will have an effect on them. But the aim of living a life of character is not self-glorification but
rather to direct attention to God, to glorify Him. Jesus is pre-eminently the light of the world (John
8:12) as Isaiah prophesied (Is. 42:6; 49:6), but this role passed to His disciples (Acts 13:47). The city
on a hill reinforces the importance of being conspicuously different. The illustration of letting the light
shine and not putting it under a bowl speaks of non-concealment. A secret disciple is no more use
in the world than one who has lost his distinctiveness and become unsalty. The world needs to see
the light of the Kingdom through the godly character of Jesus disciples. This glorifies the Father in
Heaven.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time thanking the Lord for the privilege of being salt and light in the world. God
wants to use you to have an effect on the lost in your area! What a great honour.
2. Spend some time praying that you will take the responsibility of being salt and light seriously.
Ask Him to show you any areas of your character that need refining so that you can be a better
testimony to the lost. Ask Him to show you specific things in your character that you can begin to
work on today - maybe how you treat your family or your co-workers or employees or whatever
else He brings to mind.
3. Spend some time praying for the Canadian church. Pray that God would purge out worldliness
and grow the church in glorifying Him. Pray that the Canadian church would be like a city on a
hill, letting the whole nation see the distinctiveness of being His disciple.

Foundations May 2, 2012

The Beatitudes
Read: Matthew 5:3-12
In the beatitudes, Jesus makes pronouncements to the crowds and religious leaders concerning
the nature of life in the Kingdom. The Beatitudes all begin with “…blessed are…” from the Latin
beatus, which means blessed or happy. Blessed is more than a temporary feeling of happiness.
Jesus is talking about a state of well-being in relationship to God that belongs to those who respond
to Jesus ministry rightly. The beatitudes outline the attitude of the true disciple, the one who has
accepted the demands of God’s Kingdom. The rewards of discipleship are therefore contained in
the second half of each verse although we must remember that God’s timeline is often not like our
own. These verses remind us of future rewards; that growing as a disciple of Christ is not in vain.
“Poor in spirit” does not speak of material poverty but rather that those who have a humble heart
and trust in God, even when their loyalty results in oppression or material disadvantage. They will
receive His Kingdom one day. What a promise! What a motivation to grow in dependence on God!
“Those who mourn” does not necessarily refer to the bereaved but rather those who see the losses
that sin brings into their lives and therefore long for God’s forgiveness and healing. “The meek” are
the gentle, who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas. They
trust that God will position them so they don’t have to position themselves. “Those who hunger
and thirst” recognize that God is the source of real righteousness so they long for His righteous
character in their lives. They desire a relationship of obedience and trust. He promises that this
desire will be satisfied. “Mercy” is kindness and forgiveness shown to others. “Pure in heart” are
those whose pursuit of purity and uprightness affect every area of their lives. They love God with
all their heart, with an undivided loyalty. “Peacemakers” are those who promote God’s messianic
peace as they reflect the character of their Heavenly Father.

PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Thank the Lord for the rewards that He will give you one day as you seek to live as a true
disciple. Go through each reward in the passage, thanking Him for each one.
2. As you read each beatitude ask the Lord which ones you are doing well in and which ones He
would like you to work on. Then spend a few moments thanking Him for what He showed you
and listen in prayer for an action strategy to grow as His disciple in that area.
3. Ask the Lord to pour His happiness or joy into your life as you seek to live as His disciple.