Sermons on Matthew 6:4-8:

The Desire For Deliverance Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 8, 2021

Jesus knows His disciples will always be sinners, and that is why they need to pray daily for forgiveness. He knew they would be subject to daily temptation. They would be in constant need of deliverance.

Winston Churchill suddenly found himself a 25 year old prisoner of war. This was in 1899. He was captured by the South African Army in the Boer War, and he endured a nightmare. He was the first prisoner of importance to be captured in the war. Churchill roamed the prison camp in Pretoria, as he ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:7-15

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

"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

The Proper Attitude In Prayer Series

Contributed by Christopher Benfield on Jan 5, 2022

Prayer is something we are all familiar with, but I wonder if we are familiar enough with prayer? Is it possible that we have become too familiar with prayer? I believe there are instances in our lives where both are true.

The Proper Attitude in Prayer Matthew 6: 5-8 We have come to the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus begins to address prayer. The act of praying is literally imploring God to move on our behalf. It is described as words of worship or entreaty that are offered to the Lord. Prayer is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-8

Denomination: Baptist

The 10 Commandments Of Prayer

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jan 10, 2022

10 principles of prayer - Based on the Lord's Prayer.

The Ten Commandments of Prayer! Text: Matthew 6:5-15 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15, Luke 11:1-4, Ephesians 3:14-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Joy Of Prayer: Spiritual Disciplines = Spiritual Privileges

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Jan 16, 2022

During this extended period of Covid 19 lockdown, we need to draw nearer to God. This sermon is about the spiritual practice of prayer.

Sermon for January 16, 2022 - The Joy of Prayer - Prayer as a Spiritual Discipline Last week Pastor Arleen introduced our current series on spiritual disciplines. If you missed that message, it was an excellent overview of what spiritual disciplines are and why they matter. You can watch that on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15, 1 John 5:14-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

What Is Lent? Series

Contributed by The Rev Deniray Mueller on Apr 15, 2017

explanation of the season of Lent

WHAT IS LENT? Last Wednesday we celebrated Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. While I was eating my share of pancakes at a Shrove Tuesday dinner, someone asked me just exactly what is Lent, which started me thinking. For those of us raised in the church (particularly the Roman ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-12, Psalm 103:1-22, Matthew 6:1-21

Denomination: Episcopal