October 28, 2024 • 31 mins
Unlock the profound wisdom of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount with us as we explore how being the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" can transform your life and those around you. Ever wondered how your daily actions can season the world with truth and grace? Join our journey to discover how embodying Christ's righteousness not only preserves but also invigorates your surroundings, making you a beacon of hope and guidance in a world craving authenticity and light.
Moving beyond surface-level adherence, we also reflect on Jesus’ mission to fulfill, not just follow the law, highlighting the essential heart change required for true righteousness. Listen as we challenge the notion of legalistic righteousness and emphasize the power of humility and repentance in aligning oneself with the deeper purposes of God's kingdom. Through these conversations, we aim to inspire a life led by the Spirit, fostering hope, and encouraging transformative change within ourselves and our communities.
Are you inspired by what you hear today? Jason deeply appreciates his listeners taking their time to listening, downloading, and sharing The Hopeful Perspective Podcast. Please help me spread 'hope' to others by writing a review for the podcast making it reachable for all who need to be inspired, encouraged, and changed by hoping once again. Further, understand that downloading the podcast is a surefire way to help increase the algorithm thus the reach of The Hopeful Perspective, even if you delete the episode after listening so as to not affect your data storage. I have also provided a (Support the Show) link DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS PARAGRAPH to click on for those who have shared with me they are "all in" and feel called to financially support the mission and vision of The Hopeful Perspective. A special thank you to those who have made this humble step to financially support the podcast. Without you, there is no US!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
This podcast is designed togive you a perspective of hope
that impacts your daily life inan authentic and tangible way.
I have utilized the first sixepisodes of this podcast to
share my own personal life story, which illustrates God's glory.
(00:23):
Through experiences overcomingchild abuse and trauma, 26
foster homes and institutions,various diagnoses affecting me
throughout my life and aneventual brain tumor resulting
in multiple brain surgeries onmy brain stem, I have moved from
merely being a surviving victimto a faithful and thriving
(00:43):
victor who the Lord hasmotivated to help others
discover hope.
Though my past was full of painand suffering, I have been
restored with purpose andsanctification.
I have been redeemed and calledto follow Christ within that
redemption and renewedperspective, and I now want to
help you, too, to have abiblical and hopeful perspective
(01:06):
as you approach differingsituations in your own life,
from the delightful to thedifficult and everything in
between.
I want to personally thank youfor listening and, if you have
done so, taking the time todownload our episodes, as when
you download along with ratingour podcast with an ever so
(01:26):
honest response, you help thealgorithm immensely to spread
our reach.
That said, our statsdemonstrate that while thousands
listen and stream the hopefulperspective, less than 10%
actually download our episodes.
Please consider bridging thegap.
To help broaden that reach forus, we have also provided a few
(01:48):
options to contact our show withyour direct feedback, as well
as to support the podcastfinancially.
If you are called to partnerwith us in bringing hope to a
hurting world, just click theembedded links found on any
episode you are downloading onyour podcast platform.
Before we get started today, Iwant to compel you to grab your
(02:08):
favorite snack, hot or coldbeverage.
Get comfortable and come onthis journey with me as we
continue our series Upside Down,right Side Up, examining Jesus'
teachings in the Sermon on theMount.
In last week's episode, wediscussed the beginning of
Jesus' sermon and his dispensingof the eight Beatitudes, or
(02:31):
special blessings.
We dove into what each of theBeatitudes was defined as in
Jesus' day, as well as how theyimpact believers in the day in
which we live.
We talked about how Jesusintroduced to his followers the
profound concept of the kingdomof heaven and how the Beatitudes
(02:51):
served as not only blessingsbut also a measurement of sorts
of the people who would beeligible, under Christ, to enter
the kingdom.
Today we continue into thesermon and explore Jesus'
teaching from Matthew 5, verses13 through 32.
(03:12):
Following Jesus' conclusion onteaching the Beatitudes, he
continues his teaching in verse13.
He says this you are the saltof the earth.
But if the salt loses itssaltiness, how can it be made
salty again?
It is no longer good foranything except to be thrown out
and trampled underfoot.
(03:33):
You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannotbe hidden.
Neither do people light a lampand put it under a bowl.
Instead, they put it on itsstand and it gives light to
everyone in the house In thesame way.
Let your light shine beforeothers that they may see your
good deeds and glorify yourFather in heaven.
(03:56):
Jesus used the concepts of saltand light numerous times in
referring to the purpose andcharacter of his disciples.
For deeper understanding andapplication, we need to realize
that salt had two primarypurposes.
In the first century, due tothe desert environment and the
lack of refrigeration, salt wasutilized to prevent the spoilage
of foods such as meat.
(04:17):
Likewise, his followers were toserve as a preserver of truth,
grace and all things pointing tothe righteousness of Christ to
a world that is Romans 8.8declares that those who live in
the flesh cannot please God.
(04:37):
And we also read in Romans thatall fall short of the glory of
God and that we, as believersbear the truth and glory of God
in us to share with this fallenworld.
Second, salt was used then andnow, as a food seasoner.
Just as salt enhances theflavor of the food it seasons,
(04:58):
we are called, as believers, toinfluence the world we live in
for the glory of God, be it ourfamily, our school, as a youth,
our work life, our community,our churches, our sports teams,
our civic responsibilities,whatever realm we are involved
in, we are to bring the spice oflife, the salt of the earth.
(05:22):
At the beginning of the verse,jesus poses the question that if
salt loses the saltiness, howcan it be made salty again?
We see in Mark 9 50 suggestingthat saltiness can be lost
specifically through a lack ofpeace with one another.
And in Luke 14, 34 and 35, wefind a reference to the metaphor
of salt once again, this timein the context of obedient
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discipleship to Jesus Christ.
When we fail to daily count thecost in following Christ or to
prioritize daily communion withour Savior, we can indeed lose
our effectiveness andseasonality as disciples.
This underscores the importanceof not only recognizing our
significant influence in theworld around us, yet also
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reemphasizes the reason thedaily devotion in the Word, in
prayer, in worship and communionwith our Savior is so
significant.
Before we conclude this sectionof Jesus' teaching, I want us to
return to the title of ourseries Upside Down and Right
Side Up.
