Some people film their prayer closets. The chair, the open Bible, the requests taped to the wall, even the string lights. It’s a strange thing to put on display: the place Jesus said to go when no one is watching.

In this message, Pastor Eric Ortscheid continues our series through the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus turns from giving to prayer. Once again, the question is about audience. The hypocrites pray on street corners to be heard by people. The Gentiles pile up words, hoping to be heard by God. Jesus offers his disciples something better: a closed door, a Father who is already listening, and a Father who knows what they need before they ask.

From there, Jesus gives them a prayer. It begins with who we are approaching, “Our Father in heaven,” and moves from his name, his kingdom, and his will to our daily bread, our forgiveness, and our protection. It’s a prayer of children who depend on their Father for everything. And it ends where Jesus won’t let us stop: forgiven people forgive.

Prayer was never a performance. It’s a conversation with the Father who already sees.

The Journey Tower Grove is a church in St. Louis, MO. Find us at thejourneytg.org.

For almost a decade, a farmer in Alabama quietly paid for strangers' medicine. He asked for one thing in return: that no one ever know his name, and that he never know theirs.

In this message, Pastor Eric Ortscheid continues our series through the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus turns from the exceeding righteousness of our relationships to the practices of our personal piety. Beginning with giving to the poor, Jesus warns against righteousness performed for an audience. The trumpet-blowers have their reward. It's applause, and it doesn't last.

Instead, Jesus calls his disciples to the forgotten practice of secrecy. Not because the Father is keeping score, but because the Father is paying attention. He sees what no one else does, and he is not indifferent to it. And because of Christ, we give not to earn a place in God's family, but as children who already belong there.

The question isn't whether anyone notices. It's whether being known by the Father is enough.

In this sermon from the Kingdom Come series on the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Brandon examines Jesus’ teachings on sex, marriage, divorce, and the human heart. While our culture often treats relational and sexual issues with immense complexity, Jesus cuts straight to the root: true righteousness begins inside the heart long before it manifests in outward actions.

Key Takeaways:

• The Heart of Desire: Jesus expands the definition of adultery beyond physical acts, showing that sexual sin and relational drift start with internal lust and selfishness.

• Radical Purity: Using deliberate hyperbole (cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye), Jesus emphasizes the urgent need to take radical, practical measures to guard our hearts and flee temptation.

• God’s Design for Marriage: Marriage is designed by God as a lifelong, covenant relationship meant for human flourishing and mutual sacrifice. Divorce and unfaithfulness undermine that design and bring relational chaos.

• The Promise of the Gospel: True freedom and purity do not come through rigid legalism or sheer willpower, but through the grace of Jesus—the faithful husband who cleanses our past failures and empowers us to walk in fidelity.