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Biblical Values: Part C
Applying the Central Values of the Sermon on the Mount

Values for Life BRC-101 is an online course and require only Internet and email access. You may study anytime, anywhere, 24/7. No textbooks are needed. The course consists of 13 units in four parts (Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D), a course project, and a final examination. This course is for 3 semester units or 9 CEUs. Do not submit attachments and do not cut and past from other sources. Plan to participate is online bulletin board discussions. More details will be given in the online and telephone orientation after enrollment. To enroll, click  here.

Email to the instructor the six answers to the Values Keyword Study and the 4 answers to the Discussion Questions for each of the 13 units, one unit at a time. Use 400-800 words.

Course Objectives: At the end of the course, you will
1. describe the values presented in the sections of the Sermon on the Mount (SM),
2. find sources of empowerment for values-based living,
3. consider ways of bringing your values into harmony with SM values, and
4. avoid many of the troubles that come from harmful values.

Please continue here with Unit 8. There are 13 Units.

8 Undivided Loyalty, Matt. 6:19-24

8.1 UNDIVIDED LOYALTY in CONTEXT

David told me recently that he did not make God first. He had some investments and hobbies that sometimes took precedence over his worship and Bible study. David was a Christian that lived his Christianity, was a good family man, and supported his church with his attendance, work and funds. Most people considered him a wonderful unselfish person. And in most ways he was. Still, he felt that he was serving two masters, that he had divided loyalties. He knew God well enough to realize that God, by His very nature as God, had to be first in his life, or He really was not his God.

 The values in this section include loyalty and focusedness. Accept the fact that you cannot serve two masters. And then fully enjoy your service to your one Master.

8.2 TREASURES

David was laying up treasures on earth and in heaven. His heart was divided between his earthy treasures and interests and his faith. He would have been surprised if someone would have called him a materialist. But it were these material concerns that at times held him back from his spiritual ones. He could not trust God fully to take care of all his needs and life. He wanted a back-up, in case God did not come through. In reality, he placed an equal faith in his God and his back-up. That is what God could not accept.

Matt 6: 19-24. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,...
but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven...
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...
No one can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other
or else he will be loyal to the one, and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and materialism.

David's heart was on earth. A divided heart always falls back to earth. Only a focused heart, free from anger, fear, love of possessions and pride, can soar up to God and remain in His presence. When the Holy Spirit enters a person He brings along major changes; He brings along a new heart. The ground for anger disappears, and there is forgiveness. The fear of failure vanishes, and there is trust. The love of possessions is no longer there, he holds them loosely and realizes that he will have to give them up, sooner or later. His pride is gone, and humility replaces it. His life focuses on the presence of God, and there he comes to rest.

There can only be one set of treasures, and that is the set in heaven. Those who desire two sets are in trouble. The investor may be able to manage well only one fund. If he tries to divide his time between two funds of very different natures, he may fail in both. It is not possible to be both spiritual and materialistic.

VALUES KEYWORD STUDY.

Keywords__________________________________________________________________

Look up Loyalty on the Internet: Loyalty Discussion | Philosophy of Loyalty | Lost Work Loyalty | Confucius | Store Loyalty Index

Look up Materialism on the Internet: Lie of Materialism | Battling Materialism |
Failure of Materialism | Dream of Materialism | Contemporary Materialism | Cultural Materialism |

Respond to the True-and False questions. They may also serve as basis for further thinking and discussion. The questions are based on the above Bible passages.

1Earthly treasures are risky mainly because of thieves and rust.
2 Our main priority shows the nature of the core of our being.
3 It is possible to be very spiritual and very rich.
4 Most business is based on materialism.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What is the difference between frugal, stingy, economical and saving?

__________________________________________________________________________

2. How can you tell what your top priority really is?

__________________________________________________________________________

3. How do you move your treasures from earth to heaven?

__________________________________________________________________________

4. How does materialism ( including credit cards) become such an enslaving master?

__________________________________________________________________________

9 Worry and Priorities, Matt 6:25-34

9.1 WORRY and PRIORITIES in CONTEXT

Worry is an expression of a continuous fear for the future. When you worry, you think that something bad is going to happen, and that you will suffer. It seems that you can do nothing about it. The Sermon on the Mount is about a God who takes away fear and in its stead implants a trust that God takes care of you. All at once, there is a realization that all the important matters are looked after. There is nothing left to fear. There is now nothing to worry about.

 The values of this section include trust and purposefulness. Talk trust. Talk positiveness, and the molehills in front of you will not rise up to stop you.

