Cheer UP! Podcast
Cheer UP! Podcast
Jesus's Blueprint for a Golden Life
Jesus covered everything from anxiety to forgiveness in one sermon. Which teaching from Matthew 5-7 challenges you the most? #SermonOnTheMount #CheerUpPodcast 🎧 #FaithJourney #FaithStories
Would you like to support the Cheer UP! Podcast? You can do so by clicking here
Kara's website - click here.
Cheri's website- here.
Email - cheeruppodcast@gmail.com
Instagram - @kararhunt
Leave reviews on - Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Google Podcasts,
Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, Kara R Hunt, and with me is the beautiful and kind Sherri Swalwell. How is your day going so far, Sherri it?
Speaker 2:is wonderful. It's April and I absolutely positively always love April. But the thing that I want to talk about today well, actually, tomorrow is my anniversary, our anniversary, we will be.
Speaker 1:Happy anniversary to Sherry and her husband.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to mention his name 26 years tomorrow, and then two days after that or the day after that, I should say so 4-4-0-3, our daughter was born and 4-3-99, we were married. So I love April, I love the beginning of April and I just yeah, but that's not even what I want to talk about today. What I want to talk about is that I was in a church recently and we were oh, I don't even remember what we were talking about, wasn't the important part. The important part, what I want to share with you today, is that I am absolutely loving walking through the Bible with our listeners and it has made me love the Bible even more Like.
Speaker 2:I want to encourage people today. I want to encourage so if you're listening, if you're a faithful listener, or if you're just tuning in for the first time and you're going, oh great, these people are talking about the Bible, they're talking about Bible stories. I want to talk about something else, Like I want to talk about current topics or whatever I want to talk about. I don't know, I I don't know something, but I just don't want to talk about the Bible. I want to encourage you that when you take one step in God's direction, when you take one step with having either a regular quiet time meaning you start reading your Bible one chapter every day, or listening to praise and worship music, or whatever when you take a step towards God, the Holy Spirit will ignite that hunger in you and it will be something that you end up craving. You're not going to crave it necessarily the first day, but that doesn't mean that you're not going to crave it, and so that's my encouragement is that I did not always love the Bible to the extent that I love the Bible now, and I think it's because we have been walking through the Old Testament and then the New Testament that it did, and I have a Bible study, where we're reading through the Bible slowly, very slowly, because we want to make sure that we're really grasping what we're reading. But I absolutely have fallen in love with the Bible, and anybody and everybody can fall in love with the Bible.
Speaker 2:If you just take that first step, just like with healthy food, like I, I could sit here and say I hate salad. Why in the heck do I want to eat salad? The doctor says I have to eat salad. I don't want to eat salad. If you start, you will grow to love salad. If you, if you start any healthy exercise I hate to exercise, why do I have to exercise? You start and you will grow to love exercise.
Speaker 2:So I just want to say thank you, Kara. I am loving, loving, loving walking through the Bible with you and with our listeners. It is just so enjoyable and it has just made me fall in love with God even more so that when I hear things that are happening in the world today, I can say but look at what happened in the Bible. Here's our example from the Bible. Here's what Jesus did for real, not just what would Jesus do. And then you, you know, think, you know. No, you can go right back to the Bible and know what Jesus would do. So I am like just overflowing with joy about learning so much and learning from the different biblical figures that we've been studying, and I just want to say thank you and that is why I'm filled with joy this morning, because I just have this hunger that is just contagious. I hope I that is just contagious. I hope I hope it's contagious.
Speaker 1:Well, it is so awesome because God has really been good to us. So, for okay, well, before I finish saying what I was going to say, welcome to the True Up podcast. Thank you to all of our faithful listeners who continue to tune in every week and continue to give us a shout out and everything else, and thank you to those who are new to the podcast. Today, new episodes uploaded every Wednesday and, wow, we have like almost 200 episodes now, sherry. So if not over that, if I'm not mistaken, you know, if we're not there, we're very close to it and everything else. So, thank you guys, for the past couple of years You've been so awesome. Your nation wouldn't be the same without you, without everyone just tuning in, and we just thank you so much. And if you've been blessed by the podcast, please share it with a friend, please mention it to others, please like, download and subscribe. That just helps us in the algorithm and it just kind of helps us when someone's looking for a podcast like this or something like that. It just kind of helps us on the different platforms and algorithms so that they'll be able to find it. So if you guys could do us that favor, we would greatly appreciate it and we want to thank you so much.
Speaker 1:And for those who are new, earlier this year, in 20, well, I think it started last year, in 2024, we did.
Speaker 1:We started with biblical figures from the Old Testament and then we did during the summer through October, from like June or July to October, we did an encore presentation of the Screwtape Letters, which talks about spirituality and demonic activity and different things like that come against our lives, that we don't even know it.
Speaker 1:It's all related, okay. And then we came back the fall with you know the New Testament and everything else. So all of that to say I may have gotten all the data stuff mixed up, but go to the Cheer Up Podcast website. Just type in Cheer Up Podcast in your favorite search engine and you'll be able to pull all of those up. So, going back to what Sherry was saying, this has been such a blessing to both of us to just be able to do these podcasts with all of you, because for the different biblical figures, for the different topics, especially with the biblical figures that we have been doing, we study, we research, we pray so that what we bring to you guys and we pray before each and every episode, and we've been doing that for years and when we get into it and then so that we can become prepared to be able to present what the God has put on our hearts to present to you guys.
