Introduction

Friends, I’m so glad you’re here. Some of us walked in today with a heart that feels thin and tired, like bread without salt. Some of us have been searching for direction, flipping on every switch we can find, still wondering if the light will ever come on in that one dim corner of the soul. Then Jesus sits us down on a hillside, as if the grass itself is a pew, and He speaks. He calls us what we can hardly believe we already are by His grace: salt for the soil of this world, light for streets that feel shadowed and gray.

Can you picture it? A kitchen table with a simple salt shaker in the middle. Small, ordinary, always nearby—yet every cook knows it changes everything. Just a pinch can make the bland become bright. And a lamp on a stand? It may be modest, but when you flip the switch, children sleep without fear, parents find their footing, and hallways hold no secrets. That’s you, child of God. That’s who you are because of who He is. You’re called to carry flavor where life has grown stale, and to cast glow where people can’t find their footing.

Maybe you’re thinking, “Me? I’m barely holding things together.” Hear this: Jesus doesn’t wait for you to become impressive before He names you influential. He speaks identity first, then shows you how to live into it. He puts the family name on you—His Father’s name—then invites you to live as if that name really means something Monday through Saturday. Salty saints steady a spoiled world. Little lights become lighthouses when they refuse to hide.

This calling isn’t loud or flashy. It’s faithful. It’s lunchroom kindness when gossip gains traction. It’s integrity in invoices and emails when shortcuts seem convenient. It’s choosing a tone of grace in the living room when tension starts to twist. It’s prayers whispered over a crib and blessings spoken over a doorstep. It’s a lamp set where everyone can see, not tucked away in a cupboard of comfort.

But Jesus also gives us a tender warning. Salt can lose its strength if it’s diluted. Light can be muffled if it’s covered. So we guard our distinctness the way a gardener guards a spring—carefully, prayerfully, day by day. We mind the little compromises that erode conviction and the little fears that hush our witness. We ask for fresh grace to live public lives of private integrity, so that people taste God’s goodness in our works and trace His glory back to Him.

In our times, the world has plenty of noise and not nearly enough flavor; it has plenty of glare and not nearly enough guidance. That’s why the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer feel timely and true: “The church is the church only when it exists for others.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer. We don’t exist to be impressive; we exist to be useful. We don’t gather to escape the world; we gather to encourage each other to bless the world. And then we scatter like salt—quiet and effective—and light up the places God has placed us.

So, take heart. Your Father hasn’t asked you to be brilliant; He’s asked you to be bright. He hasn’t asked you to season the whole planet by yourself; He’s asked you to salt the circle He’s given you today. When you feel small, remember that small things in the hands of a big God change everything. The cross was “small” in the eyes of the empire, yet salvation shone from that hill and keeps shining still.

Before we read, would you bow your hearts with me?

Opening Prayer: Father, thank You for naming us salt and light in a world that aches for both. Wash our hearts, warm our affections, and steady our steps. Where our flavor has faded, renew us by Your Spirit. Where our courage has cooled, rekindle a holy fire. Lift the bushel from our witness and set us on the stand of Your choosing. Let our words be seasoned with grace, our works reflect Your goodness, and our lives point beyond ourselves to Your glory. Speak through Your Word now, and shape us to resemble Your Son. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-48 (KJV)

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Live as the earth's preserving salt

When Jesus says we are salt, He reaches into daily life. In His day people used it to keep food from spoiling. It slowed decay. It made food last. People also rubbed it on wounds to clean them. So His picture carries weight. He sets His people in the middle of real life to hold back what corrodes, to make what is good endure, and to bring a clean touch that helps healing begin.

This changes how we think about our days. Salt works through steady contact. It does quiet work over time. The same is true for us. We show up. We stay. We act for the good of others. Neighbors. Co-workers. Classmates. The people under our roof. The people who pass our screen. Our Father sees. Others see too. Good works point beyond us and lift eyes toward Him.

