Become New with John Ortberg Matthew 5-7 (Study Guide Now Available)
Feb 10, 2026
A guided walk through Matthew 5 highlighting how blessing can be present amid suffering. A look at the Sermon on the Mount as a practical, world-shaping vision rather than abstract theory. Historical interpretations are surveyed and Tolstoy’s bold take is recounted. The whole teaching is tied together by the golden rule and the call to serve others.
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Blessing Is Present Now
- The Sermon on the Mount is the single most influential moral talk in history and frames a practical vision for human life.
- John Ortberg emphasizes that blessing from God is available to you now, regardless of circumstance.
Sermon's Influence On King, Gandhi, Tolstoy
- Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi were deeply influenced by the Sermon on the Mount.
- Ortberg recounts Tolstoy's letter to Gandhi and King's use of biblical imagery as examples of this influence.
Jesus Answers The Big Questions
- The Sermon answers deep human questions: what's real, who lives the good life, and who is a good person.
- Ortberg frames these as central aims of Jesus' blessing language rather than mere moral rules.
