City Central Church Podcast

Awaken Fast (part 2) Sermon Summary Matthew 6:1–4 (ESV) 1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.   Pastor Chris acknowledged that we can struggle with following the disciplines of the Lord because we develop a closed heart. It’s natural for us to make fasting, or tithing, or prayer simply an obligation – this is legalism and it comes from an unopened heart – like a flower bud not yet in bloom. Jesus taught us how to live meaningful, thriving lives, open hearted, when he gave the Sermon on the Moun