I entitled the series this wayfor a number of reasons Logic
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that is layered with theologyand world play.
Part of this is the seeminglyparadoxical nature of Jesus'
teachings all throughout thegospel, and I'm curious if you
have noticed any to this point.
Perhaps I am doing somelinguistic calisthenics, but I'm
not so sure.
So I'm curious.
Your thoughts?
(06:56):
Last week we learned how Jesusis the living water that
quenches spiritual thirst forall eternity.
This week we're discussing howwe are the salt of the earth and
that we are to remain salty inorder to remain effective.
So is it paradoxical or is itthat if we fulfill our role as
disciples, living as salt, thatis, seizing our fallen world to
(07:19):
a point that they thirst for thesource of living water that can
quench it?
Jesus also said that we are thelight of the world, and this
analogy is comparable to beingthe salt of the earth.
Whereas we aren't aware of ourfuture hopes, plans and
aspirations, we know that Jesusis Given the fact that Christ
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dwells in us through the HolySpirit.
We now bear his light when weoperate in any of the seven
gifts of the Holy Spirit, thatis, his wisdom, understanding,
his counsel, fortitude,knowledge, piety or fear.
That is respect to the Lord,and we demonstrate any of the
fruit of the Spirit found inGalatians love, joy, peace,
(08:08):
patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness or
self-control.
When we demonstrate any ofthese things to the world around
us, when they expect much ofthe opposite, we are showing
them Christ.
We serve as a light to the lostships battling the dark and
raging seas who need this lightof Christ within us to direct
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them to a safe harbor.
We are the light of the worldand, as Christ directed us, it
should not be hidden.
We then reach a part of theteaching where Jesus says Do not
think that I have come toabolish the law or the prophets.
I have not come to abolish thembut to fulfill them.
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For truly, I tell you thatuntil heaven and earth disappear
, not the smallest letter, notthe least stroke of a pen will
by any means disappear from thelaw until everything is
accomplished.
Therefore, anyone who setsaside one of the least of these
commands and teaches othersaccordingly will be called least
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in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever practices andteaches these commands will be
called great in the kingdom ofheaven.
For I tell you that unless yourrighteousness surpasses that of
the Pharisees and the teachersof the law, for I tell you that
unless your righteousnesssurpasses that of the Pharisees
and the teachers of the law, youwill certainly not enter the
kingdom of heaven.
Jesus says he came to fulfillthe law and the prophets, a
(09:36):
traditional phrase that refersto the Old Testament, or what
his early disciples would haveknown as their Bible, the Hebrew
Bible.
What his early disciples wouldhave known as their Bible, the
Hebrew Bible, was Jesusreferring to simple obedience to
the 613 commands found in theOld Testament law?
Further context depicts thatJesus came to fulfill the law or
to make it full, which refersto something much more profound
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than mere obedience.
The law and the prophets tell astory about how God desired to
heal all of his creation througha people group as we know, the
Jewish people, culminating intoone person, the Messiah.
Jesus asserts that he has cometo make the Law full by becoming
(10:22):
that one person.
To make the law full bybecoming that one person.
We also must recognize thatJesus is referencing the Hebrew
scriptures throughout histeaching in the Sermon on the
Mount.
All of his teachings andinstruction is in accordance
with their understanding of thelaw and the prophets, as is his
reference here about what itmeans to attain righteousness as
(10:44):
a matter of fact.
The next section of teaching isJesus demonstrating how the
mission of the kingdom of heavenis about making full the true
mission of the law and theprophets.
He underscores the importanceof this mission and how it will
be accomplished, and anyone whominimizes the least of the
commands of the mission will beconsidered least in the kingdom.
(11:05):
And in verse 20, jesus servesup an additional measuring stick
for his disciples to considerUnless your righteousness
surpasses that of the Phariseesand the teachers of the law, you
will not enter the kingdom ofheaven.
Enter the kingdom of heaven,hopeful family.
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Once again, I encourage usalways to consider the context
when we read the scriptures.
Was our Lord contradicting whatwe read about the gospel and
other scriptures, like inGalatians, where it talks about
grace being part of the gospel.
Do we inherit the kingdom ofheaven on works-based
righteousness, after all?
The answer to this is clearlynot.
(11:50):
Jesus was establishing thestandard and measurement and
demonstrating that we are unable, upon our own, to attain the
level of righteousness that isneeded to enter the kingdom of
heaven, as we cannot meritjustification by our own works.
Our righteousness indeedexceeds that of the Pharisees
(12:13):
when we humbly admit ourtransgressions and confess our
sins, when we recognize that weare in need of a Savior and when
we confess that he is the onlyone capable of taking on our
filthy rags and making themclean, thus becoming our
righteousness.
Jesus Christ of Nazarethfulfilled the law and the
(12:38):
prophets, becoming theprophesied one sent from the
Father to cleanse and restorehumanity.
Whereas the pride and thehardened hearts of the Pharisees
prevented them from seeing this, the humble hearts of his
disciples and followers enabledthem to surpass their
(12:58):
righteousness that they soesteemed.
Jesus, then, would go on inverse 21.
You have heard that it was saidto the people long ago you shall
not murder, and anyone whomurders will be subject to
judgment.
But I tell you that anyone whois angry with a brother or
sister will be subject tojudgment Again.
(13:20):
Anyone who says to a brother orsister, raka, is answerable to
the court, and anyone who says,you, fool, will be in danger of
the fire of hell.
Therefore, if you are offeringyour gift at the altar and
therefore remember that yourbrother or sister has something
against you, leave your giftthere in front of the altar
First.
Go and be reconciled to them.
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Then come and offer your gift.
Settle matters quickly withyour adversary who has taken you
to court.
Do it while you are stilltogether on the way, or your
adversary may hand you over tothe judge and the judge may hand
you over to the officer and youmay be thrown into prison.
Truly, I tell you, you will notget out until you have paid the
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last penny.
Following Jesus' instructionregarding the law and the
prophets, he then begins aseries of teachings referencing
the Hebrew scriptures, whereinJesus utilizes the teaching that
was well known and thenestablishes his authority by
unpacking the deeper meaning ofeach teaching as they pertain to
the kingdom of heaven.
The first of these is asfollows he says that you've
(14:27):
heard that it was said to thepeople long ago you shall not
murder and anyone who murderswill be subject to judgment.
