Seeing Our Need

The two previous post and videos here and here are the beginning of a study of the Sermon on the Mount with the teens and parents at High Pointe. God is already stirring in the hearts of those preparing to enter the Sermon on the Mount and His Spirit is at work. The first two weeks have been creating tension and understanding prior to diving into the entire sermon. There are several aspects one must consider prior to reading the Sermon on the Mount. Chris Seidman and Josh Graves do a great job setting the stage for the words of Jesus in their new book Heaven on Earth: Realizing the Good Life Now. One of those aspects we easily skip over is Matthew 4:23-25:

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Try to read the same scripture again in light of your hurts, disappointments, loneliness, heartache, addictions, struggles, fear, brokenness. I tend to skip right over this section because I am not the one who has a disease, demon possession, seizures, or ill. However, as soon as I name my brokenness within that context I begin to see my need for a new King and a new kingdom.

How can you slow down and see your need for Jesus in this passage?

If you were going to name your brokenness what would that be? (You are not broken. Separate yourself from your sin. Your brokenness is not your identity.)