As Easy as Tying Your Shoe

by | Jul 5, 2026 | Mt Pleasant Sermons

Bible Study

Don’t just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon: Romans 7:21-8:6; Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon Outline

  • Jesus our messenger
  • Jesus our mediator
  • Jesus our master

Sermon Questions

  1. The Priority of Delight over Discipline: Delight is not the consequence of doctrine and discipline, but rather their foundation. Think of a craft or hobby you enjoy—like knitting, blacksmithing, or birdwatching. How does your delight in that activity naturally lead you to practice its “disciplines”? How might shifting your focus from “doing chores for God” to “delighting in God” change your spiritual life?
  2. The “Inarticulate” vs. the “Articulate”: Jesus contrasts the “articulate” religious leaders—who are crafty—with the “inarticulate” who receive the kingdom. Why is it that those who think they have it all sorted out often miss the message, while those who have a “hard time tying their shoes” are able to receive Jesus?
  3. Discipleship as Apprenticeship: Following Jesus is apprenticeship to a Master who gets down on our level to show us how to live. In your life, how have you tried to follow a formula rather than “weaving together perception and movement” through a relationship with Jesus?
  4. The Yoke and the Cross: We often think of a “yoke” only as a burden of service, but Matthew links is both a nuptial embrace (a spouse) and the cross. How does viewing the cross as the “plough that upturns the soil of the soul” help you understand Jesus’ invitation to “come to me” when you are weary and heavy-burdened?

Resources Consulted

  • John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew (NPNF i.10, Homily 38)
  • Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Meditations on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, Volume One (Ignatius Press, 1996)
  • W.D. Davies and D.C. Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, Volume Two: Commentary on Matthew VIII–XVIII (T&T Clark,1991)
  • Tim Ingold, “Of String Bags and Birds’ Nests: Skill and the Construction of Artefacts,” in The Perception of the Environment: Essays on Livelihood, Dwelling and Skill (Routledge, 2022), 439–455
  • Brendan McInerny, “Unless You Become Like This Child Deification as Trinitarian Adoption,” in The Trinitarian Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar: An Introduction (Notre Dame, 2020), 85–124.
  • Paul Tyson, Returning to Reality: Christian Platonism for Our Times (Wipf & Stock, 2013), chs. 1–2
  • Rowan Williams, Looking East in Winter: Contemporary Thought and the Eastern Christian Tradition (Bloomsbury, 2021), ch.1.

Questions?

Do you have a question about today’s sermon? Email Sam Fornecker (SFornecker@standrews.church).

Audio & Video

You can listen to the sermon by using the player below or via the St Andrew’s Sermon Podcast on iTunes and Spotify.

 

https://vimeo.com/1207156198