Guard the strength of your witness. Jesus warns that salt can lose its power when it is mixed with other things. In simple terms, if our lives get filled with what fights God’s ways, our presence stops helping. So we pay attention to the heart Jesus blesses at the start of the chapter. Poor in spirit. Hungry for what is right. Gentle. Clean inside. Ready to show mercy. Eager to make peace. These are not big public moves. These are daily choices that form a sturdy life. Prayer at set times forms the inner life. Scripture read and obeyed lines up our steps. Confession keeps the soul clear. Wise friends ask hard questions and help us stay the course. Small compromises weaken the witness. Small obediences strengthen it. Think of your media, your money, your schedule, your habits. Ask the Spirit to keep out what dilutes grace and to grow what carries grace.

This guarding also means we watch the edges of our speech. Jesus later says to let our “Yes” be “Yes,” and our “No” be “No.” When we speak in a straight way, people learn to trust us. Trust is like salt in a friendship, a home, a team. It keeps things from breaking down. Keep your word even when it costs time or pride. Pay the bill on time. Admit error quickly. Refuse to shade truth to look good. These simple acts keep strength in the salt.

Stay near to people who need help. Salt works only when it touches what needs help. The same is true for us. We do not wait for perfect moments. We enter the places we already stand. Bring steady help to your street. Offer rides. Share tools. Watch a child for a tired parent. Bring a meal to a person coming home from the hospital. At work, help the new hire find their way. Speak up for the teammate who gets talked over. Share credit. Take your turn with hard tasks. These quiet acts slow the decay of selfishness in a group.

Presence in hard places matters too. Some rooms feel tense. Some threads online run hot. You can be the calm person in the room. Lower your tone. Ask honest questions. Name good facts. Refuse cruel jokes. Pray under your breath. Your steady way can lower fear and keep a room from sliding. Over time, people learn that when you are near, things hold together a bit better. That is salt at work.

Answer anger with quick repair. Jesus moves from murder to anger and calls us to settle matters fast. He says to leave the gift at the altar and go make it right. That is strong. It means relationships matter greatly to God. So we make the first call. We walk across the room. We send the text that says, “I was sharp. I am sorry. Can we talk?” We do this while the heat is low. We do not wait for the other person to go first. When we act quickly, bitterness cannot take root. Whole groups last longer when people know how to repair harm.

This shows up in many places. In a house, it means we learn to say, “I was wrong,” and to listen without rolling our eyes. In a church, it means we take Matthew 5:23–24 to heart. We pause our song and go seek peace. In a neighborhood, it means we sit down with the person whose dog keeps barking and speak with grace. In civic life, it means we try to agree quickly when we can. We work the issue, not the person. Peace work is slow, but it keeps a city from falling apart.

Keep covenants and plain speech. Jesus moves from lust to faithfulness and from oaths to simple truth. Desire that runs wild eats away at homes. Words that bend erode trust. So we guard the eyes and the heart. We set wise limits for screens. We flee what stirs lust. We honor marriage vows with real actions. Date your spouse. Share passwords by agreement. Seek help early if you hit a wall. A faithful home keeps children steady and blesses the whole block. That is salt that preserves.

Our words matter the same way. Jesus says to keep speech simple and true. Let “Yes” mean “Yes.” Let “No” mean “No.” This applies to invoices, emails, and promises. Put the right hours on the timesheet. Do not add extra flair to a story to gain praise. Do not hide fees in the fine print. In court or at coffee, speak straight. People can build with straight boards. Communities hold together when truth holds. Your plain speech keeps the social fabric from tearing.

Generosity carries this same preserving power. Jesus teaches to give to the one who asks and to go the extra mile. When we give time, money, and energy with open hands, we keep despair from spreading. Pay attention to those who lack food or rent. Share resources quietly. When an enemy asks for help, do good and pray for them. God sends sun and rain on all. When we do good to those who strain us, cycles of payback slow down. Streets feel safer. Workplaces feel fairer. Families breathe again. That is salt doing what Jesus says it can do.

Guard your distinctness to retain influence

Jesus gives a gentle warning in these verses ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO