Jesus addresses 3 key ideas in this passage: Jesus’ followers are not afraid to make requests of their Father. Jesus’ followers treat others with kindness. Jesus’ followers make daily choices that lead to life, not destruction. 3 Life Hacks For Christ Followers Matthew 7:7-11  1. Jesus Wants Us To Ask, Knock, and Seek Jesus’ disciples will pray (“ask”) with earnest sincerity (“seek”) and active, diligent pursuit of God’s way (“knock”). Like a human father, the heavenly Father uses these means to teach his children courtesy, persistence, and diligence. Such “active patience” does not show a lack of faith but rather a constant admission that we need God’s help and have turned over our needs to him. Christ’s assurance that those who ask will receive from God is based on:  keeping our priorities focused on God and seeking his kingdom purposes first  recognizing God’s fatherly goodness and love  praying according to God’s will and keeping our desires in line with his  maintaining communication and friendship with Christ obeying Christ  He loves us even more than any good earthly father could love his children, and he wants us to ask him for whatever we need, promising to give us what is good and best for us. He desires to solve our problems and supply our daily needs. We must remember that God is not a genie in a bottle to grant our wishes, but he earnestly desires to meet the needs of his children. We have to remember that no is an answer to prayer. Matthew 7:12  2. Treat Others The Way We Would Like To Be Treated We are to do to others what we would have them do to us, not just because we expect the same in return, but because such conduct is the goal of the Law and the Prophets. The “Golden Rule” needs to be seen in a fresh light. For those who know the Bible, this verse tends to go the way of John 3:16, often quoted but seldom applied. Jesus gave his audience a simple and profound principle to guide them in relating to others. We are to treat them the way we want them to treat us in the same circumstances. It is easy for us to be critical of others and expect mountains of grace for ourselves. This world would be a much better place if God’s people treated others how they would want to be treated. Including not going to war with unbelievers. We should not be surprised when unbelievers act like unbelievers. Matthew 7:13-14  3. Choose Life Over Destruction The narrow gate is the way of personal faith in Christ. This is precisely what the Pharisees missed so badly. The Pharisees used the wide … gate, which is the normal human tendency toward dependence on self-righteousness Christ taught that we are not to expect a majority of people to follow him on the road that leads to eternal life with God.  Comparatively, few will pass through the gate of godly humility and true repentance. Jesus taught that following him is costly. It involves making difficult choices and going through difficult situations at times. This exegesis entails two conclusions: Jesus is not encouraging committed disciples, “Christians,” to press on along the narrow way and be rewarded. He commands his disciples to enter the way marked by persecution and be rewarded. Implicitly, entrance into the kingdom—or, to preserve the language Matthew uses here but not always elsewhere, entrance into the way to the kingdom—begins here and now. We often think the main focus of this passage is heaven or hell. This passage mainly speaks to the here and now. If we live a life for God, we will have a life now, and if we do not live for God, we will have destruction now. What are our transformational moments? Are you asking God for what you need? Do you treat others how you would want to be treated? Are you choosing life over destruction?