And then he goes on and saysanyone who says to a brother or
sister raka.
Now raka was a derogatory termthat was used by Jewish
religious leaders towardsanybody they thought was
unworthy of their respect.
Now, raka was a derogatory termthat was used by Jewish
religious leaders towardsanybody they thought was
unworthy of their respect.
We know that Jesus isestablishing the true mark of
(14:53):
what it means to attainrighteousness.
As we reviewed before, thePharisees and teachers of the
law looked to what could bemeasured from the outside and
held people accountableaccordingly.
Jesus applied these well-knownprecepts and turned them on
their head, declaring you'veheard it said that to do
(15:14):
something as severe as murdergarners judgment, but I tell you
, you see, these four wordsestablished his authority
congruent with the power of thewritten word that they knew.
While the religious leaders wereconcerned with outward behavior
like don't murder, jesus ismaking it clear that the real
(15:35):
standard is a matter of theheart.
Have you murdered in your heart?
Because if you have so much ashad anger in your heart towards
your brother or sister, then youindeed have.
Then he says in the next fewverses therefore, if you are
offering your gift at the altarand therefore remember that your
brother or sister has somethingagainst you, leave your gift
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there in front of the altar andbe reconciled to them, and then
he uses the case about court,and whatever is owed against you
will be held accountable.
We are reminded in verses 23 and24 that sacrifice without mercy
is empty.
When we come to the altar andwe have unresolved anger in our
(16:19):
hearts, then we essentiallynullify the message of the
kingdom of heaven.
Then we essentially nullify themessage of the kingdom of
heaven.
We are to have both thepriority and the urgency of
reconciliation and forgivenessas it pertains to our brothers
and sisters.
How often, though, do we feeljustified within our unresolved
anger?
(16:39):
We cannot forget the equationthat we're dealing with friends
in the economy of the kingdom.
While we may feel that someonedeserves our wrath, that they've
harmed us so severely andshould pay for what they have
done, we must remember that Godwas justified in his anger
(17:01):
against us and we deserved hisfull wrath.
Instead, though, he sent Jesusto die for us and to atone for
our sin and shortcomings, andit's only through Jesus that we
can be seen as righteousness andbe accepted by God.
Now we are called to show thissame mercy to others and to
(17:24):
offer them reconciliation.
Our worship and reverence forthe Lord is lacking and
incomplete when we withholdmercy, forgiveness or
reconciliation.
Jesus then moves on to the nextsection.
In verses 27, 28, 29, and 30,he says you have heard that it
(17:48):
was said you shall not commitadultery, but I tell you that
anybody who looks at a womanlustfully has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you tostumble, gouge it out and throw
it away, it is better for youto lose one part of your body
than for your whole body to bethrown into hell.
And if your right hand causesyou to stumble, cut it off and
(18:10):
throw it away, it is better foryou to lose one part of your
body than for your whole body togo into hell.
You see, just as in thescenario with murder and the law
, with anger being the matter ofthe heart, jesus takes his
followers back to the law.
Of course, they would haveheard and believed adultery to
be immoral and sinful.
Yet again, jesus wasestablishing the heart of the
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matter, and he informs hislisteners that if they look at a
woman with lust, then they areguilty of adultery and thus
subject to judgment accordingly.
There are a few points to bemade in Jesus' teaching.
First, jesus makes clear thatadultery is not limited to those
who are married.
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The Greek language isconstructed such that anyone and
everyone who might look upon aperson with lust is guilty as
such, such that anyone andeveryone who might look upon a
person with lust is guilty assuch.
To look upon another being withthe purpose of lusting for them
constitutes adultery.
Second, adultery is notconfined to the physical act.
(19:17):
Jesus specifically identifiesthe look as sufficient grounds
to be assigned guilt.
There is no mention ofpremeditated action such as
flirtation or physical contact.
The look alone makes theadultery.
Yet Jesus is very specificregarding this look.
This leads to the third point.
The construction in the Greeklanguage here comes out as
anyone who looks upon a womanfor the purpose of desiring her.
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It is necessary that we arrangethe order of events correctly
in its meaning to extract whatJesus is saying.
He does not mean that a mansees a woman and then
subsequently has impure thoughtstowards her, though we need to
note that this temptation alsooccurs and requires as much
spiritual warfare and repentanceas well.
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The look Jesus is referring tois a purposeful look, to look
with lust.
Jesus then utilizes an extremeform of hyperbole in verses 29
and 30, which tend to be some ofthe most confusing and
controversial verses in the NewTestament.
Jesus instructs us to gouge outour eye or cut off our hand if
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they cause us to sin, as it isbetter to lose a part of our
body than to lose our whole selfto hell or eternal separation
from God.
As in our need to explorecontext, clearly, we must view
this passage through an accuratehermeneutical lens.
What is it that Jesus is tryingto teach us?
As somebody who has had his ownpersonal issues battling porn
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addiction in the past, am Irecording this episode with only
one eye or one hand?
Of course not.
The truth is, friends, jesuswas having us explore the heart
of the matter, just as he did soin his illustration with murder
and anger.
Do my eyes actually cause me tosin or does my deceitful heart
(21:13):
cause me to sin?
You see, I need a heart changein order to see things
differently, to look at womenwith respect respect they
deserve, and not as objects tobe desired.
My eyes can certainly be toolsthat serve to tempt me,
certainly, but my heart and mindcontain the tools that
determine the course that setsthe direction and the course
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that my eyes will go.
I have had moments where I haveseen a woman I thought was
extremely beautiful and couldhave been tempted to cross a
line and chose to remain in thebounds of having edifying,
god-glorifying thoughts abouther.
And I have had fleshly momentswhere I have had to repent for
my mind taken but my eyes saw toa place it should not have gone
(21:58):
.
Yet this whole mechanism wasimpossible without the work of
the Spirit that was put in placeonce I accepted Him into my
life and he gave me a new heart.
This is what we are to do withverses 29 and 30.
We are to take out what causesus to sin our heart of flesh and
to be replaced with one led bythe Spirit, and then we are to
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take every thought captive thatcomes against the knowledge of
God and friends.
This can be a lifelong journeyfor any one of us.
