Review:  Was there a situation this week in which you needed to move toward reconciliation?  Perhaps you prayed for them, asking God to show them mercy and favor?  (Very often this can be a first step toward coming out from your own bondage to unforgiveness and bitterness.)  If you're struggling with this, consider talking about it with someone you trust.  

Take a moment in prayer, welcoming the Spirit's presence.  Then read through Matthew 5:27-30 paying attention to any word or phrase that stands out to you.​

Phil reminded us that, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is raising the bar on what it means to be "a good person."  Many people think Jesus' teaching is basically "Live and let live."  How do you think Jesus' teaching is actually the very opposite of that?

The 7th commandment says, "You shall not commit adultery" (Ex. 20:14).  Phil – and Jesus! – say that it's not enough to simply avoid committing adultery, but that Jesus is teaching us to take "a high view of marriage."  Whether you're married or not, why is this high view important? And what does look like in practice?  If you are married, how might this affect the way you treat or speak to your spouse?

Phil quoted an article that shows how bad we've gotten (both outside the Church and inside it) at avoiding not only adultery but pornography – men and women both.  When we fall into sin over and over again, we can become resigned to failure and give up repenting and trying to change.  But Phil reminded us:  "I think God really thinks He can change my life!"  If you're bold enough, perhaps you could share something of your own experience here – if not in the area of sexual sin, perhaps in another area where you've known frequent failure.

  In Mt. 5:29-30, Jesus talks about plucking out our eyes or cutting off our hands if they cause us to sin.  Do you think He means it?  (Think: Is your eye or hand really causing you to sin, or is something else at work deeper inside you?  Consider: Jesus said that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" [Mt. 12:34].  Is there a clue here concerning where the root of sinful behavior truly lies?)

Read 2 Cor. 3:18, Gal. 5:1, and Ezekiel 36:26.  How do we go about getting "a new heart"?  (Again, think of Romans here!)  Remember, we're talking about "the inside out gospel" here – Jesus says the key to changing our lives is not by working on our behaviors as much as it is getting a new heart.

At the same time, there are things we can do in order to cooperate with God's work in us, and do so seriously. Phil mentioned that friends, relationships, a spouse, dating behaviors, and even how we use our phones can all point us to practical ways we can align our hearts and behaviors with the transformation God wants to do in us.  Which of these have you tried?  Which of these (or others) might you try in the future?

Once again, consider the big picture of the whole Sermon on the Mount, and ask yourself:

1. What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?

2. Where is He calling me to obedience?