SOTM—Introduction—It Still Haunts Us

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is the section of the New Testament widely agreed to contain the very heart of Jesus’ kingdom message. The teachings were and still are remarkable and revolutionary. For just as by the Law God had been building an alternative community through the people of Israel, so Jesus Christ is creating an alternative communityin the world.“After [two thousand] years the Sermon on the Mount still haunts men. They may praise it, as Mahatma Gandhi did; or like Nietzsche, they may curse it. They cannot ignore it. Its words are winged words, quick and powerful to rebuke, to challenge, to inspire. And though some turn from it in despair, it continues, like some mighty magnetic mountain, to attract to itself the greatest spirits of our [age]—many [of them] not Christians—so that if some world-wide vote were taken, there is little doubt that men would account [the Sermon on the Mount] ‘the most searching and powerful utterance we possess on what concerns the moral life.’” — A. M. Hunter, Design for Life: the Sermon on the Mount, 1953 (slightly adapted)So, if you want to internalize Jesus’s key teachings, and if you're looking for somewhere to focus in your daily study and meditation, focus here!The PlanDaily podcasts for 40 days. The first 10 are accessible to everyone; the remainder require login (website members). To become a member, click here.We will be taking our time as we study the 111 verses of the Sermon on the Mount.Most podcasts are 10-15 minutes in length.Focus: character, inner sanctity, obedience, and building our lives on the Word.Supplement: Receive daily tweets from the Sermon on the Mount, beginning 1/1/2020. Click here.Sermon on the Mount podcasts 1-40 are going live in 1 January-9 February 2020, a day at a time.0 Dec—Haunting (intro)1 Jan—Mountain (Matt 5:1-2)2 Jan—Poor (Matt 5:3)3 Jan—Mourning (Matt 5:4)4 Jan—Meek (Matt 5:5)5 Jan—Hungry (Matt 5:6)6 Jan—Merciful (Matt 5:7)7 Jan—Pure (Matt 5:8)8 Jan—Peacemaking (Matt 5:9)9 Jan—Persecuted (Matt 5:10-12)10 Jan—Salt (Matt 5:13)11 Jan—Light (Matt 5:14-16)12 Jan—Fulfillment (Matt 5:17-19)13 Jan—Pharisees (Matt 5:20)14 Jan—Anger (Matt 5:21-26)15 Jan—Lust (Matt 5:27-30)16 Jan—Divorce (Matt 5:31-32)17 Jan—Oaths (Matt 5:33-37)18 Jan—Retaliation (Matt 5:38-42)19 Jan—Enemies (Matt 5:43-47)20 Jan—Perfection (Matt 5:48)21 Jan—Show-off! (Matt 6:1)22 Jan—Alms (Matt 6:2-4)23 Jan—Prayer (Matt 6:5-8)24 Jan—The Prayer (Matt 6:9-13)25 Jan—Forgive (Matt 6:14-15)26 Jan—Fast (Matt 6:16-18)27 Jan—Treasure (Matt 6:19-21)28 Jan—Darkness (Matt 6:22-23)29 Jan—Mammon (Matt 6:24)30 Jan—Anxious (Matt 6:25-32)31 Jan—Kingdom (Matt 6:33-34)1 Feb—Judge (Matt 7:1-5)2 Feb—Swine (Matt 7:6)3 Feb—Ask (Matt 7:7-11)4 Feb—Gold (Matt 7:12)5 Feb—Narrow (Matt 7:13-14)6 Feb—Prophets? (Matt 7:15-20)7 Feb—Lord, Lord (Matt 7:21-23)8 Feb—Sand (Matt 7:24-27)9 Feb—Wow! (Matt 7:28-29)