Intro

As we began last year, everyone was talking about 2020 vision, including us. 2020 Vision was the title of our sermon series based on Revelation 4-11. Our desire was to sit in those chapters and allow the themes of God’s self-revelation to inform our perspective.  Even though many had predicted the possible global impact of a forthcoming pandemic, none of us knew how radically COVID-19 would alter our lives in 2020. The themes of Revelation, however, provided perspective. What about 2021?

Alan Kay, a genius computer-science pioneer, has observed that a proper perspective is worth 50 IQ points. That’s significant. How do we rise above our circumstances, in 2021, and gain perspective? In our passage today, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18, Jesus talks about three spiritual practices that can help us gain perspective, if we understand what they are truly about.

Questions for Reflection:

• In the area of giving, what would it look like for you to reflect the Father’s heart in 2021?
• How would Jesus want you to strengthen your prayer times before the Father in 2021? Ask him.
• What kind of fast (e.g., food, social media, Netflix, sports, video gaming, etc.) would Jesus be inviting you to take to attune your heart to the Father’s in 2021?