Day 1 – READ MATTHEW 6
Write down what Jesus teaches about the following:
Praying | Fasting | Giving | Forgiving | Worry | Wealth
Write down any questions you have and keep them in a place where you can come back to them. Why do you think Jesus wanted His disciples to know the heart behind disciplines of the faith? Did He want His disciples to want to do these important things for the right reasons? What do you believe are the right reasons?
GIVE IT A TRY
After reading Matthew 6-7, take some time to pick one discipline of the faith and set goals to grow in that area of your life.
Day 2 – READ MATTHEW 6:1-12
Write down what Jesus teaches about the following:
Judging Others | How to Treat Others
Why are these topics important to Jesus’ disciples, including you? What do you learn about how God wants you to care for others?
Day 3 – READ MATTHEW 7:13-14
What is the lesson that Jesus taught about the way that leads to life compared to the way that leads to destruction?
Why was this important for His disciples to understand?
Jesus was not saying the gate that leads to life is hard to walk through. Anyone who wants to can easily walk through it but the illustration is to show there is only way. The gate to destruction is broad. This means there are many different ways you can choose to enter into destruction. The disciples needed to know what they were up against in a world with many different belief systems on how to have true life. Jesus wanted to confirm His way was the only way.
Read John 14:6.
What does Jesus tell His disciples? How does this confirm the illustration of the narrow gate?
Day 4 – READ MATTHEW 7:15-28
What did Jesus warn His disciples about?
How could His disciples know the difference between a false prophet and one who speaks truth? Why is it important for Jesus’ disciples to learn this?
Read Matthew 7:28-29
What happens to the man who built his house on a good foundation? What does Jesus describe as a good foundation?
What happened to the man who built his house on sand? Did either of the men avoid the storm? What was the benefit of having a firm foundation?
Jesus needed to know the true fact of hard times. No one who lives on earth can avoid hard times. Jesus, being God Himself, didn’t avoid hard times. A true disciple doesn’t become a disciple because life on earth will get better. He becomes a disciple because Jesus gives life purpose and the storms may knock you down but will not destroy you.
Do you believe this lesson is crucial for disciples of Christ today?
Day 5 – READ MATTHEW 9:1-8 and LUKE 5:17-26
What is wrong with the man who needed healing? Was there more than one problem with this man? Which problem did Jesus heal first? Why did Jesus heal his legs?
This is an important miracle because it teaches Jesus’ disciples three things. First, it shows what is important to Him above all else. Jesus is most concerned with our biggest problem… our sin. Sometimes He uses our ailments to help us recognize our need for Him. He knows we will live for eternity with no sickness or pain, so he allows our temporary circumstances to point us toward Him. A short life or a life of being paralyzed is nothing compared to the pain that comes from being separated from God eternally. Jesus does not want that for anyone. The second lesson is that Jesus has the power to heal. The men were right to bring their friend to Him. Third, Jesus always has purpose in His miracles. If He heals, He is using the circumstance to show someone something about Himself. In this instance, He heals a man’s legs to prove that He has the authority to heal sin.
