The Way of Jesus—Matthew 5:31–37

This sermon challenges the tendency to create “loopholes” around truthfulness, comparing childhood “fingers crossed” promises to the subtle ways adults manipulate words to avoid discomfort, accountability, or commitment. Reflecting on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, she explains that dishonesty fractures relationships, distorts our hearts, and damages our trust in God by leading us into hiding, suspicion, and self-protection. Through the example of Peter’s denial and restoration by Jesus, she emphasizes that the way of Jesus is not merely about avoiding lies, but becoming people transformed by grace who can live openly, honestly, and truthfully before God and one another.