And then Jesus tells us inverses 31 and 32, it has been
said that anyone who divorceshis wife must give her a
certificate of divorce, but Itell you that anyone who
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divorces his wife, except forsexual immorality, makes her the
victim of adultery, and anyonewho marries a divorced woman
commits adultery.
Jesus begins the teaching herewith, it has been said,
referencing the Hebrewscriptures again, and then he
raises the standard for gettinga divorce to exceed what was
permitted legalistically andindicates that marriage ought to
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be considered the mostdistinguished and sacred of
covenant bonds or unions.
Though God allows it inspecific circumstances, it does
not equate with him preferringit or approving of it, and it's
not to be utilized as a loophole, as it was being done in the
culture of that day.
Jesus also points out that sinof divorcing one's spouse
(23:33):
outside of the realm of adulteryis not a victimless action.
Certain sins affect otherpeople in our lives with severe
consequences, and divorce iscertainly one of these sins.
The nuances of the Greeklanguage makes it clear that the
other spouse is a victim inthis case, and if you are a
(24:00):
child of divorce, you can attestto the fact that this sin and
its fallout has a significantimpact upon you as well.
Sin and its fallout has asignificant impact upon you as
well.
The original design for thefamily is for the husband and
wife to be united for theirlifetime, for better and for
worse, and for them to lay thefoundation of their home upon
the love of God and on his wordfor the growth, edification and
maturation of the entire family.
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When this is disrupted by sin,then each member is made
susceptible to the brokenness,trauma and destruction that the
enemy of our souls utilizes tohold us down.
I have spent hours in both myown personal counseling office
working through the attachmentissues that I have dealt with as
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a result of my own familytrauma, as well as, later in
life, doing pastoral counselingwith the victims of divorce, be
them the spouses or the children.
The generational trauma.
Scripture also refers to theseas generational curses, you
might have read, and thelifelong effects are significant
(25:03):
.
These are the effects of sinsof this nature.
Jesus, as in the rest of histeachings and claims, is holding
his followers accountable toliving out the heart and kingdom
of God over the legality andthe law.
We will always know and liveout that love protects, whereas
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living legalistically tends tochoke our life away.
Now, regardless of where youare on your spiritual journey,
you are listening to the Sermonon the Mount today, jesus'
teachings on the kingdom ofheaven and fulfilling the law
and the prophets and what itmeans to be the Messiah by the
(25:46):
design and the divine hand ofGod and with him.
I believe there is no mistake.
I pray that, as you arelistening, you are not just
undergoing mere informationtransference, but rather you are
sensing the Spirit talkingdirectly to you Because, friends
, in my experience, the HolySpirit is deeply personal and
(26:09):
with Him there are no accidents,incidents, coincidences or
instances where he is notweaving His redemptive work in
your life.
Rather, as we are joinedtogether right now on a podcast,
as Jesus declared 2,000 yearsago from his hillside sermon, we
have an opportunity to join thekingdom of heaven.
(26:30):
We have reason to havesignificant hope in our lives
right now.
Perhaps you are sensing theSpirit moving you toward him,
and I would be remiss if we leftour time today without
providing this opportunity foryou to respond, and I want to
pray for you right now.
So, for all of you listening, Iwant you and your spirit to
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either agree with this prayerand lift those up praying for
the first time to the Lord to beblessed and to be drawn to Him.
Lord, to be blessed and to bedrawn to him.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Wash me and cleanse me from allunforgiveness and pride.
I believe that you are theMessiah that came to fulfill the
(27:14):
law and the prophets.
You are the Son of God, thatyou died on the cross for the
forgiveness of my sins and yourose again on the third day for
my victory.
I believe it in my heart andmake confession with my mouth
that you, jesus, are my Lord andmy Savior and that the kingdom
of heaven is forever.
I want to live my lifeaccording to your terms and I
(27:34):
want you to change my relianceon myself and in any earthly
vessels.
I have placed hope and insteadI want to trust your plan and
ask for you to put the peopleand the processes and models to
pursue restoration into my life.
I ask for you to reveal to mewhere I have neglected the needs
of those who are broken aroundme, where I have become
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indifferent, incapable or havebeen unable to prioritize those
around me who need to feel thehope of Christ.
Make me sensitive towards them.
Show me where I am called to bea part of your mission, and I
entrust myself to your equippingand sending, as you will.
Thank you for being a God ofmercy, a God of healing and a
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God of truth, a God of hope.
Might I become a beacon of hopeto the hurting.
May I be one who shows andshares eternal life with those
on their way to spiritual death.
Make me your salt, help me tobe your light, show me your ways
, lord.
Give us the spiritual eyes tosee on earth as it is in heaven,
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and may your priorities beginto reflect your heart and your
kingdom.
Jesus, it's in your name that Ipray, and today I also just want
to offer up a special prayer,lord, for those who have been
victims of divorce or thosewho've gone through the pain of
divorce, that any shame that isassociated, lord, would be
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lifted.
Today, in your name, father, wehave all fallen short of your
glory and God.
I just pray now that we wouldbe returned to your redemption,
god, and that we would be liftedfrom the vices of the enemy who
seeks to hold us down, and thatinstead, we would know that we
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are under your blood.
We profess this all right nowin the name of your Son, jesus
of Nazareth, the one and trueMessiah.
Amen.
If you today agree with thisprayer from the depths of your
heart, I either welcome you tothe eternal family of God or I
commend you in your return tothe faith.
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I want to encourage you to finda church faith family who
worships the Lord passionately,is committed to the teaching and
preaching of the scriptures andis committed to serving your
community and beyond.
Also devote yourself to thereading of the scriptures, as
there is so much to grow, learnand be discipled in as it
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pertains to new life andmaturity in Christ.
The Lord has so much in the wayof hope to show His children in
His love letters that he haswritten to them.
Hopeful family.
This has been my pleasure tospend the morning, afternoon or
evening growing and learningwith you.
I look forward to tuning in nexttime on the Hopeful Perspective
(30:27):
podcast, where we will continueunpacking the beauty and truth
of the Sermon on the Mount.
Until then, I want to thank youfor joining me along this
journey, allowing me to sharefrom my heart today and if you
would be so kindly as to follow,subscribe and, most importantly
, rate and write a review forothers on your platform who may
need the hopeful perspective intheir life, did you know that
(30:51):
you could contribute monetarilyby pressing our support to show
link that is embedded on yourplatform in the episode
descriptions?
