Sermon Notes with Blanks

When Righteousness Becomes Performance

June 7, 2026 | Pastor Joel Edgemon

Q&A: submit questions via Pew Tags

Text: Matthew 6:1-8

Sermon in a Sentence

When righteousness becomes _________ it ceases to be _________.

3 Temptations That Flow from the Desire to Be Seen

1. We are tempted to do good things to be praised by _________.
2. We are tempted to do good things to be praised by _________.
3. We are tempted to _________ for an _________ reward.

Comforting Truth

The Father’s _________ frees us from the burden of _________.

Relevant Quotes

“The proper rewards are not simply tacked on to the activity for which they are given, but are the activity itself in consummation.” – C.S. Lewis

“God's money has a higher purpose than my affluence ... Giving affirms Christ's lordship. It dethrones me and exalts Him. ... it shifts my vested interests from earth to heaven - from self to God. Giving breaks me free from the gravitational hold of money and possessions. Giving shifts me to a new center of gravity – heaven” Randy Alcorn

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think the desire to be noticed is such a powerful temptation, even in good and spiritual things? How can giving become performance rather than worship?
2. When righteousness becomes performance, it ceases to be worship. Where do you see this temptation most often in your own life: serving, giving, praying, posting, parenting, leading, or something else? Why is the applause of man an inferior reward?
3. Jesus alone lived with perfectly pure motives. How does being fully known and fully loved in Christ free us from the anxiety of performance-based living? What secret act of worship will you practice this week?
4. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before others,” while Matthew 6:1 warns against practicing righteousness “in order to be seen.” How can we tell the difference between glorifying God through visible obedience and seeking glory for ourselves?
5. Read Colossians 3:23-24. How does this reshape the way we think about hidden acts of obedience that no one else sees?

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