111: A Call to the Life of the Kingdom by Mark D Hampton

What would happen if we really listened to Jesus preach? What if we really paid attention to the teaching in the Sermon on the Mount? Hampton spent time in the passage, meditating on it and memorizing it. It changed his life.

Hampton shares with us his insights into the radically different way of being in the world this passage reflects. He describes what the Kingdom of God looks like and how we are to live in it. The book contains 111 devotions, generally each one concentrating on one verse of Jesus' sermon. Hampton includes a few questions at the end of each reading for continued thought. He suggests memorizing the verse for the day, realizing how that writes the kingdom principles onto our hearts.

Here are a few of the insights I really appreciated. Matt. 5:5, that Jesus is our example of the quiet strength of meekness. Matt. 5:8, that being pure in heart means being consistent in belief and action and not being hypocritical. Matt. 5:12, how different God's kingdom is from the world we live in. Matt. 5:30, what happens when our desires take precedence before the kingdom. Other topics include our speech, what we are willing to do away with to follow Christ, loving our enemies, the kind of love that gets the world's attention, how placing Christ first is really best for us and those we love, and much more.

Hampton desires we pay attention to these words of Christ, not because it will make us followers of Christ but rather because we are followers of Christ and we desire to live as He wants us to. This is a good devotional on the Sermon on the Mount and I highly recommend it.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Mark D. Hampton is a preacher, teacher, and minister. He has worked on the mission field, in the church, and in higher education, and has a passion for seeing people’s faith come alive through the study of Scripture. He and his wife, Laura, live in Augusta, Georgia.

Resource Publications, 126 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)