9.2 WORRY

Carol was worried. There appeared no way out. Her marriage was falling apart. Her children were distant. She barely had an income. She could not see where she was heading. Before her loomed one disaster after another. Carol felt that she had cause to worry. And she did. But her worry would not improve her circumstances. It would only make them harder. Her God knows her troubles. And if she can trust Him, she can believe that He will not let her go under but see her through the difficult times and places to the end.

Matt 6: 25-33... Do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink,
nor about your body, what you will put on it.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
...Which of you can by worrying add one cubit to his statue?

MacArthur (p. 418) lists four reasons why worry is wrong: 1) It is unfaithful because of our Master. 2) It is unnecessary because of our Father. 3) It is unreasonable because of our faith. 4) It is unwise because of our future.

The opposite of worry is trust and assurance. Without trust in God, problems ahead seem insurmountable. With God, they still may seem large, but now they are viewed from a new perspective. They are now not the primary concern of life that blots out everything else. With God first in life, all else is secondary. Even the problems.

9.3 PRIORITIES

Howard was interested in everything. He has many projects going that he could never finish any if them. He would jump from one thing to another and find a new all-consuming interest every month. He had no life priorities. One day he got sick and was confined to his bed for two weeks. He had time to think. He had time to review his life and note where he was coming from and where he was going. He realized that, with his multitude of projects, he was not going anywhere. He listed all his interests and tried to place them in some kind of order. Thus emerged his list of priorities. For this year, he chose to follow only his first three priorities. The others could wait.

Matt 6: 33. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you.

Happiness is not something you get by seeking. It is a byproduct of a rich, productive life. In a similar sense, peace of mind, faith, and love are not something that come to you by looking for them. They are byproducts of a life dedicated to God. They are not obtainable by self-discipline, study or self-denial. They come as a result of a close walk with God. If that close walk with God does not come first, nothing of real worth comes second.

VALUES KEYWORD STUDY.

Keywords__________________________________________________________________

On the Internet, explore Worry: Emotions-Worry | Bible Info | Overcares | StressFREE | Grace Notes | Control Techniques | Bible Study- Anxiety | Disorder |

On the Internet, also look up information on Priorities: Love Your Enemies | Priorities | BGSU

Respond to the True-and False questions. They may also serve as basis for further thinking and discussion. The questions are based on the above Bible passages.

1Worry has some important beneficial effects.
2Seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness are the same.
3God feeds only those who seek His kingdom and righteousness.
4By definition, you can have only one life priority.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What are the differences between concern, worry, anxiety and anxiety disorders?

__________________________________________________________________________

2. How did some of your concerns grow into worries?

__________________________________________________________________________

3. In the past, what were some of your life-priorities?

__________________________________________________________________________

4. What does it mean that God's kingdom is now your life-priority?

__________________________________________________________________________

This ends Unit 9. Write out your comments to a discussion question. Then go to Unit 10.

10 Criticizing, Matt 7:1-6

10.1 CRITICIZING in CONTEXT

The inner man is either at peace or at war with God. If he is at peace, all things flow together into one whole that is comfortable and empowering. If he is at war, many things rub him the wrong way and frustrate him. A critical spirit sees something wrong in most situations and focuses on that wrong. A person at peace with God may see the same wrong but the wrong is not central, it is a subject of prayer that God can take care of.

 The values of this section include generosity and respect. Count your arrows before you shoot them at others. You are responsible for each one of them, for each discouraging word. Ask yourself if you really want to harm others.

10.2 CRITICIZING

Ralph was a very critical person. He prided himself in being able to evaluate situations and behaviors. But what started as simple evaluations became an obsession. Pretty soon, nothing measured up to the imaginary high standards Ralph placed for other people. Their standards were not for him, they were only for others. Thus Ralph slowly destroyed his relationships with the people around him. Ralph needed healing.

Criticism has been defined as tending to judge harshly and adversely. It is the harshness and the adversity that is the evil in criticism, not the act of discriminating between good and evil. That discriminating is essential for life, but its primary focus should be on a person's own behavior, not someone else's. When criticism becomes central and focused on other people, it destroys relationships. After we have taken care of our own problems, God's love lets us look at the problems of others only in a kind and loving way.

Matt 7:1-6. Judge not, that you be not judged,
For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.
And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye,
but do not consider the speck in your own eye?
...First remove the plank from your own eye...

Every problem confronts us with choices of attitudes and behaviors. A problem can first be viewed positively or negatively, something to be solved or something to be dreaded because it will destroy you. Problems are either normal parts of life or obstacles to life. You can blame persons for the problems and lose all love, or you can love the other person so much that the problem becomes secondary. Condemnations and harsh criticism are not helpful. Working on a joint solution to the problem is helpful.

