Motive Matters

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¹ “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)

Real love does things with motives.

² When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. (Matthew 6:2)

Live in such a way that God gets the , not me.

³ But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:3-4)

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶ But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:5-6)

What I do reveals more about me than what I do publicly.

⁷ “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. ⁸ Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:7-8)

⁹ Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today the food we need,
¹² and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13)

¹⁴ If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)

A hard heart is a barrier on sides.

¹⁶ “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. ¹⁷ But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)

My matter.

Additional Notes

What’s Happening at Crossroads

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

We want to honor dads today with a delicious soft pretzel and a bottle of Coke! We also recognize that this special day may be painful for some. May God’s comfort surround you today. There will be a special moment in the gathering where you can acknowledge any heartache as we celebrate how important dads are to us!

NEW HERE?

We’re so glad you’ve chosen to come to Crossroads today! We want to thank you for visiting and would love to get to know you. Stop by and say hello at one of our Welcome Centers, our First Step area, or check out ecrossroads.info for more. We can’t wait to meet you!

PRAYER ROOM IS OPEN

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). God calls us to pray about everything, but sometimes it’s difficult to find the words on our own. Our prayer teams are ready to help you bring anything to the Lord. Come to the prayer room at the back of the auditorium anytime during worship, and we will pray with you and for you.

SERVING OPPORTUNITIES

Are you looking for a way to give back through serving? There are many opportunities for you to bless the community, such as putting together a Journey Bag for a foster child, helping a family with a box of food or prayer at our food pantry, and fixing cars as part of our car repair ministry. To see all the ways you can be the hands and feet of Jesus, go to our Community Outreach page.