If you’ve ever read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, you know that Jesus says some things that are pretty hard to swallow. Following Jesus is not easy. Sometimes we think, because salvation is by grace through faith alone, not by works, that following Christ is easy. But, it’s actually the other way around… Salvation is unachievable for us – no amount of human effort can save us. Following Christ is impossible. That is why salvation is a work of grace. And discipleship is a work of transformation. We cannot remake ourselves; the Spirit transforms us into Christ’s followers… and that process is not easy on us. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ instructions for His followers. This is what a follower of Christ will look like. And it’s not easy stuff. We’re like bones broken by sin that were set and have healed crooked. Jesus has to re-break us and set the bone in order for us to heal correctly. That’s a painful process. It’s also like a world in which everyone walks around upside down. Everyone’s upside down and it’s always been that way, so it looks normal. But then Jesus transforms a life and turns a person right side up. Well, at first, everything looks upside down to that person. But then he realizes that it’s really that his whole world has been upside down and he’s finally seeing things right. But it’s hard to get used to. Following Jesus requires you to do some things that just feel backwards and upside down. Being transformed by Christ is hard. But it’s good and right. In the Bible study that I lead with the College group at Bloomfield, we’ve been going through the Sermon on the Mount. Over the next few months I want to include you in some of those discussions. We’re trying to grapple with some of the tough stuff that Jesus says because we believe He is transforming us through His word. And I hope you’ll join us in that process.