Walking the Narrow Way | Devotional Guide(lines)

The Sermon on the Mount is more than a collection of inspiring teachings or moral rules. In Matthew 5–7, Jesus offers his disciples a vision of an entirely different way of life: a life shaped by humility, mercy, integrity, trust, love, discernment, and faithful practice.

This devotional guide accompanies our sermon series, The Narrow Way: The Cost of Following Jesus. Its purpose is not simply to help us learn more about Jesus’ words, but to help us become people who increasingly live them. To integrate our head and heart and our hands.

Each weekday includes four simple movements:

Read — Spend time with a short passage of Scripture.

Reflect — Consider how the reading connects with the way of Jesus.

Consider — Sit with a question that invites honest attention to your own life.

Practice — Take one small, concrete step toward putting the teaching into action.

You do not need to rush through the guide or find the “right” answer. Read slowly. Notice what stands out. Pay attention to any resistance, comfort, conviction, or invitation that emerges. You may wish to journal your responses, discuss them with someone else, or simply carry the day’s question with you.

The practices are intentionally small. Discipleship is rarely formed through one dramatic decision. But rather discipleship  grows through repeated practices. Over time, these ordinary practices help cultivate a life with Jesus, like Jesus, doing the things Jesus did.

Use the guide in whatever rhythm works best for you: individually, with your family, with a friend, or in a small group. Missed a day? Simply begin again. The goal is not perfect completion. The goal is to keep returning to Christ and learning to walk with him on this Narrow Way.

Week 2 — Devotional Guide

The Heart of the Matter

Theme: Character
Formation goal: Jesus forms character, not merely compliance.

Monday (08/10/26)

Read: Matthew 5:17–26

Reflect: Jesus moves beneath outward obedience (the letter of the Law) to the anger, contempt, and broken relationships that live within us (the spirit behind our actions and behaviors). Reconciliation is not secondary to a relationship with Christ; it is part of our discipleship (apprenticeship) to Jesus.

Question: Is there resentment or contempt beneath any of your recent words or actions? 

Practice: Pray honestly for someone toward whom you feel anger. Do not try to change your feelings; simply place the relationship before God. Allow what you are feeling to rise within you and offer it to God with honesty. 

Tuesday (08/11/26)

Read: Matthew 5:27–37

Reflection: Jesus calls for integrity in our desires, commitments, and speech. The narrow way is not about appearing righteous while cultivating a divided heart.

Question: Where is there a gap between what you say and what you truly intend? 

Practice: Pay close attention to your words today. Avoid exaggeration, unnecessary promises, and half-truths.

Wednesday (08/12/26)

Read: Matthew 5:38–48

Reflection: Loving enemies may be one of Jesus’ clearest examples of costly grace. Christian love is not limited to those who deserve it or return it. If it were limited and only for those deserving, it would not be grace at all.

Question: Who is hardest for you to regard as a person loved by God?

Practice: Pray for the well-being of someone you regard as difficult, threatening, or opposed to you.

Thursday (08/13/2026)

Read: Jeremiah 31:31–34

Reflect: God’s desire has never been mere rule-following. God promises to “write the covenant” upon the human heart so that faithfulness flows from within. I take this to mean, God is etching God’s love and grace onto the deepest part of your soul. 

Question: What would change if God’s love shaped your instincts, not only your decisions? What instincts within you might Jesus take issue with?

Practice: Before one important conversation or decision, pause and pray: “God, shape my heart before I act.”

Friday (08/14/26)

Read: Galatians 5:16–26

Reflect: Paul describes Christian character as fruit produced by the Spirit. Fruit cannot be forced instantly; it grows through patient attention, connection, and cultivation. Likewise there is a deep mystery to the growth and cultivation of fruit. We cannot force it to grow, but only nurture the environment for it to flourish. 

Question: Which fruit of the Spirit most needs cultivation in your life? And what would needs to happen (or be let go of) to make space for that cultivation?