Speaker 1:And as a result of that, it goes back to what Sherry said. It fills us with joy and we learn so much in the process and we'll be talking to each other and go, hey, did you know that? I didn't know that. Or we'll be talking about something that it's like a rhema word that came out to us, or rhema theme or topic Like it just means something to us than what we may have read previously. So that joy is there and it's palpable and we just pray that you guys can see it too. So thank you again for tuning in and we pray that you guys are just as excited about these series and the topics and biblical figures that we've been covering Because, again, as we said, as we've mentioned, those things may have happened, those biblical figures live a long time ago, but the circumstances and the situations that God brought them through or that they were in are the same ones today.
Speaker 1:It's just different faces, different people, and it's the same thing and the scripture and God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and so and we're just connecting the two and saying, hey, look how God brought them through this and look how God's going to bring you through the current situations that you are going in.
Speaker 1:So, sherry, thank you for going on this journey with me, with all of us. It has just been a blast. I know you guys are saying really it doesn't sound like if you had to research and study and do all this stuff. I was like no, it's been a blast because it has been ministering to our spirits as well and we just pray that it ministers to yours and that it continues to do that.
Speaker 1:So, okay, enough with the emotional stuff, but we just hope you do really hear our hearts and everything when we say that. And again, just another gosh. I just want to say how grateful we are so many more. It's like when we, you know, we can see when so many different cities are listening, so many new cities to the podcast, new states to the podcast, new countries and even in one country there's like new cities in that country. You know that have been tuning in. So I'm not going to list all the countries and the cities and states right now, but just let just know we see you, we hear you, we know that you are there and we do not take you for granted and we just you have no idea how much we appreciate all of you continuing to tune in. Okay, today, sherri, we're talking about the Sermon on the Mount. Wow, what is the first thing you think of when you hear about that?
Speaker 2:Well, we had an amazing sermon about the Sermon on the Mount and it was one of those where I'm like, as I'm listening to it, it like made so much sense but it's still germinating inside of me that I don't feel adequate to be able to explain it to other people. So I love it. I am learning so much more about it than I ever like. There's so many more layers to it than I ever realized, and one of the things that stuck with me that my pastor said was something about and I won't get it completely right, but the gist of it was, if we live according to the principles just in the Sermon on the Mount, our life would be golden. Like we. We would be successful in like every area, because he touches on every area. So we live according to the biblical standards of the Sermon on the Mount, we would live a good life.
Speaker 1:Well, and that's why we're going to go through it and because, okay, so as I was researching the Sermon on the Mount, it goes back to what Sherry said, or she said her pastor said it is so many layers there and I could sit here and bog you guys down with like a whole bunch of the notes that I took and all the different layers to it and the significance of each layer and everything like that. But a lot of that could be. I'm thinking it would just be a little bit overwhelming than just Sherry and I just trying to just go through it and talk through it. And the Sermon on the Mount can be found through Matthew 5 and Matthew 7. Excuse me, the books of Matthew, the book, the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 through 7. And my preference is always the KJV version, the King James Version. But for the sake of a little bit more clarity over the recording lines and for different listeners and everything else, I'm going to read from the ESV version and Sherry and I are just going to kind of just talk about it as we go through it.
Speaker 1:So in Matthew 5, it starts, matthew 5, chapter 1, and that one first chapter is just simply about the Sermon on the Mount and it says seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain and when he sat down his disciples came to him. So it sounds like here that they're talking, that he's talking directly to the disciples. In some of my notes I know they were saying oh, it wasn't just the disciples, because there was also a crowd and everything they gather. And I think a crowd did come, but perhaps later and I think all of this according to the notes and research, I think it was like on the bottom of a mountaintop type of thing or a hill. So again it says seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain and when he sat down they're talking about Jesus his disciples came to him and then verses two through 12 are the Beatitudes and they say and he, meaning Jesus, opened his mouth and taught them, saying blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Speaker 1:Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you, falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Speaker 1:Those are considered the Beatitudes. And wow, what a comfort. Am I right, sherri? Just that whole section. It's talking about those who are poor in spirit, for they will receive the kingdom of heaven. For those who mourn, you shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. What are your thoughts? Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. When you hear those Beatitudes, to me they just bring such comfort, right, because he's pretty much covering everybody and saying it's all good, I got you covered. What are your thoughts on Beatitudes?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely the same One is. They remind me or they feel when I read it. I get the same emotion as like when I read Psalm 23. It feels like a warm blanket covering me and just making me feel cozy and warm and safe. And also some of the Psalms it feels that way. Well, I know Psalm 23, but like some of the other Psalms that are just like God's way of just saying I hear you, I see you, I've got you, and that's the feeling that I get with the Beatitudes. And then when you were saying, like when you were reading through all the different ones, and it was talking about the pure in heart or those who hunger and thirst, it reminds me that God's currency is opposite of what society's currency is, so we tend to swim upstream.
Speaker 2:That's how we always talk about it in my family in our family is that we as believers swim upstream in the current of society, and so it just reminds me that God is saying those who are left will be more, those who are persecuted will be taken care of, those who are unselfish or selfless will be lifted up. So those are kind of my initial thoughts when I hear the Beatitudes being read.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And the next couple of verses 13 through 16, are the salt and light verses. And it says you are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world.
Speaker 1:A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house In the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven. Those are some more encouraging scriptures, am I right, sherri? It's just talking about how we are the sight of the earth, the light of the world, and that we should not hide the light that we have being believers in the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. But we're to put it on a stand and give light to all in the house, to all of our family, brothers and sisters and those we love and we care about. And it says to let your light shine before others so that they may see the good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven, because it's not about us, right, it's about giving God the glory. What are your thoughts on the salt and light passages?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely so it goes. It talks even more right there about how it is our responsibility, but yet God doesn't expect us to do it in our own strength, that he gives us the tools that we need. He expects us to do it, but he gives us the tools that we need. We don't have to do it on our own, but we have the knowledge here to do it with us.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And again you feel that comfort because he's just saying you are all these things, but go ahead and do it, because I got you, it's all good don't you love how he started the the passage with saying for those who are meek, um you know, I will give you this for those.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, yes. Started out saying I've got you now. Now that I've got you, this is what I need you to do, like absolutely takes care of us first and then asks us to do whatever it is that he needs us to do, so we're never having to do it in our own strength. We're never having to do it on our own with our own tools. We're never having to come up with our own plan. He's got the plan. He just asks us to fulfill it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, You're right. He's given us that inspiration and encouragement first and he's saying, ah yeah, I know you may feel like Gideon or whatever, and be like, well, I can't do this. And he's like, yeah, you can, yeah, you can, and this is what I need you to do. By the way you know and verses 17 through 20, it talks about the fulfillment, of how he came to fulfill the law. And he says do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
Speaker 1:For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law, until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Ooh, that one's a little bit more strict and a little bit more ooh. Okay, Well, I really need to do a deep insight and research into my soul and spirit here. But there's a reason for that. You know that he says that, but basically he's saying I'm not coming to get rid of the law, I've come to fulfill it. And what are your thoughts on that? Those, those passages, Sherry?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I think if we were having this conversation just you and me, I'd be like and now we know why there is so many layers to the. I'm just being honest.
Speaker 1:And now we know why there is so many layers to the sermon on the mount, because there he's going back and he's referring to the law of Moses and different things like that and he's just saying, hey, I come to fulfill that. We're not going to get away with the commandments, no, I've come to fulfill them. This is why I'm here and he goes. Verses 21 through 26 of Matthew, chapter 5, which is where we are now, are the verses where he talks about anger. He says you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says you fool, will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there, remember that your brother has something against you. Leave your gift there before the altar and go First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court.
Speaker 1:Wow, this one just kind of hits because we get angry with people, right and I was just having this conversation the other day. I'm like you know, certain things make me angry. It's not a lot that people can do to make me angry. I mean, okay, they may do something to make me mad, for instance, but I can get over it. If I love them and I care about them, or even if I don't know them well enough and I care about them. Or even if I don't know them well enough, it's like, oh okay, you know, I get over it.
Speaker 1:But the one I have the struggle with the most is when I'm falsely accused of doing something, when someone makes up a lie about me. I do enough stuff wrong on my own. I don't need any help, I don't need you adding to it, right. And when people falsely accuse me of stuff or they insinuate that I did something that I didn't know, they're they're planting the seeds in someone's head that you know something like that. That angers me. That is a very hard time for me. To something for me to just get over. And here it says no, you go come to terms quickly with your accuser, you know, in case you have to go to court or whatever. But you know, and if you remember this, like when you're in church or something like that, like you're supposed to like, forgive them, and you know, before you take your gift to the altar, and so this is a very humbling set of scriptures for me. What about you, sherry?
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly Like. This is one of those that it reminds me of communion every month, and I love the fact that our church does communion every month because it helps keep me in a spirit of forgiveness with people or in a right relationship with God, to where I don't have a chance to let bitterness grow. But you're right, like this one's really serious, like if you have, if you have something against your brother, or if you have a, and for someone like me who is a, is a peacemaker. I don't like conflict, I don't like confrontation. This one's a tough one because I would rather brush it under the rug. Well, I wouldn't. Because I would rather brush it under the rug. Well, I wouldn't say, I would rather brush it under the rug. Brushing it under the rug is more comfortable because I don't want to cause problems.
Speaker 2:And I always second guess myself. I'm always like well, maybe I'm the one who's being overly sensitive, maybe I'm the one that just needs to take a chill pill. Maybe it's not as bad as what I'm thinking, that it is blah, blah, blah, need to take a chill pill. Maybe it's not as bad as what I'm thinking, that it is blah, blah, blah. But God's like no, you need to reconcile with your brother, with your sister, with whoever. And if you have problems doing it on your own, then bring two or three witnesses from the church and do it in a biblical way. And the reason, I think, why God does this, or he commands this, is because he knows how easily it is to let bitterness take root. And once bitterness takes root, then you've got a whole host of problems mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually and it blocks your relationship with God. It blocks your relationship with other people. It affects every single area of your life. So this one's a toughie, but this one's so important.
Speaker 1:And when you think about it, there's love involved there, right.
Speaker 1:Because he's saying yeah, he's like you know, I know it's going to be hard. I know that person lied on you. I know. I know, I know and I know how you feel. I get it, daughter, but this will bring in bitterness and ill feelings and everything else and then it's going to lead to unforgiveness. Just, I'm telling you, make peace with your accuser if possible, and sometimes that don't mean you go. I mean it could mean you go to them, you confront them, you talk about it with them. Why did they do that or whatever. But a lot of times they won't give you the time of day because they know they lied Right and they know you're going to call them out on it whether you do it nicely or not, you know. So most of the time they won't give you a time of day. But it's making peace within it, within yourself, right, you know.
Speaker 1:And I remember something a friend, a friend of mine, told me a long time ago when things was was coming hot and heavy against her and I think it was just a lot of lies, a lot of rumors and everything. And we were sitting in a car one day talking. I think she had just dropped me off, we had just came from a church thing, I think, event, and I think we were talking about what was going on with her and this stuff. And I remember and this was decades ago and it still sticks with me, remember, and this was decades ago and it still sticks with me she was like you know, I am just hoping that the strength of my character will overcome all of the lies and the rumors and the accusations, and I'm like you know what and she didn't say it exactly that way, but that's what she was saying Like may my character be a witness against all of this. Right, and sometimes that's what it comes down to, sherry, right, but you know the way we lived our life, the way we've done with people, and we none of us have halos over our head and everything else.