If you believe in what we do.
I would cherish your prayers aswell as consider giving to the
cause.
I want to shout out mygratitude to the multiple new
donors who already have madethis commitment to support the
podcast financially.
Without you, it would not bepossible to reach as many people
(31:13):
with the messages we do oranyone who needs to be reminded
that hope is real.
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time.
Remember you are loved.
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
This podcast is designed togive you a perspective of hope
that impacts your daily life inan authentic and tangible way.
I have utilized the first sixepisodes of this podcast to
share my own personal life story, which illustrates God's glory.
(00:23):
Through experiences overcomingchild abuse and trauma, 26
foster homes and institutions,various diagnoses affecting me
throughout my life and aneventual brain tumor resulting
in multiple brain surgeries onmy brain stem, I have moved from
merely being a surviving victimto a faithful and thriving
(00:43):
victor who the Lord hasmotivated to help others
discover hope.
Though my past was full of painand suffering, I have been
restored with purpose andsanctification.
I have been redeemed and calledto follow Christ within that
redemption and renewedperspective, and I now want to
help you, too, to have abiblical and hopeful perspective
(01:06):
as you approach differingsituations in your own life,
from the delightful to thedifficult and everything in
between.
I want to personally thank youfor listening and, if you have
done so, taking the time todownload our episodes, as when
you download along with ratingour podcast with an ever so
(01:26):
honest response, you help thealgorithm immensely to spread
our reach.
That said, our statsdemonstrate that while thousands
listen and stream the hopefulperspective, less than 10%
actually download our episodes.
Please consider bridging thegap.
To help broaden that reach forus, we have also provided a few
(01:48):
options to contact our show withyour direct feedback, as well
as to support the podcastfinancially.
If you are called to partnerwith us in bringing hope to a
hurting world, just click theembedded links found on any
episode you are downloading onyour podcast platform.
Before we get started today, Iwant to compel you to grab your
(02:08):
favorite snack, hot or coldbeverage.
Get comfortable and come onthis journey with me as we
continue our series Upside Down,right Side Up, examining Jesus'
teachings in the Sermon on theMount.
In last week's episode, wediscussed the beginning of
Jesus' sermon and his dispensingof the eight Beatitudes, or
(02:31):
special blessings.
We dove into what each of theBeatitudes was defined as in
Jesus' day, as well as how theyimpact believers in the day in
which we live.
We talked about how Jesusintroduced to his followers the
profound concept of the kingdomof heaven and how the Beatitudes
(02:51):
served as not only blessingsbut also a measurement of sorts
of the people who would beeligible, under Christ, to enter
the kingdom.
Today we continue into thesermon and explore Jesus'
teaching from Matthew 5, verses13 through 32.
(03:12):
Following Jesus' conclusion onteaching the Beatitudes, he
continues his teaching in verse13.
He says this you are the saltof the earth.
But if the salt loses itssaltiness, how can it be made
salty again?
It is no longer good foranything except to be thrown out
and trampled underfoot.
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You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannotbe hidden.
Neither do people light a lampand put it under a bowl.
Instead, they put it on itsstand and it gives light to
everyone in the house In thesame way.
Let your light shine beforeothers that they may see your
good deeds and glorify yourFather in heaven.
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Jesus used the concepts of saltand light numerous times in
referring to the purpose andcharacter of his disciples.
For deeper understanding andapplication, we need to realize
that salt had two primarypurposes.
In the first century, due tothe desert environment and the
lack of refrigeration, salt wasutilized to prevent the spoilage
of foods such as meat.
(04:17):
Likewise, his followers were toserve as a preserver of truth,
grace and all things pointing tothe righteousness of Christ to
a world that is Romans 8.8declares that those who live in
the flesh cannot please God.
(04:37):
And we also read in Romans thatall fall short of the glory of
God and that we, as believersbear the truth and glory of God
in us to share with this fallenworld.
Second, salt was used then andnow, as a food seasoner.
Just as salt enhances theflavor of the food it seasons,
(04:58):
we are called, as believers, toinfluence the world we live in
for the glory of God, be it ourfamily, our school, as a youth,
our work life, our community,our churches, our sports teams,
our civic responsibilities,whatever realm we are involved
in, we are to bring the spice oflife, the salt of the earth.
(05:22):
At the beginning of the verse,jesus poses the question that if
salt loses the saltiness, howcan it be made salty again?
We see in Mark 9 50 suggestingthat saltiness can be lost
specifically through a lack ofpeace with one another.
And in Luke 14, 34 and 35, wefind a reference to the metaphor
of salt once again, this timein the context of obedient
(05:46):
discipleship to Jesus Christ.
When we fail to daily count thecost in following Christ or to
prioritize daily communion withour Savior, we can indeed lose
our effectiveness andseasonality as disciples.
This underscores the importanceof not only recognizing our
significant influence in theworld around us, yet also
(06:09):
reemphasizes the reason thedaily devotion in the Word, in
prayer, in worship and communionwith our Savior is so
significant.
Before we conclude this sectionof Jesus' teaching, I want us to
return to the title of ourseries Upside Down and Right
Side Up.
I entitled the series this wayfor a number of reasons Logic
(06:34):
that is layered with theologyand world play.
Part of this is the seeminglyparadoxical nature of Jesus'
teachings all throughout thegospel, and I'm curious if you
have noticed any to this point.
Perhaps I am doing somelinguistic calisthenics, but I'm
not so sure.
So I'm curious.
Your thoughts?
(06:56):
Last week we learned how Jesusis the living water that
quenches spiritual thirst forall eternity.
This week we're discussing howwe are the salt of the earth and
that we are to remain salty inorder to remain effective.
So is it paradoxical or is itthat if we fulfill our role as
disciples, living as salt, thatis, seizing our fallen world to
(07:19):
a point that they thirst for thesource of living water that can
quench it?
Jesus also said that we are thelight of the world, and this
analogy is comparable to beingthe salt of the earth.
Whereas we aren't aware of ourfuture hopes, plans and
aspirations, we know that Jesusis Given the fact that Christ
(07:45):
dwells in us through the HolySpirit.
