When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, he’s not being theoretical; he intends to make us into the kind of people who will actually do it. Welcome to ‘The Upsidedown Kingdom’! Join us as we explore Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It will stretch us and may even get a bit uncomfortable, but it leads to life.
April 27, 2025 • Kendal Anderson • TheCrossingChurch.org
1. Which part of the Sermon on the Mount do you wish came with a loophole? a. Love your enemies b. Don’t worry about tomorrow c. Don’t judge d. Store treasures in heaven (but my Amazon cart is empty…)
2. Read Matthew 5:3-12 The Beatitudes all start with “God blesses…” What is the biblical meaning of “blessed” as Jesus means it here? How is it different from how we usually use the word?
3. When we read the beatitudes, we often confuse the blessing with the way of living that brings about God’s blessing. Read Matthew 5:10. When we read “being persecuted for doing right,” is not the blessing but rather the way of living that brings about the blessing that promises the “Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Being persecuted isn’t the blessing itself, but rather the way of living “the good life” that brings about God’s blessing. Read through the beatitudes in verses 3-11 with this in mind and see how it reframes the way we should understand them.
4. Read Matthew 5:3 Jesus begins with “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” What does it mean to be “poor in spirit,” and why do you think that’s the very first thing he says about life in his Kingdom? Who is the original audience? Were they powerful or powerless? Why would it matter?
5. Read Ephesians 2:1, 8-9 The sermon describes two kinds of poverty: penes (basic needs) and ptochos (utter destitution). Which do you relate to more spiritually—and why? Think about the bucket illustration from the sermon.
6. Jesus’ teaching isn’t a buffet, it’s a full meal—meant to be lived out, not just picked through. Is there a part of the Sermon on the Mount you tend to skip over or avoid because it’s confusing or too difficult to follow?
7. The first four Beatitudes are focused on how we relate with God and the last four are focused on how we relate with others. Which “half” is harder for you to engage with, relate to, or follow? Why do you think that is the case?
8. Dallas Willard said many Christians live like “practical atheists.” Do you ever find yourself living that way—believing in Jesus but looking to others for how to live? Where else do we tend to look for “the secret sauce” for a good life? Why do you think we look elsewhere to find ways to live good and successful lives?
9. The sermon ended with the challenge to realign yourself with Jesus and his Kingdom. Where in your life do you sense a need for that realignment right now? Relationships? Your time? Your talents? Your treasure?
10. What’s one concrete step you can take this week to live out the kind of Kingdom life Jesus describes in the Beatitudes?