Speaker 1:But when those accusations come up, you need to you know that those who really know and care and their ears aren't just itching for the latest gossip that they'd be like I am so sorry, I know, kara, I know, sherry, that does not ring true. I am so sorry, it just does not. That is not the person that I know and, as a matter of fact, I know that they wouldn't do anything like that, right, you know. And so sometimes we have to just say, lord, may our characters stand up and be a witness against these accusations and just give me peace about it. I'm upset about it. It's bringing me to tears because I can't believe they're saying these things. But, lord, just may my character be a witness against that and the life I've lived with these, you know, and the service I've, you know, that I've had with these people or community and everything else. And God, just you know, may you be a witness, just touch their hearts. And I actually, after we calm down after being falsely accused, we probably need to pray for that accuser. I think the Lord's still working with me on that one, but it's out of love that he's telling me to do that, right, right. He's like this is gonna. It's gonna make you upset, it's gonna stress you out, your stomach's gonna get upset, you're gonna get all mad. You don't get you know, like it's not necessary. They give it to me, come to me, give it to me. I just let me handle this. And sometimes that's just so hard because we are born with emotions, you know, and things like that, so it could be very, very hard.
Speaker 1:The next chapter 5, verses 27 through 30 of the Gospel of Matthew. This one talks about lust and he says you have heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone, not just you, not just you, not just you, but everyone, okay the other part was my emphasis. Okay. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, for it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, for it is better that you lose one of your members than your whole body go into hell. Short scriptures, but straight to the point, doesn't leave a lot of room for misinterpretation, does it, sherry?
Speaker 2:Uh-uh, uh-uh. We talked about a while ago where we were saying God just says it like it is and he doesn't really need to repeat himself.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 1:And I think in today's culture, like if you know, if someone was saying things like this, they'd be like oh, that's toxic masculinity, you're being too aggressive, you're being too assertive, you know, and it's like no, he's saying it the way it is, he don't have to add flowers to it, because he's just straight and to the point. Right, it is very straight and to the point. And sometimes I think, when we try to sugarcoat stuff, that the point gets lost and people don't realize the seriousness of it. But here he just goes straight to the chase and then verses 31 and 32 talks about divorce and he says it was also said whoever divorces his wife let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Oh my gosh, this has stirred up a lot of controversy in contemporary churches and Christians and everything else, and they're just, you know, so like if someone was married and then they divorced their wife for irreconcilable differences and then 10 years later he gets married again. You know, there are Christians that come up to them and be like oh my gosh, you just committed adultery, you did not divorce your wife for sexual immorality and everything else, and then now you formed her to commit adultery, you know, and everything else. You need to confess, repent, divorce, whatever, because technically you're still married. And then there are others like wait, what? No, you are completely misinterpreting that scripture. Let's go to 2 Timothy or whatever. I can't think of the scriptures that they use to back that up. But now that one I think a lot of people have misinterpreted just for their own agenda. But that one talks about divorce. But I think what's clear here is that he's saying marriage is sacred. What are your thoughts, sherry? Exactly, exactly that you're saying it's sacred, right, right, right, yep, yeah.
Speaker 1:And then the next one goes into oaths, scriptures 33 through 37. And he says Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn. But I say to you do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply yes or no. Anything more than this comes from evil. Wow, sherry, how many times have we heard people say you know I swear by the God of this earth, or you know I swear with everything that's in me, right? Or I promise, or I take a note that if I don't do this, you know I swear on my family, that if I don't get revenge on you, that da-da-da-da-da. How many times have we heard people swear about all these things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't realize how significant and how wrong that was until someone overheard me say it and they were like no, sherry, you really don't want to do that. And I was like you're right.
Speaker 1:I really don't want to do that. Right, and he's saying not even by the city of Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. So we have to be very, very careful. So my suggestion here is don't swear at all by anything, don't make an oath, don't, and you may feel it with every fiber of your being. You know, you know and everything else, but it's just don't swear at all. It's, he says, just let what you, you say, be simply here. We go again back to the simplicity of what God asks of us. Let your yeses be yes and let your no be no. It's as simple as that. We don't have to swear.
Speaker 1:If someone says, well, kara, swear to me, swear that you're going to do this for me, or something like that, it's like no, I'm not going to swear, I'm going to tell you yes.
Speaker 1:Or I'm going to tell you no, but most times it's a no, I'm not going to swear, I'm going to tell you yes, and. Or I'm going to tell you no, but most times it's a maybe. If I'm going to be honest, if I'm going to be honest, most time it's a maybe. If it's like a year out, um, or something like that, I'm like it is a maybe, but I do promise this. I promise that I will get back to you. Right, I'm not swearing on it, but I promise that I will get back to you in enough time. I am not going to leave you in a pinch to where two days before and I'm like no, I decided, you know I can't do it. I don't do that because I don't even think that that's not my personality. I don't like when people do it to me, but I also don't think that's Christian, that's God-like or God about it and my schedule or you know, and after I prayed about it, I will get back to you.
Speaker 1:It could be a couple of weeks, maybe a month, but I will get back to you. And because he says, anything more than this comes from all evil right. So we have to be careful and sometimes it's a very simple you know, we don't have to swear by anything, not by the hairs on our head, not by our families, not by the skies above or nothing. So sometimes just let our yeses be yes or no, be no. And when we say that, and if I get back to you and I agree and I say yes, I can do it, then I'm going to show up, and if I don't, I have a very good reason for it. Like my flight couldn't, it didn't land in your city. It's like yes Cause. And that's why because I don't take my yeses lightly, I don't, and so I want to, I want to honor in the scriptures and what God has as closely as I can. So when I say yes, I am going to be there, as much as it depends on me. I guess I should say am going to be there.