We now bear his light when weoperate in any of the seven
gifts of the Holy Spirit, thatis, his wisdom, understanding,
his counsel, fortitude,knowledge, piety or fear.
That is respect to the Lord,and we demonstrate any of the
fruit of the Spirit found inGalatians love, joy, peace,
(08:08):
patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness or
self-control.
When we demonstrate any ofthese things to the world around
us, when they expect much ofthe opposite, we are showing
them Christ.
We serve as a light to the lostships battling the dark and
raging seas who need this lightof Christ within us to direct
(08:29):
them to a safe harbor.
We are the light of the worldand, as Christ directed us, it
should not be hidden.
We then reach a part of theteaching where Jesus says Do not
think that I have come toabolish the law or the prophets.
I have not come to abolish thembut to fulfill them.
(08:53):
For truly, I tell you thatuntil heaven and earth disappear
, not the smallest letter, notthe least stroke of a pen will
by any means disappear from thelaw until everything is
accomplished.
Therefore, anyone who setsaside one of the least of these
commands and teaches othersaccordingly will be called least
(09:13):
in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever practices andteaches these commands will be
called great in the kingdom ofheaven.
For I tell you that unless yourrighteousness surpasses that of
the Pharisees and the teachersof the law, for I tell you that
unless your righteousnesssurpasses that of the Pharisees
and the teachers of the law, youwill certainly not enter the
kingdom of heaven.
Jesus says he came to fulfillthe law and the prophets, a
(09:36):
traditional phrase that refersto the Old Testament, or what
his early disciples would haveknown as their Bible, the Hebrew
Bible.
What his early disciples wouldhave known as their Bible, the
Hebrew Bible, was Jesusreferring to simple obedience to
the 613 commands found in theOld Testament law?
Further context depicts thatJesus came to fulfill the law or
to make it full, which refersto something much more profound
(10:01):
than mere obedience.
The law and the prophets tell astory about how God desired to
heal all of his creation througha people group as we know, the
Jewish people, culminating intoone person, the Messiah.
Jesus asserts that he has cometo make the Law full by becoming
(10:22):
that one person.
To make the law full bybecoming that one person.
We also must recognize thatJesus is referencing the Hebrew
scriptures throughout histeaching in the Sermon on the
Mount.
All of his teachings andinstruction is in accordance
with their understanding of thelaw and the prophets, as is his
reference here about what itmeans to attain righteousness as
(10:44):
a matter of fact.
The next section of teaching isJesus demonstrating how the
mission of the kingdom of heavenis about making full the true
mission of the law and theprophets.
He underscores the importanceof this mission and how it will
be accomplished, and anyone whominimizes the least of the
commands of the mission will beconsidered least in the kingdom.
(11:05):
And in verse 20, jesus servesup an additional measuring stick
for his disciples to considerUnless your righteousness
surpasses that of the Phariseesand the teachers of the law, you
will not enter the kingdom ofheaven.
Enter the kingdom of heaven,hopeful family.
(11:29):
Once again, I encourage usalways to consider the context
when we read the scriptures.
Was our Lord contradicting whatwe read about the gospel and
other scriptures, like inGalatians, where it talks about
grace being part of the gospel.
Do we inherit the kingdom ofheaven on works-based
righteousness, after all?
The answer to this is clearlynot.
(11:50):
Jesus was establishing thestandard and measurement and
demonstrating that we are unable, upon our own, to attain the
level of righteousness that isneeded to enter the kingdom of
heaven, as we cannot meritjustification by our own works.
Our righteousness indeedexceeds that of the Pharisees
(12:13):
when we humbly admit ourtransgressions and confess our
sins, when we recognize that weare in need of a Savior and when
we confess that he is the onlyone capable of taking on our
filthy rags and making themclean, thus becoming our
righteousness.
Jesus Christ of Nazarethfulfilled the law and the
(12:38):
prophets, becoming theprophesied one sent from the
Father to cleanse and restorehumanity.
Whereas the pride and thehardened hearts of the Pharisees
prevented them from seeing this, the humble hearts of his
disciples and followers enabledthem to surpass their
(12:58):
righteousness that they soesteemed.
Jesus, then, would go on inverse 21.
You have heard that it was saidto the people long ago you shall
not murder, and anyone whomurders will be subject to
judgment.
But I tell you that anyone whois angry with a brother or
sister will be subject tojudgment Again.
(13:20):
Anyone who says to a brother orsister, raka, is answerable to
the court, and anyone who says,you, fool, will be in danger of
the fire of hell.
Therefore, if you are offeringyour gift at the altar and
therefore remember that yourbrother or sister has something
against you, leave your giftthere in front of the altar
First.
Go and be reconciled to them.
(13:42):
Then come and offer your gift.
Settle matters quickly withyour adversary who has taken you
to court.
Do it while you are stilltogether on the way, or your
adversary may hand you over tothe judge and the judge may hand
you over to the officer and youmay be thrown into prison.
Truly, I tell you, you will notget out until you have paid the
(14:03):
last penny.
Following Jesus' instructionregarding the law and the
prophets, he then begins aseries of teachings referencing
the Hebrew scriptures, whereinJesus utilizes the teaching that
was well known and thenestablishes his authority by
unpacking the deeper meaning ofeach teaching as they pertain to
the kingdom of heaven.
The first of these is asfollows he says that you've
(14:27):
heard that it was said to thepeople long ago you shall not
murder and anyone who murderswill be subject to judgment.
And then he goes on and saysanyone who says to a brother or
sister raka.
Now raka was a derogatory termthat was used by Jewish
religious leaders towardsanybody they thought was
unworthy of their respect.
Now, raka was a derogatory termthat was used by Jewish
religious leaders towardsanybody they thought was
unworthy of their respect.
We know that Jesus isestablishing the true mark of
(14:53):
what it means to attainrighteousness.
As we reviewed before, thePharisees and teachers of the
law looked to what could bemeasured from the outside and
held people accountableaccordingly.
Jesus applied these well-knownprecepts and turned them on
their head, declaring you'veheard it said that to do
(15:14):
something as severe as murdergarners judgment, but I tell you
, you see, these four wordsestablished his authority
congruent with the power of thewritten word that they knew.
While the religious leaders wereconcerned with outward behavior
like don't murder, jesus ismaking it clear that the real
(15:35):
standard is a matter of theheart.
Have you murdered in your heart?
Because if you have so much ashad anger in your heart towards
your brother or sister, then youindeed have.
Then he says in the next fewverses therefore, if you are
offering your gift at the altarand therefore remember that your
brother or sister has somethingagainst you, leave your gift
(15:57):
there in front of the altar andbe reconciled to them, and then
he uses the case about court,and whatever is owed against you
will be held accountable.
We are reminded in verses 23 and24 that sacrifice without mercy
is empty.
When we come to the altar andwe have unresolved anger in our
(16:19):
hearts, then we essentiallynullify the message of the
kingdom of heaven.
Then we essentially nullify themessage of the kingdom of
heaven.
We are to have both thepriority and the urgency of
reconciliation and forgivenessas it pertains to our brothers
and sisters.
How often, though, do we feeljustified within our unresolved
anger?
(16:39):
We cannot forget the equationthat we're dealing with friends
in the economy of the kingdom.
While we may feel that someonedeserves our wrath, that they've
harmed us so severely andshould pay for what they have
done, we must remember that Godwas justified in his anger
(17:01):
against us and we deserved hisfull wrath.
Instead, though, he sent Jesusto die for us and to atone for
our sin and shortcomings, andit's only through Jesus that we
can be seen as righteousness andbe accepted by God.
Now we are called to show thissame mercy to others and to
(17:24):
offer them reconciliation.
Our worship and reverence forthe Lord is lacking and
incomplete when we withholdmercy, forgiveness or
reconciliation.
Jesus then moves on to the nextsection.
In verses 27, 28, 29, and 30,he says you have heard that it
(17:48):
was said you shall not commitadultery, but I tell you that
anybody who looks at a womanlustfully has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you tostumble, gouge it out and throw
it away, it is better for youto lose one part of your body
than for your whole body to bethrown into hell.
And if your right hand causesyou to stumble, cut it off and
(18:10):
throw it away, it is better foryou to lose one part of your
body than for your whole body togo into hell.
You see, just as in thescenario with murder and the law
, with anger being the matter ofthe heart, jesus takes his
followers back to the law.
Of course, they would haveheard and believed adultery to
be immoral and sinful.
Yet again, jesus wasestablishing the heart of the
(18:34):
matter, and he informs hislisteners that if they look at a
woman with lust, then they areguilty of adultery and thus
subject to judgment accordingly.
There are a few points to bemade in Jesus' teaching.
First, jesus makes clear thatadultery is not limited to those
who are married.
(18:54):
The Greek language isconstructed such that anyone and
everyone who might look upon aperson with lust is guilty as
such, such that anyone andeveryone who might look upon a
person with lust is guilty assuch.
To look upon another being withthe purpose of lusting for them
constitutes adultery.
Second, adultery is notconfined to the physical act.
(19:17):
Jesus specifically identifiesthe look as sufficient grounds
to be assigned guilt.
There is no mention ofpremeditated action such as
flirtation or physical contact.
The look alone makes theadultery.
Yet Jesus is very specificregarding this look.
This leads to the third point.
The construction in the Greeklanguage here comes out as
anyone who looks upon a womanfor the purpose of desiring her.
(19:42):
It is necessary that we arrangethe order of events correctly
in its meaning to extract whatJesus is saying.
He does not mean that a mansees a woman and then
subsequently has impure thoughtstowards her, though we need to
note that this temptation alsooccurs and requires as much
spiritual warfare and repentanceas well.
(20:03):
The look Jesus is referring tois a purposeful look, to look
with lust.
Jesus then utilizes an extremeform of hyperbole in verses 29
and 30, which tend to be some ofthe most confusing and
controversial verses in the NewTestament.
Jesus instructs us to gouge outour eye or cut off our hand if
(20:25):
they cause us to sin, as it isbetter to lose a part of our
body than to lose our whole selfto hell or eternal separation
from God.
As in our need to explorecontext, clearly, we must view
this passage through an accuratehermeneutical lens.
What is it that Jesus is tryingto teach us?
As somebody who has had his ownpersonal issues battling porn
(20:50):
addiction in the past, am Irecording this episode with only
one eye or one hand?
Of course not.
The truth is, friends, jesuswas having us explore the heart
of the matter, just as he did soin his illustration with murder
and anger.
Do my eyes actually cause me tosin or does my deceitful heart
(21:13):
cause me to sin?
You see, I need a heart changein order to see things
differently, to look at womenwith respect respect they
deserve, and not as objects tobe desired.
My eyes can certainly be toolsthat serve to tempt me,
certainly, but my heart and mindcontain the tools that
determine the course that setsthe direction and the course
(21:36):
that my eyes will go.
I have had moments where I haveseen a woman I thought was
extremely beautiful and couldhave been tempted to cross a
line and chose to remain in thebounds of having edifying,
god-glorifying thoughts abouther.
And I have had fleshly momentswhere I have had to repent for
my mind taken but my eyes saw toa place it should not have gone
(21:58):
.
Yet this whole mechanism wasimpossible without the work of
the Spirit that was put in placeonce I accepted Him into my
life and he gave me a new heart.
This is what we are to do withverses 29 and 30.
We are to take out what causesus to sin our heart of flesh and
to be replaced with one led bythe Spirit, and then we are to
(22:22):
take every thought captive thatcomes against the knowledge of
God and friends.
This can be a lifelong journeyfor any one of us.
And then Jesus tells us inverses 31 and 32, it has been
said that anyone who divorceshis wife must give her a
certificate of divorce, but Itell you that anyone who
(22:45):
divorces his wife, except forsexual immorality, makes her the
victim of adultery, and anyonewho marries a divorced woman
commits adultery.
Jesus begins the teaching herewith, it has been said,
referencing the Hebrewscriptures again, and then he
raises the standard for gettinga divorce to exceed what was
permitted legalistically andindicates that marriage ought to
(23:09):
be considered the mostdistinguished and sacred of
covenant bonds or unions.
Though God allows it inspecific circumstances, it does
not equate with him preferringit or approving of it, and it's
not to be utilized as a loophole, as it was being done in the
culture of that day.
