"Jesus finished saying these things, and the crowds were amazed at the way he taught. He wasn't like their teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with buthority." (St. Matthew 7:28, 29 TEV)

Our precious Christian faith is first of all and foremost the good news that God loves us and forgives us in Chrst, his son. It is the story of our salvation, the story of the cross and the open tomb.

But along with that also goes the challenge of Christianity - the scintilating invitation to carry out God's will in thankful response to his good work for us. We are called to Christian living.

If we are serious about that, I believe our text here this morning can give us a valuable guideline. We might say it like this: the way we do things is sometimes just as important as the deed itself.

Here's an…