Monday, February 17th: Matthew 5-7
(Click on the verse to read it)

Thoughts: 
(In the comments write any take aways... it can just be thoughts or a discussion)

I have never thought that I was perfect or satisfactory in God's eyes. This passage reminds me how short I fall from what God asks of his people. God desires us to be quite, submissive, meek, forgiving people when our automatic instinct is to demand justice for ourselves and point out how even if we are in the wrong that the other person is more so in the wrong. We often fail by the rules of this world, but even with obeying those rules do we incredibly fall short of God's rules.  Every new passage is like a new reminder of just how insufficient we all are.

It is interesting that Jesus says that when we are acknowledged on earth that we have already received our full reward.  We should hide our efforts for Him so that only He can appreciate them and so they are fully for Him....Honestly, what does this mean about this blog?

How often do we ask the Lord for forgiveness?  We need forgiveness for everything and therefore should ask incredibly often, however the Lord stipulates that he will only forgive us if we forgive our debtors.  Matthew 6:14-15 serves as a reminder that we need to be active in our forgiveness. 

Our eyes are the lamp of our body and if they are unhealthy then our whole body is full of darkness. Does this mean that what we watch corrupts our soul?

Possibly the most worrisome is the following.  Good works do not get us into heaven but too often do we think that calling out to the Lord will suffice. 
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
And finally "everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand."