Sermons on Mateo 6:4:

What Is Success?

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

There is really only one question by which we evaluate all of life, and all human activity: Is it pleasing to God?

Paul Aurandt in his book, Destiny tells of the life of Bartholomew Roberts, one of the great sea captains. He commanded 3 ships-The Fortune, The Good Fortune and the Royal Fortune. Back in his day the ships musicians were on call to provide music anytime of the day or night. But his musicians got ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

Helpful And Harmful Hypocrisy

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

Man is the most clever creature when it comes to figuring out how to get his own way. Hypocrisy, or pretending something that isn't so, is one of his best methods.

Every able bodied man in Russia must serve in the army, but Abe managed to remain quietly on his farm year after year. One day his neighbor asked him, "Abe, how does a strong young man like you manage to get by without being drafted for the Red Army?" "That is what I am asking ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

Prevent Being Out Of Order

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

With the motivation of love man can turn problems into blessings and bring order out of chaos, and harmony out of discord. By cooperation men can make plans where everyone comes out a winner.

After World War II there were five army dumps in France full of machinery. It was too good to throw away, and yet not good enough to hall back to the United States. It was a major problem. The Quakers saw an opportunity for service, and so they offered the United States Army 200,000 francs for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

The Reward Motive

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

The evil man out of God's will, and the righteous in center of God's will may both be motivated by the love of reward. It is obviously a subject then that needs to be seen from both the vicious and the virtuous side.

A 16th century German monk discovered the power of religious bribery. The children showed great reluctance in learning their prayers. Scolding and punishing them did not improve things, and so he tried offering them a reward. Tradition has it that he took thin strips of dough and twisted them ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

The Simple Life Style

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

Each individual Christian needs to keep asking themselves, how can I simplify my life, not for the sake of simplicity, but for the sake of the kingdom of God.

I've always loved the Cinderella story, and have read it to my granddaughter, and listened to it on record many times. It is a story that fits so well in our culture. From rags to riches is the American dream come true. The poor little servant girl escapes from the wash water to live in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-8

Successful Prayer

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

If success is pleasing God, and God is not pleased with all kinds of external forms and activities, where the heart is far from him, than it follows that the only road to spiritual success is the road to inner space.

Henry Brown prayed for a way to escape. He was a slave in Richmond, Virginia, and desperately wanted to be free. He finally felt his prayer was answered when he was inspired by a unique idea. He had the plantation carpenter construct a box the same size of the largest boxes that were shipped in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-8

Success In Simplicity

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

Jesus simplified everything he touched. The Old Testament saints had ten commandments to guide them, but Jesus said you can simplify these ten, and reduce them to two. Love God with all your being, and your neighbor as yourself.

C. S. Lewis, the brilliant atheist who became one of the most famous Christians of the 20th century, said, "It is no good asking for a simple religion after all, real things are not simple." Little did he realize, when he wrote those words in his early book, Mere Christianity, just how ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-8

Unanswered Prayer Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

Jesus tells it like it is in the world of prayer, and in so doing He complicates things, and forces us to wrestle with the conditions for answered prayer.

The story is told of a Russian scientist who was found guilty of a crime against the state. He was sentenced to a prison in the middle of a desert. His cell mate was another scientist. He was determined to escape, and he urged his cell mate to join him, but he refused. After much planning he did ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-14

Let's Call Him Samuel!

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Aug 29, 2022

Our Bible text tells of a man searching for something. Matthew tells us he was a young man; Luke describes him as a ruler, or what we would call an aristocrat. And Matthew, Mark, & Luke all tell us he was rich. Today he’s often called the Rich Young Ruler.

MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK TEXT: Mark 10:17-27; Matthew 6:24; Luke 1:37, 10:25-27; Romans 6:23 ILL. It has been reported that ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-27, Luke 1:35-37, Matthew 6:4, Romans 6:23, Luke 10:25-27  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In This Manner Pray

Contributed by Doug Houck on Dec 27, 2020

How we pray depends on our concept of God. God is personal, and knows us better than we know ourselves. Prayer brings us into harmony with God.

INTRODUCTION When I was in college, I was required to take speech class. As a shy person, I dreaded it. It’s all about public speaking. Some would rather die than speak in public. To pass the class, we had to give a 5-minute speech to our classmates. Here are some pointers for giving a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18, 1 Kings 18:25-39, Psalm 139:1-4

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

"Be Not Ye Therefore Like Unto Them”

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Jan 3, 2022

Most mothers have known the pain of having to place their babies in a day-care facility for the first time and knowing they would have to be away from them for eight or nine hours while they went to work.

Illus: Recently one mother, who had to do this with her first baby, explained that she began to cry as she wrapped that little eight-pound boy up in his warm blanket to get him ready for the day-care. She said that throughout the day she was constantly wondering what he was doing. Jesus knows ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Motives: Sermon Of The Mount Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Jan 30, 2022

There is a difference between real prayer and just words. The improper way is to stand on the street corner to be seen by men. This is the way of the hypocrites, the play actors.

There was something taught in one of my business classes at Indiana University that has stuck with me. It is the concept of enlightened self-interest. This is a philosophy in business ethics which states that companies who act to further the interests of others, ultimately serve their own ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-8, Matthew 6:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Living In The Kingdom Part 13 Series

Contributed by Rodney V Johnson on Feb 11, 2022

In Part 13 of this series, we examine what Jesus said about our charitable giving being private. When we give to the church or do anything for those in need it should not be publicized in a desire to receive recognition for what we have done.

Living in the Kingdom 13 Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4; 23:2-5; Exodus 13:16; Numbers 15:38 I am continuing with my series “Living in the Kingdom.” This week we will begin examining what is recorded in the first four verses of Matthew chapter six. In these verses Jesus talks about those things we do ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 23:2-5, Exodus 13:16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ash Wednesday 2020 Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 1, 2022

If God is love, and He certainly is, and if He became human so that we could, when we fall asleep for the last time, be swept up into the awesome beauty, truth, and goodness of the Trinity, then we should keep ourselves ready.

Ask Wednesday homily I beg you, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. If God is love, and He certainly is, and if He became human so that we could, when we fall asleep for the last time, be swept up into the awesome beauty, truth, and goodness of the Trinity, then we should keep ourselves ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-18, Joel 2:12-18, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Denomination: Catholic

The Fresh Ember Among The Dying Ashes

Contributed by Mary Erickson on Mar 3, 2022

A sermon for Ash Wednesday, Year C

March 2, 2022 Ash Wednesday Rev. Mary Erickson Hope Lutheran Church Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 The Fresh Ember among the Dying Ashes Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. Well, here we are again! Today we enter into a new season of Lent. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-21

Denomination: Lutheran