Excellence in Prayer: Seeking the Father in Secret
What does excellent prayer actually look like — and does God hear you when you pray alone? In this Padgett's Perspectives companion to Tony Padgett's March 15 sermon at Brookfield Church of Christ, we explore three marks of a powerful prayer life: sincerity, consistency, and transformation. Includes a weekly challenge, small group questions, interactive quiz, and study game.
Righteousness That Goes Deeper
Jesus doesn't ask whether you give — He asks how and why. In this powerful message from Matthew 6:2–4, Tony Padgett challenges believers to examine the motives behind their generosity. True excellence in giving is not measured by visibility but by sincerity. Discover three principles of quiet, God-honoring generosity that can transform how you give — and why.
Excellence That Seeks the Father's Approval
We are surrounded by a culture obsessed with visibility — likes, followers, applause. But in Matthew 6:1, Jesus redirects our focus from the crowd to the Father. In this powerful message from Barry Johnson at Brookfield Church of Christ, discover three marks of excellence that God actually rewards: pure motives, integrity in secret, and a heart that seeks eternal approval over temporary praise. Read on — and take this week's challenge.
Loving While the World Hates
It's easy to love those who love you back. That requires no transformation at all. But in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus raises the standard: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors, and reflect the Father who sends rain on the just and unjust alike. Tony Padgett's powerful closing message of the "Salt and Light" series will convict and challenge you to choose obedience over emotion — starting this week.
A Simple Yes or No Will Do
In Matthew 5:33–37, Jesus doesn't ask us to swear more carefully. He tells us to stop swearing altogether — and to let the integrity of our character do the talking. Barry Johnson unpacks what Jesus really meant when He said "Let your yes be yes and your no be no," why trustworthiness is the greatest currency in God's kingdom, and how to close the gap between the faith we confess on Sunday and the life we live on Monday.
Honoring God In Our Thoughts
Guarding your heart goes deeper than managing your behavior — it starts in your thoughts. Tony Padgett unpacks Matthew 5:27–30, revealing how God judges the heart, why lustful looking is never harmless, and how the chain from thought to action to destiny makes what happens in your mind the most important battlefield in the Christian life.
Let Your Light Shape Your Relationships
Can anger really be murder? Tony Padgett opens Matthew 5:21-26 to show that Jesus wasn't softening the law — He was revealing its full intent. Our inner attitudes, not just our outward actions, determine whether we walk in light or feed the darkness. This week: three convicting truths about anger, forgiveness, and the urgency of making peace.
Surpassing Pharisaic Righteousness
Jesus told the crowd: unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Tony Padgett unpacks what that means for ordinary believers — and why the answer is not trying harder, but surrendering deeper.
Different from the World, Faithful to the King
Jesus didn't come to tear up God's charter — he came to fulfill it. Discover what that means for how we live as faithful citizens of the Kingdom.
The Blessings of Influence and Purpose
What if the most powerful thing you could do for the world around you isn't louder, bigger, or more polished — but simply different? In this message from Matthew 5:13-16, Tony Padgett unpacks what it truly means to be salt and light in a decaying world. Discover why salt was "white gold" in Jesus' day, how the story of Ananias and Paul proves one act of faithfulness can change history, and how to let your light shine without compromise or apology.
The Blessings of a Transformed Character
What does it mean to be truly blessed? In Matthew 5:3-12, Jesus redefines blessing completely — moving it from outward circumstances to inner transformation. Tony Padgett opens the 2026 Sermon on the Mount series with a powerful three-part framework: humility as the foundation, righteousness as the focus, and peace as the fruit of a genuinely transformed character.