Speaker 1:As much as it depends on me, I guess I should say Right, right. Scriptures 38 through 42 are about retaliation. Okay, it says you have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil, but if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you, do not resist the one who is evil, but if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You know what, sherry? I am not going to comment on these scriptures because I don't feel worthy. So do you mind commenting on those?
Speaker 2:Well, I remember. I remember hearing a lot of different things. So back in the, when these were written, I guess Roman soldiers would force people to carry their armor or carry something for them.
Speaker 2:And so God was saying don't just do a little bit, do more than more than what you're supposed to. In other words, it's, I think it's part. There's probably a lot more to it, and I don't know if I know all of the ins and outs either, but I think part of it is like reiterating that be the salt and the light, be different Show that you're different.
Speaker 2:Show that being a believer sets you apart from other people, not in a bad way, not in a lofty way, but just in a why are you like willingly carrying this more than I'm forcing you to? Well, because I love Jesus. So, um that, and he loves you. Yeah, oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's all about love. There it is again. Yep, yep.
Speaker 2:So that's kind of my take on that one.
Speaker 1:And that's an excellent take. And the reason you're going two miles, even though they only forced you to go one, is because you're showing them Again, like you said, we're bringing that salt and light and you know they're going to ask why? Right, right, there's the opportunity. That's that salt and light. They need to see something different in so that they could see the God in you and not just the the, the meanness in us that's saying I'm just walking this one mile, I'm not doing anything more or anything less than you asked me to, you know, or anything else, cause it's again, it's not about us, Right, it's not about us, wow, it's just so humbling.
Speaker 1:As you go through this Sermon on the Mount and the last part of Chapter 5, verses 43 through 48, here it goes. It piggybacks off the retaliation scriptures. It's love your enemies scriptures, and it says rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same. And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same. You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is. Perfect, wow, wow. And this again, again.
Speaker 1:It all comes back to everything about Christ is love? And a lot is asked of those who are called the children of God. We have accepted the Lord Jesus, christ of Nazareth, as our Lord and Savior and we're followers of Christ and we believe in His Word and we follow His Word and we study the Scriptures. A lot is asked because none of this is easy. None of this is easy.
Speaker 1:But he's going hey, if you just love those who love you, that's really kind of easy, right, because you're receiving their love, you know that they love you. That's really kind of easy, right, you know, because you're receiving their love, you know that they love you. But don't even the tax collectors do the same, even because the tax collectors, as we've talked about in previous episodes, were, you know, not revered highly in the early church society back then. But it's all a big love story All of it, everything. When we just really just look at this, it's all a big love story, all of it, everything. When we just really just look at this, it's all about love, love that Christ has for us, love that he wants us to have for other people. What, what are your thoughts, sherry?
Speaker 2:everything that you just said. The only thing that I want to add to that is that God again prepares us. He doesn't make us do it on our own. He gave us the Holy Spirit, so, and the Holy Spirit is who will love through us. So we don't even have to love in our own strength. We can say Holy Spirit. I really don't like Joe, I just don't. Joe is a pain in the butt and I need your help, holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:And the Holy Spirit says I got you, I got you. I am just glad that you have the desire, that you have the want to, to want to. I got you, you just remain in me, you rest in me and I got you. And also, loving people who are your enemies, or loving your enemies doesn't mean that they get to walk all over you. Their boundaries is part of a loving, healthy relationship. So I love the scripture in so much as it's up to you live in peace with everyone.
Speaker 2:Sometimes living in peace means living from afar. It doesn't always mean that Joe gets to walk rampant over my life and Joe gets to create havoc in my life. No, god doesn't say that. God says love your enemies.
Speaker 2:And sometimes the most loving thing that you can do for Joe is to pray for him from afar, because you know that when you get together with Joe, your fleshly persona or your fleshly person comes out and you don't want that. So sometimes praying for Joe from afar is the most loving thing you can do. But we are not. We do not get a free pass when it comes to those that rub us the wrong way. Our job is to show God's love and, like I said, sometimes that's through prayer from afar. Sometimes that's through getting Joe his favorite Mountain Dew and donuts and putting it at his desk, letting him know you got it or not letting him know you got it. But the Holy Spirit will give you the strength to deal with Joe the way that the Holy Spirit wants you to deal with Joe, because the Holy Spirit is the one that knows Joe's heart and knows what's going to soften Joe's heart towards being receptive to Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And again, he's not just doing that for Joe's benefit, Because I know some people might be listening and be, you know like, well, that's a lot of sacrifice on Christian's part, Like we really have to do you know, and different things like that.
Speaker 1:But I mean, it could be. But it all depends on how you look at it. And I think if we look at it from God's helping us as much as he's helping them, that you know, your perspective changes a little bit, you know, don't you think? And so it becomes less sacrifice and more love. Because this I have found out the hard way when I have had to pray for those who have hurt me and I mean done harm to me, that has stayed with me, that may have stayed with me for like decades. The more you pray for them, the less of a grip they have on you, excuse me, the less of a grip what they did have on you, because while you're praying for them, you're starting to see them as another human being that God created. But God is also healing you in the process by helping you learn to forgive, not saying that what they did was right, by no means. But it's loosening that grip that they've had on you and all those things that used to come to mind when you would remember Joe, for example, those hurtful things, those things, those traumatic things, those horrific things that previously stayed with you for years, the more you end up praying for that person, the more you are healed as a person. And before, when someone would mention Joe's name, you just grit your teeth right, like you know everything else. And then now it's like the more you find yourself praying for them, the more you're finding that God's healing you in the process.
