How Should We Then Live?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offered his most complete teaching on how to live a Kingdom kind of life. Perhaps the most striking thing about this life—the one word that best summarizes its characteristics—is counter-cultural.

This powerful message challenges us to examine whether we're truly living for God's kingdom or merely going through the motions of faith. Drawing from Matthew 13 and the Sermon on the Mount, we're confronted with Jesus' stark warning that simply believing isn't enough—we must live out our faith authentically. The three parables Jesus shares reveal sobering truths: some hear the gospel but never let it take root, others receive it joyfully but wither when persecution comes, and still others allow worldly concerns to choke out their spiritual growth. Only those who hear the Word, understand it, and produce fruit will inherit the kingdom of God. This isn't about earning salvation through works, but about demonstrating genuine faith through transformed lives. We're called to be countercultural, to resist conforming to the world's patterns, and to remember that we belong to a different kingdom. The challenge is clear: are we the hard path, the rocky soil, the thorn-infested ground, or the good soil that produces a harvest thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown? Our response to this question determines not just our earthly witness, but our eternal destiny.