VALUES KEYWORD STUDY.

Keywords__________________________________________________________________

Read about Criticizing on the Internet: Critical Spirit | Positive Criticism

Respond to the True-and False questions. They may also serve as basis for further thinking and discussion. The questions are based on the above Bible passages.

1 All criticism and judging is here condemned.
2 Critics are blinded by their own shortcomings .
3 The text under consideration deals also with self-criticism.
4 Harsh criticism effects our relationship with God and others.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. How can you help someone who does wrong and not criticize?

__________________________________________________________________________

2. Is there a common relationship between others' problems and our own? Explain

__________________________________________________________________________

3. In what cases can self-criticism be as bad as criticism of others?

__________________________________________________________________________

4. In what situations is criticism and judging justified?

__________________________________________________________________________

11. Interdependence, Matt 7:7-14

11.1 INTERDEPENDENCE in CONTEXT

The inner man is totally dependent on the sustaining power of God. But God also makes His work on earth dependent on the work of His followers. Thus God and you become interdependent. You depend on Him, and He depends on you. We can choose to live independently from God, and God can choose to work independently from us. Thus this interdependence with God is our free choice. Once we recognize our total dependence on God, He can work His good works through us.

 The values of this section include sharing and consideration. Let your mind wander into the heavens. Mediate on God's goodness to you. And pray for the ones you try to help.

11.2 INTERDEPENDENCE

Sandra was a very independent person. She did not like anyone to tell her what to do. She paid her bills, and avoided credit. She did her work, and avoided being indebted to others. Her emotional life suffered and soon she found her satisfaction not in her friendships, but in her bottles of wine. Sandra became dependent on alcohol. After taking a course like this, she realized her dependence on God. And as God helped her clean up her life, God made Himself dependent on her good witness.

We can be dependent, independent, or interdependent in our relationships to others. Dependency is a one-way street, where someone or something takes control of us, and we give up control. An independent person, on the other hand, takes full control of his life, and is not dependent on anyone or anything. In reality, no one can be truly independent. Interdependence is a mutual relationship where both partners realize that they need each other and can benefit from the give and take that makes a close relationship.

There is a wonderful give and take in healthy relationships. There is trouble if there is more take than give. In the long run, we cannot control the behaviors of other adults. But we can create a friendly atmosphere that will stimulate the friendly behavior of others. Thus the Golden Rule invites you to act with the utmost consideration of the needs of others.

Matt 7:7-12. Ask, and it will be given to you...for everyone who asks, receives...
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.

11.3 SELECTIVE VALUES

The Sermon on the Mount recognizes that there is no such thing as unlimited freedom. Freedom, in order to provide open choices, plays by some set rules. These rules mark some behaviors off limit. For example, your freedom ends where another person's freedom begins. You may freely swing your arms, but if your fist comes in contact with someone's nose, you have violated that other person's freedom. You are in difficulty.

Freedom recognizes laws. God's laws are like the road guards that line the highway and keep you from wandering into the ditch. They are protective devices. At times, they make the road appear narrow and difficult. But the alternatives, like crashing in the ditch, are much worse. The way to life is at times difficult, but it leads to a place that is beyond difficulties.

Matt 7: 13, 14. Enter by the narrow gate...
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life
and there are few that find it.

The Golden Rule is often considered the essence of the Sermon of the Mount. Act the way you want others to act towards you. Love others, so that it will be easy for others to love you. On the surface, this all seems manipulative. But it is impossible to use the Golden Rule to make others do what you want them to do. The Golden Rule invites us to let God's love flow through us so that it may water others and thus build relationships of love. Only thus the good we have done returns to us as good.

VALUES KEYWORD STUDY.

Keywords__________________________________________________________________

Explore Interdependence on the Internet: Co-dependency vs. Interdependency |

Respond to the True-and False questions. They may also serve as basis for further thinking and discussion. The questions are based on the above Bible passages.

1Giving gifts, without expecting returns, is a normal act of loving people.
2It is acceptable to make requests to God for things you need and lack.
3You mainly do what you want others to do to you.
4Living by values limits your life.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why is submission to God necessary for living by the Golden Rule?

__________________________________________________________________________

2. How does the Golden Rule affect all your relationships? Give examples

__________________________________________________________________________

3. When do the real difficulties of life end?

__________________________________________________________________________

4. In what sense is the narrow gate and the eye of the needle similar/dissimilar?

__________________________________________________________________________

HAND-INS

Email to the instructor the six answers to the Values Keyword Study and the 4 answers to the Discussion Questions for each of the 13 units, one at a time.

 The TF answers are 8)fttt, 9)ffft, 10) ftft. 11)ttft.

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