Speaker 1:And then someone mentions Joe's name and you're like, oh yeah, I remember Joe and it's no longer that, that heated or resentment or bitterness there Now. And if someone asks you, you know you ain't got to be like, oh yeah, I remember Joe, like he was the best person that ever happened in your life. No, but you know you could say, oh, I remember Joe, but the bitterness is not there. And if they ask your, your opinion or do you have experience with them, like, did you have? You know? Um, what was your? Your relationship, working relationship or whatever the case may be, was with them? Be truthful, be honest, right, because you don't want to deceive and manipulate anyone or lead them into Joe's lair without being prepared. But it's all about, there is no bitterness there, and you'll be able to tell your story of what happened and everything else, without the tears, without the pain, without the heartache, without the nightmares and the night terrors of just remembering it all. You're just able to just sit there and relate the story of what happened and let it be that person's judgment if they want to move forward with them.
Speaker 1:And you sit back later and you're like you know what, lord, before, when I used to talk about what Joe did to me, man, I used to couldn't get out of bed the next day because it just took so much.
Speaker 1:It was such a mental tormentuous type of experience day because it just took so much, it was such a mental tormentuous type of experience.
Speaker 1:But now it's like I just told what happened and then I ate my sandwich and I had a little dessert and I went on about my day. You don't realize this is sometimes later at night, when things calm down right, and you're like, wow, god, that's healing, that's, you know, been healed from the grip that he had, the emotional or soulful grip that they had on you. You know the mental grip and you're like, well, thank you, father. God, I didn't cry a tear, I didn't grit my teeth, I didn't say I can't talk about him, you know, or anything else. You just relayed the story and you survived it and you finished it and you ate your sandwich, and you drank your tea, ate your salad and even had dessert. You know that is when you know that that person no longer has a grip on you, and I believe that is the heart, at least one of the reasons, and the heart of why God he emphasizes that we are to love our enemies.
Speaker 2:Well, that, right there, what you said, is so poignant, because the fact that you could sit there and eat your sandwich instead of having nausea or having the turmoil in your physical body, having the turmoil in your physical body, speak to God. And then it goes back to the Beatitudes, where God says blessed are the poor in spirit, for there's the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God's showing you at the beginning in the Beatitudes if you do all these things, I've got you. If you're mourning, I've got you. If you're mourning, I've got you. If you needed mercy, I've got you. If you are hungry, I've got you. If you are poor in spirit, I've got you. So again it goes back to he's got us first, and now we have a job to do.
Speaker 1:And now we have a job to do, excuse me. And now we have a job to do. And boy, now we can do it without that heaviness, right.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Because he's got us.
Speaker 1:Because he's got us no-transcript. Ministering to me now Like this is why, kara, this is why are you seeing it now? You know this is. Why Are you seeing it now? You know he is so good.
Speaker 1:And so when we go to chapter 6, verses 1 through 4, it's talking about giving to the needy and it says Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father, who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Speaker 1:And I think, just to sum up that one, he's just pretty much saying you know, if you give a hundred dollars to the charity down the street, and if someone say you know, hey, kara, what you're doing, I'm like oh, I'm going down the street here, I'm going to give a hundred dollars to this charity, and then you tell everybody on the way there, like, what is your goal, what is your, what is your heart Right? Like, why did you have to let everybody know when you're walking down the street that what you're about to do? Um, and is your heart in the right place? What do you, what do you think, sherry?
Speaker 2:Oh, I couldn't say it better. I think you nailed it.
Speaker 1:And then verses five through 15 is the Lord's Prayer, and it says they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father, who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray then like this Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.
Speaker 1:Wow, I think a lot of people are familiar with the Lord's Prayer and the forgiveness part especially. Like you know, forgive so that you can be forgiven, and everything like that. But the one that I love, to me personally, is verse 13, and it says and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, and sometimes I forget that we could pray. Lord, don't lead me into you know, please don't lead me into lead us, lead me not into temptation, and I think sometimes that one gets overlooked. What are your thoughts on that, sherry?
Speaker 2:Agreed. I think that we have a lot more power as believers than we ever remember or than we put into practice, and that one is a great example. I know that I don't practice that one as much as I should either. Why do I want to be on the defensive, always fixing problems? Instead, I want to be on the offensive. Lord, I don't even want to see that today. I don't even want to deal with it today, Absolutely that I don't have to Because I don't have want to see that today. I don't even want to deal with it today, absolutely.
Speaker 1:That I don't have to Because I don't have to right. It's like, lord, just leave me not temptation, you know, and everything else, and you just have that faith and trust, you know, and everything before you go into it. And to me that one has always kind of well, I guess, just to me and the people and the churches and the pastors and things I've been around that one just seems to get overlooked. But wow, that's really powerful. To me it's something that I forget too. I'm not saying that they all forgot it or whatever, no-transcript. And he's saying hey, you know, if you want me to deliver you from evil, ask Yep, you know, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And I think that is something that we should probably be saying when we wake up in the morning.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:You know. So verses 16 through 18 talks about fasting and it says and when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your Father, who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. And that's another set of scriptures, I think, sherry, that are kind of self-explanatory. Right, we don't have to look like we're dying when we're fasting, right, you know so that people be oh my goodness, are you okay? Oh well, I'm just fasting. And oh, because I'm just fasting for the sins of the world and I'm just so weary about it all. Yeah, you know, like, what is that all about? You know, like, you know where's your heart really at. So what are your thoughts on that? So why?
