Kingdom Practices | Foundations of the Kingdom

What happens when you do all the right spiritual things for all the wrong reasons? In this week's message, Pastor Ty walks through Matthew 6:1-18, where Jesus takes three of the most sacred spiritual practices, giving, prayer, and fasting, and exposes the hidden motive behind them all.

This is not a message for people far from God. This is a message for people who think they are close. Jesus introduces a word, hypokrites, actor, mask-wearer, and uses it to describe people who perform their relationship with God rather than live it.

Along the way, we break down the Lord's Prayer as a five-part structure (Worship, Surrender, Dependence, Forgiveness, Protection), unpack why Jesus doubles down on forgiveness after the prayer, and make the case that fasting is not optional for followers of Jesus.

The big idea: the most powerful thing about your spiritual life is the part nobody sees. Three times Jesus says, "Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." That refrain is the heartbeat of the entire passage.

This week's challenge: give something no one will know about, build a secret prayer life, and fast one meal or one habit.

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18 (NIV) Series: Foundations of the Kingdom, Week 3