Jesus also points out that sinof divorcing one's spouse
(23:33):
outside of the realm of adulteryis not a victimless action.
Certain sins affect otherpeople in our lives with severe
consequences, and divorce iscertainly one of these sins.
The nuances of the Greeklanguage makes it clear that the
other spouse is a victim inthis case, and if you are a
(24:00):
child of divorce, you can attestto the fact that this sin and
its fallout has a significantimpact upon you as well.
Sin and its fallout has asignificant impact upon you as
well.
The original design for thefamily is for the husband and
wife to be united for theirlifetime, for better and for
worse, and for them to lay thefoundation of their home upon
the love of God and on his wordfor the growth, edification and
maturation of the entire family.
(24:21):
When this is disrupted by sin,then each member is made
susceptible to the brokenness,trauma and destruction that the
enemy of our souls utilizes tohold us down.
I have spent hours in both myown personal counseling office
working through the attachmentissues that I have dealt with as
(24:42):
a result of my own familytrauma, as well as, later in
life, doing pastoral counselingwith the victims of divorce, be
them the spouses or the children.
The generational trauma.
Scripture also refers to theseas generational curses, you
might have read, and thelifelong effects are significant
(25:03):
.
These are the effects of sinsof this nature.
Jesus, as in the rest of histeachings and claims, is holding
his followers accountable toliving out the heart and kingdom
of God over the legality andthe law.
We will always know and liveout that love protects, whereas
(25:26):
living legalistically tends tochoke our life away.
Now, regardless of where youare on your spiritual journey,
you are listening to the Sermonon the Mount today, jesus'
teachings on the kingdom ofheaven and fulfilling the law
and the prophets and what itmeans to be the Messiah by the
(25:46):
design and the divine hand ofGod and with him.
I believe there is no mistake.
I pray that, as you arelistening, you are not just
undergoing mere informationtransference, but rather you are
sensing the Spirit talkingdirectly to you Because, friends
, in my experience, the HolySpirit is deeply personal and
(26:09):
with Him there are no accidents,incidents, coincidences or
instances where he is notweaving His redemptive work in
your life.
Rather, as we are joinedtogether right now on a podcast,
as Jesus declared 2,000 yearsago from his hillside sermon, we
have an opportunity to join thekingdom of heaven.
(26:30):
We have reason to havesignificant hope in our lives
right now.
Perhaps you are sensing theSpirit moving you toward him,
and I would be remiss if we leftour time today without
providing this opportunity foryou to respond, and I want to
pray for you right now.
So, for all of you listening, Iwant you and your spirit to
(26:52):
either agree with this prayerand lift those up praying for
the first time to the Lord to beblessed and to be drawn to Him.
Lord, to be blessed and to bedrawn to him.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sinsand I surrender my life to you.
Wash me and cleanse me from allunforgiveness and pride.
I believe that you are theMessiah that came to fulfill the
(27:14):
law and the prophets.
You are the Son of God, thatyou died on the cross for the
forgiveness of my sins and yourose again on the third day for
my victory.
I believe it in my heart andmake confession with my mouth
that you, jesus, are my Lord andmy Savior and that the kingdom
of heaven is forever.
I want to live my lifeaccording to your terms and I
(27:34):
want you to change my relianceon myself and in any earthly
vessels.
I have placed hope and insteadI want to trust your plan and
ask for you to put the peopleand the processes and models to
pursue restoration into my life.
I ask for you to reveal to mewhere I have neglected the needs
of those who are broken aroundme, where I have become
(27:55):
indifferent, incapable or havebeen unable to prioritize those
around me who need to feel thehope of Christ.
Make me sensitive towards them.
Show me where I am called to bea part of your mission, and I
entrust myself to your equippingand sending, as you will.
Thank you for being a God ofmercy, a God of healing and a
(28:18):
God of truth, a God of hope.
Might I become a beacon of hopeto the hurting.
May I be one who shows andshares eternal life with those
on their way to spiritual death.
Make me your salt, help me tobe your light, show me your ways
, lord.
Give us the spiritual eyes tosee on earth as it is in heaven,
(28:41):
and may your priorities beginto reflect your heart and your
kingdom.
Jesus, it's in your name that Ipray, and today I also just want
to offer up a special prayer,lord, for those who have been
victims of divorce or thosewho've gone through the pain of
divorce, that any shame that isassociated, lord, would be
(29:01):
lifted.
Today, in your name, father, wehave all fallen short of your
glory and God.
I just pray now that we wouldbe returned to your redemption,
god, and that we would be liftedfrom the vices of the enemy who
seeks to hold us down, and thatinstead, we would know that we
(29:22):
are under your blood.
We profess this all right nowin the name of your Son, jesus
of Nazareth, the one and trueMessiah.
Amen.
If you today agree with thisprayer from the depths of your
heart, I either welcome you tothe eternal family of God or I
commend you in your return tothe faith.
(29:43):
I want to encourage you to finda church faith family who
worships the Lord passionately,is committed to the teaching and
preaching of the scriptures andis committed to serving your
community and beyond.
Also devote yourself to thereading of the scriptures, as
there is so much to grow, learnand be discipled in as it
(30:04):
pertains to new life andmaturity in Christ.
The Lord has so much in the wayof hope to show His children in
His love letters that he haswritten to them.
Hopeful family.
This has been my pleasure tospend the morning, afternoon or
evening growing and learningwith you.
I look forward to tuning in nexttime on the Hopeful Perspective
(30:27):
podcast, where we will continueunpacking the beauty and truth
of the Sermon on the Mount.
Until then, I want to thank youfor joining me along this
journey, allowing me to sharefrom my heart today and if you
would be so kindly as to follow,subscribe and, most importantly
, rate and write a review forothers on your platform who may
need the hopeful perspective intheir life, did you know that
(30:51):
you could contribute monetarilyby pressing our support to show
link that is embedded on yourplatform in the episode
descriptions?
If you believe in what we do.
I would cherish your prayers aswell as consider giving to the
cause.
I want to shout out mygratitude to the multiple new
donors who already have madethis commitment to support the
podcast financially.
Without you, it would not bepossible to reach as many people
(31:13):
with the messages we do oranyone who needs to be reminded
that hope is real.
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time.
Remember you are loved.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!