Speaker 2:are you fasting? Are you fasting for a diet, are you fasting for sympathy or are you truly fasting for an answer? I think there are times and places, as parents or as leaders, that you should address and talk about fasting, and that you should maybe fast with people so that you can encourage them and they can encourage you, and so on and so forth. Right, but the majority of the time, I think that people should fast privately. So I started a fast at a particular point in 2024.
Speaker 2:And nobody knew, not even my family, like nobody knew that I was doing it and I I was hungry. I was very hungry, but nobody knew that. I was Like nobody knew any part about it because it was between me and God and what I was fasting for was so significantly important it was, in my opinion, it was a life or death thing, like that's how important what I was fasting for was, and I was fasting for that answer.
Speaker 2:So the hunger pains reminded me of my purpose and my my reason why I was doing it, and it wasn't a diet and it wasn't um, it wasn't anything except that I had such a burden and I didn't know. In fact, I asked God multiple times before I started. God, is this what you want me to do? I don't know. Like, this is my go-to, but I don't know. Is this truly what you want me to do? And so that's where it really truly needs to be a heart between you and the father.
Speaker 2:Um, sometimes I think, well, a lot of times, I think we can fast for the wrong reasons or we can fast in the wrong way. Um, I think we need to just if, if we're choosing to fast, or I should say when we choose to fast, because the Bible tells us when, not if, but when we choose to fast, we need to to guard our hearts, and we need to examine our hearts and make sure that we're doing it for the right reasons, for the the right amount of time, and really make it spirit-led instead of fleshly or human-led.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, because there's a difference. There's a huge difference and, like you say, if you're praying for something that's really on your heart and God has led you to fast, you want to make sure that you're doing it right and for the right reasons and not sitting up there and just hoping and begging someone to ask you what you're doing because you're looking so gloomy, you know, and things like that. Verses 19 through 24,. Do not oh, excuse me, it's talking about your treasures in heaven laying up your treasures in heaven. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is there, your heart will be also.
Speaker 1:The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness, and then the light is you, and excuse me, I'm going to repeat 23, verse 23. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? How great is the darkness?
Speaker 1:No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. When I hear, when I think of this set of scriptures, sherri, I'm thinking about idol worship, right, money not just being as a tool to help take care of your needs and resources, to help build the kingdom of God, but as you, just taking it and getting it, and you know you're taking it and you're getting it, and then you're serving God and money Meaning in your heart, money means to you just as much as God. What do you think?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that we definitely have to be careful. My pastor is always saying to me if you want to know where your heart really lies, look at what you spend your money on. Look at where your money goes, because where your?
Speaker 2:money goes. That's where your heart goes as well. Absolutely Enjoy a cup of coffee. It doesn't mean that you're never allowed to buy yourself that book that you really wanted to buy. It means do you tithe regularly, Do you save regularly? Are you a good steward of the money that you have? Are you buying always on credit and never paying it back?
Speaker 2:Are you, you know, hungering for the things of the world, or are you satisfied with, with what God has given you? Like, there's a whole lot of layers to that. So it doesn't mean that God doesn't ever want us to have pleasures, but he wants us to have pleasures that coincide with the income and the status of where he has put us.
Speaker 2:And there are people who don't make a lot of money but who are great at financing or investing or whatever, and they're able to live really nice lives, very content and satisfied, because they are good stewards of their money. So that's all that God is saying is, if you're a good steward of your money, then your heart well, your heart is where your treasure is. So look at where you spend your money. Look at where you know are you working 70 hours a week, 80 hours a week, just so that you can stick up with a lifestyle that you wouldn't normally be able to have? But what are you sacrificing? So yeah, that's my pastor always says look at your, look at what you're spending your money on, and that will tell you where your heart is.
Speaker 1:And before we wrap up chapter six, I just want to add to that I just I didn't even know this was a thing and I guess I've been doing this for a while Didn't even know it was called this, but it's called. People were talking about and some of these people are very, very, very well known and very people who have a lot of stuff on their plate, like career-wise, and a lot of them were saying that they've had to go through digital detox. And a lot of them were saying that they've had to go through digital detox because they have realized that, you know, if they lost their phone or if they couldn't find their phone, or if they couldn't find their tablet or something like that, that they didn't know what to do with their life. You know what I'm saying. It was like, you know, they were tied to that, like they couldn't think, or you know, it was like something was off in their world, you know, because of their phone, because they were so tied to it. They ended up talking to someone, texting someone, chatting with someone, sending an email, replying to an email, you know, taking care of business, you know, on there, or something else, and they were just kind of like it gets to a point that you realize this is ruling your life.
Speaker 1:And then when you get to the point like I don't even know what to do with myself because I can't find my phone, or someone took my phone away from me for like two hours, Like I don't know what to do with myself, that is a very, that is a red flag that that may be indeed ruling your life, which is very close to becoming an idol, right, and so sometimes we have to do the name they give it is digital detox, and sometimes I'll tell Sherry, I'm like, oh my gosh, sherry, like I meant to forward this to you the other day. I'm like, but I'm just not checking, like my emails or my text messages, because Because sometimes, just for me, mentally, again, it goes back to something we, you know, we had talked about, we talked about. It goes back to God just having me being more mindful of how I feel, I think of when I'm doing something, and sometimes I just need to put stuff down.
Speaker 2:I do.
