Lesson 3
August 20, 2025

What Do You Do More Than Others?

Matthew 5:47 (ESV) 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Adapted from Polishing the Pulpit Branson, 2025, presented by Eric Owens

Class Handout - What Do You Do More Than Others?

Power Point - What Do You Do More Than Others?

Study Questions - What Do You Do More Than Others?

Class Overview
What Do You Do More Than Others?

What Do You Do More Than Others? (Matthew 5:47)

Followers of Christ are called to exceed ordinary standards by imitating God's love, character, and purpose.
True discipleship is demonstrated by loving beyond social norms—even loving our enemies.
"Doing more" involves adopting godly character, maintaining a higher purpose as "salt and light," and focusing on Christ.
Living by grace and faith means prioritizing intentions and attitudes over merely following rules.

Jesus corrects misconceptions about love, urging followers to love their enemies, not just their friends. True discipleship is demonstrated by loving beyond social norms, just as God shows love to all.

The Uniqueness of God's People

Jesus' arrival as God incarnate fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and ushered in the kingdom of heaven. From the beginning, God intended His people—both Old and New Testament Israel—to be a unique, spiritual nation. They are called to stand out from the world through their wisdom, understanding, and their distinct relationship with Him.

Living Beyond Ordinary Standards

In Matthew 5, Jesus challenges the prevailing understanding of love. He calls His followers to a higher standard: to love their enemies, not just those who love them back. This command to love, bless, and pray for those who oppose them is the mark of a true disciple. Jesus himself modeled this radical love on the cross by forgiving his persecutors. This goes far beyond the behavior of tax collectors and Gentiles, who only greet their own.

How to "Do More Than Others"

Exceeding ordinary standards is not about a single action but a transformed life. It involves:

Adopting Godly Character: Cultivating humility, meekness, mercy, and a spirit of peacemaking.
Maintaining a Higher Purpose: Living as "salt and light" to influence the world for God's glory, not for human praise.
Exhibiting God-like Love: Intentionally loving, forgiving, and praying for all people, not just friends and family.
Walking by Faith: Trusting God with the future, treasuring heavenly things over worldly pursuits, and prioritizing a sincere heart over outward rule-following.

A Call to Self-Examination

The message concludes with a direct challenge: examine your own life. Is your distinctiveness as a follower of Christ clear? Are you living differently than the world, or have worldly influences diminished your unique calling? Jesus invites everyone to follow Him, which requires a change of heart and action. The call is to become Christ-like through faith, repentance, confession, and baptism, and to live a life that truly does "more than others."

Study Game and Interactive Study Questions

Quiz: What Do You Do More Than Others?

Beatitude Match — “Build the Disciple’s Heart”

0/8 matched

Match each Beatitude to its plain-language meaning. Tap one item on the left, then its match on the right. Get all 8 to complete the heart-work!

Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–10)

Definitions (Tap to Match)

Tip: Select one from each side to lock a pair. Locked = correct match.

Love Like God — Scenario Challenge

Choose the most Christlike action for each situation. The four targets come straight from Matthew 5:44 — Love, Bless, Do Good, Pray.

“Do More Than Others” — From Beatitudes to Bedrock

Twelve quick multiple-choice questions that trace Jesus’ call to surpass worldly standards (Matthew 5–7). Learn as you go; each answer explains why it matters.

Lesson 3

Lesson 3August 20, 2025What Do You Do More Than Others?Matthew 5:47 (ESV) 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?