Are you turned off by religion?

You're not alone. Jesus was no fan either. In his seminal sermon, Jesus addresses life in the Kingdom of God. Jesus paints a picture that looks starkly different from how many perceive today's American church. Did Jesus call us to a life of enculturated religion or did he intend something different?

Salt and Light: Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount is a 43-day journey through Jesus' best-known sermon. It provides an in-depth study of the Gospel of Matthew chapters five, six, and seven, with personal observations, applications, and devotional suggestions from the author. It explores how the entirety of scripture shines a light on Jesus' words, and how the culture, environment, and circumstances of Christ's world reveal clues as to their meaning.

This study asks questions that are increasingly relevant for today's American church:

• What qualities will God bless, and do we reflect those qualities?
• What does Jesus say our purpose is?
• Have we lost sight of the foundational message of the Kingdom that Jesus taught?
• What does Jesus tell us about God's Law and Ethics in his kingdom?
• What is the narrow gate and how can we enter it?
• How should a follower of Jesus interact with cultural, political, racial, and economic ideology?
• What role should honesty, mercy, patience, and love play in our interactions?

Jesus' words are a tutorial for a world in crisis. Whether you see yourself as conservative, liberal, postmodern, or traditional, this study is for anyone who wants to grasp what it really means to follow Jesus.

You may be comfortable in your church, questioning your faith, or on a journey through deconstruction. Your experience with Church may seem like a betrayal of a faith you once loved and you may want to return to the basics of a simpler faith. Whatever your situation, you are invited to sit with Jesus and reimagine what it means to thrive in the Kingdom of God.