Speaker 1:And sometimes I just need to be like you know what I can get to it, when I can get to it, I am not going to stress about it and everything else. And it's like, and sometimes I have to do that and at first it seemed hard, right, but now you know it gets easier when you do it because you realize the sky is not going to fall Right. It's not going to fall right. It's not going to fall if you can't answer that email, that text, that chat, that phone call. You know right then and right there, and I think it just brings like balance to your life. So again, it just goes all back to balance and be very careful of that. And if you can't be without your phone for at least four hours, it's dangerously close, or notepad or any type of digital device like that. It's very close to becoming an idol. And right now I'm just going to wrap this up with the last verse in Chapter 6. And it's, excuse me, the last section of verses in Chapter 6, 25 through 34. And these are the do not be anxious passages. Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body. What you will put on, it's not life more than food and the body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air. More than food and the body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are they not of more value? Or you excuse me, are you not of more value than they? And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor span. Yet I tell you, even Solomon and all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, o you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear For the Gentiles? Seek after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all, but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient, for the day is its own trouble. Oh, my goodness, sherry, wow, with so many.
Speaker 1:I was just listening the other day when I was talking about studies. Wow, with so many. I was just listening the other day when I was talking about studies and that teens now are, like from 16 to 22 or whatever, experiencing anxiety like never before, and that six to eight year, all these things. And your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. He knows that we need all these things, he knows that we need food, he knows that we need clothing, he knows that we need shelter. And basically he's saying if I take care for the flowers and the animals and everything else, are you not of much more value? Like I know, these things, seek me first and all these things will be added to you. And that's all I want to say on that, and I'm going to hand it over to Sherry and then we can wrap it up. But wow, sherry, what a set of powerful scriptures. Am I right?
Speaker 2:Well, like you were saying, the Sermon on the Mount is just so full of the. I think you could read it. I think you could read those chapters once a month and you would get something new every single time. And that's another reason why I love the Bible so much. It is because it's a living breathing. It's the living, breathing word of God and, um, he just teaches us and he unpacks the layers depending on the season that we're in, depending on our faith level, where we are, depending on so many different things. And as we wrap up today, I want to, um ask you the question that I started asking lately, and that is is your heart right with God? Do you have a personal relationship with him? Do you have a relationship with God in a way that you know with certainty? Then you can, if you want to. Romans 10, 9 tells us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, it says, we will be saved. So it's not a matter of saying words, it's not a matter of we talk about this all the time on the podcast. God wants our hearts. It's a matter of our hearts and what we truly believe in our hearts.
Speaker 2:We can't. We can fake things in in life. We can. You can be such a faker that you can deceive me by what you say. You can deceive your husband, your wife, your boss, your kids by what you say and how you say it. You can manipulate people with your husband, your wife, your boss, your kids by what you say and how you say it. You can manipulate people with your words, but God is not to be manipulated. God will not be mocked. God knows the truth. He knows our hearts better than we do. He created us. So when you speak from the heart, when you pray from the heart, the prayer that we're going to pray right now, god knows and you will be saved. You will have that assurance that we're going to pray right now, god knows and you will be saved. You will have that assurance that you're going to heaven. So if that's where you're at today and that's what you need, then I would like you to, or I invite you to, pray this prayer with us right now. It says oh Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus' name. I believe you died on the cross, that you rose again and you're seated on the throne. Jesus, forgive me for all that I've done wrong, and I choose to forgive all others. Come into my life today and forever. I am yours In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 2:If you just prayed that prayer, we want to say welcome to the family. We encourage you to find a Bible-believing church, and another way that you can grow your relationship with God is through the Jesus in the Everyday membership. You can find that on my website, sherriswalwellcom. It's a way for you to grow that relationship with God now that you have one. It's a way for you to grow that relationship with God now that you have one. Or maybe you prayed the prayer 20 years ago and you still want to grow closer to God. You want to have that deep relationship with him. You want to dive into the scriptures more, or you want accountability, because you have great intentions and every month you start off strong, but then you, you life gets in the way. So if that's something that would be a valuable tool for you, then head over to my website and check out the Jesus in the Everyday membership link.
Speaker 2:I also want to encourage you to go over to Kara's website, kararhuntcom, and check out her books, the Habakkuk series. They are amazing, and I'm not just saying that because Kara is an amazing woman of God and a great author. I'm saying that because that's how I met her. I met her through a Christian fiction writing group and it was through reading her one book, jan, that is coming out very soon that I was like wow, like this woman is anointed, this writing is anointed. It is amazing. So when I say that, I am saying that as a reader, not as Sarah's friend. So go over and check out her books. They are in paperback, kindle and audiobook, kindle and audiobook. So whatever kind of reader you are, or listener, you will be able to get it in your version of choice.
Speaker 1:So, as we wrap up today, oh, sherry, can I just? Can I add one more thing? Yeah, the Sermon on the Mount goes from Matthew's excuse me, the Gospel of Matthew from chapters 5 through 7. And we covered in depth chapters 5 and 6. I highly encourage our listeners to finish up with Matthew, chapter 7. It is just 29 verses and they're quick verses, but please continue on your own. Pull out your Bibles, find your favorite translation and finish up and just hear what God has to say.
Speaker 1:The topics covered in Matthew 7 are judging others. Ask and it will be given to you the golden rule, a tree and its fruit. Oh my goodness, the passages of where he says I never knew you Build your House on the Rock. And it wraps up with the Authority of Jesus. Again, it's only 29 short passages, please. I just want to just encourage everyone to just go there, take out your little study, take out your study notebook excuse me your writing journal, and just go through those different passages and just listen to God talk to you as you do it. Oh my gosh, I am telling you you will not regret it. Okay, that's all I wanted to add, sherry.
Speaker 2:I am so glad that you did add that. So next week we're going to talk about the prodigal son and then we will be wrapping up the New Testament biblical figures before we have another encore presentation of the Screwtape Letters, and we'll talk more about why we're doing it that way in the next couple of weeks. But until then, have a great rest of your day and we are excited to join you next week for another exciting episode of the Cheer Up Podcast. Have a great day everyone.
