Think of something good you did recently. Honestly — who was it for?

Jesus does not say stop practicing your righteousness. He says beware of practicing it before other people in order to be seen by them. The activity is fine. The audience is the problem. Drake opened by admitting that he and Heidi are different by design — better together, but with very different philosophies about spending. He recognizes the streets of heaven will be paved with gold, so he is generous with money. Heidi understands we are to be good stewards. It is a small, funny confession, and it opens onto a much larger one. Because the question of this passage is not what you do. It is why. And the why is almost always mixed. Nobody's motives are clean. That is not a reason to stop giving or serving or praying — it is a reason to bring the mixture to God rather than pretending it i

Are you serving out of love, or out of an ache — the fear of being idle, or the fear of being alone? What would it look like to bring the ache to God directly?

Drake pushed further, the way he said Jesus always does in this sermon. Some of us serve, if we are honest, because it simply feels good to be busy — that way we do not have to deal with the brokenness and the pain inside us. And some of us sacrifice because, well, it is better to feel needed than to feel lonely. He was careful here. Jesus is not necessarily calling those things bad. He recognizes we are simply human. But what he wants to do is help us understand the right reasons for doing the right things — because we can so often do the right thing the wrong way and miss the actual heart of God. That is a gentler diagnosis than we usually give ourselves, and a more honest one. "They have received their reward." The trumpet-blowers got exactly what they came for: the applause. It was

What good thing are you still quietly keeping track of? What would it take to let it go entirely?

"When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." It is a deliberately impossible image. Your hands belong to the same body; of course the left knows. Jesus is exaggerating to make a point about how thoroughly unselfconscious generosity ought to be. Not merely: don't publicize it. More like: don't even file it away for yourself. Because there is a private ledger most of us keep, and it is harder to give up than the public applause. Nobody else knows what you gave — but you know. You remember. It sits in the account you draw on when you need to feel like a good person. Jesus wants that ledger closed too. Generosity that you are still counting is generosity you have not fully let go of. The freedom on the other side of that is enormous. Give it,

Where are you hoping to be noticed? Can you bring that specific need to God instead of the people you have been showing?

"Your Father who sees in secret will reward you." This is the promise that makes the whole thing livable. Jesus is not asking you to stop wanting to be seen. He is telling you that you already are. The deep human need underneath all the trumpet-blowing is not vanity. It is the need for somebody to notice — to see that you tried, that it cost you, that you did the right thing when nobody made you. That need is not sinful. It is built in. Jesus does not shame it. He redirects it. Stop dragging it to an audience that will forget by Friday, and bring it to the Father who has not missed a thing. Drake said the point of the whole Sermon on the Mount is not a to-do list. It is our need — for a Savior. Just when you think that if you do this and that you will be right with God, Jesus raises th

Whose approval is actually running your week? What would change if God's were settled and enough?

Drake put the whole sermon in one sentence: Jesus did not come as a life coach, to help us live our best life now and do things the right way. He came so we would understand that our greatest need is salvation in him. That distinction changes everything about this passage. If Jesus is a life coach, Matthew 6 is a technique — give more discreetly, adjust your motives, improve your spiritual performance. And you will fail, because you cannot fix your own motives with your own motives. If Jesus is a Savior, Matthew 6 is a mirror. It shows you a purity of heart you do not have and cannot manufacture, and drives you to the only person who can give it to you. Paul asks the same question: am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a s

James held up real Oreos next to the cheaper ones — same cookie, same cream, and you only find out when you taste them. Read Matthew 6:1-4 out loud. What exactly is Jesus saying looks identical from the outside?

Discover the life-changing power of biblical giving and generosity in this powerful message about living for God's approval rather than seeking human recognition. Learn what Jesus taught about giving…

Jesus opens with "beware." James said you only tell your kids that when there is real danger. According to verse 1, what is the danger — and who is it dangerous for?

Discover the life-changing power of biblical giving and generosity in this powerful message about living for God's approval rather than seeking human recognition. Learn what Jesus taught about giving…

James asked it straight: why do you do the good things you do? He named some reasons — guilt over what you spend on yourself, staying busy so you never have to face what is inside, liking being needed rather than alone. Which of those is closest to home for you?

Discover the life-changing power of biblical giving and generosity in this powerful message about living for God's approval rather than seeking human recognition. Learn what Jesus taught about giving…

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What's Your Real Motivation? · Group Guide

Name: Christchurch Miami
Address: 8485 SW 112th Street, Miami, FL, 33156, US
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Price range: Free

Matthew 6:1-4

James Drake Sunday, January 18, 2026

Icebreaker

What is one store-brand version of something you actually prefer, and one you would never buy again? Tell us how you found out.

Matthew 6:1-4

Discussion Questions

1
James held up real Oreos next to the cheaper ones — same cookie, same cream, and you only find out when you taste them. Read Matthew 6:1-4 out loud. What exactly is Jesus saying looks identical from the outside?
2
Jesus opens with "beware." James said you only tell your kids that when there is real danger. According to verse 1, what is the danger — and who is it dangerous for?
3
James asked it straight: why do you do the good things you do? He named some reasons — guilt over what you spend on yourself, staying busy so you never have to face what is inside, liking being needed rather than alone. Which of those is closest to home for you?
4
His picture was CC'ing your boss on an email he did not need to see. Where does that reflex show up in your life — not only in giving, but anywhere you make sure the right person notices?
5
James kept pointing at the word "when" — when you give, not if — and said the reward Jesus promises is finally God himself, not more stuff. If that is the reward on offer, what would change about how and when you give?
6
James and Heidi gave away the car they drove every day, and he admitted it stung as it drove off. Nobody is asking you for a car. Name one thing you will give this week that no one but God will know about — and do it before we meet again.

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What's Your Real Motivation? · Group Guide

Matthew 6:1-4

Discussion Questions

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Why Do You Give? Living for God's Approval, Not Man's Applause

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