Practising Faith Together, Not for Show | Kingdom Community Week 3 | 1 Feb 2026 | Abi Lycett

Devotional

Day 1: God Sees and Rewards Your Secret Devotion

This passage reminds us that God's attention is not solely on our public actions, but deeply on our private devotion. When we give, pray, or fast with a sincere heart, even when no one else is watching, God sees. He acknowledges the sacrifices made in secret, the prayers whispered in solitude, and the acts of kindness done without fanfare. This hidden faithfulness is not unnoticed; it is a treasure stored up in heaven, a testament to a heart focused on Him. [21:13]

Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

Reflection: In what area of your life have you been practicing your faith primarily for the affirmation of others, and how might you shift your focus to seeking God's quiet approval instead?

Day 2: The Power of Community in Spiritual Disciplines

Following Jesus is a journey meant to be walked with others. While personal devotion is vital, this passage highlights how engaging in spiritual disciplines like prayer and giving together can amplify their impact and provide mutual encouragement. When we gather with fellow believers, our individual strengths can complement each other, and our collective faith can sustain us through challenges. This communal pursuit of God builds up the body of Christ and enriches each individual's walk. [10:57]

Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)
"Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'"

Reflection: Consider a spiritual discipline you find challenging to practice consistently on your own. How could inviting a trusted friend or small group to join you in this practice make a difference?

Day 3: Motives Matter: Examining the Heart's Posture

Jesus calls us to examine the underlying reasons for our spiritual practices. The passage challenges us to move beyond mere outward performance and to discern the true posture of our hearts when we give, pray, or fast. Are we seeking recognition and applause from others, or are we genuinely seeking to honor God? Understanding our motives is crucial, as it determines the true reward we receive, whether it's fleeting human praise or eternal treasure. [13:36]

Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV)
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Reflection: When you engage in acts of service or devotion, what internal "scorecard" are you keeping, and how might that scorecard be influencing your motivations?

Day 4: Counter-Cultural Faith in a World of Recognition

Living a life that truly reflects God's kingdom often means going against the prevailing currents of our culture. This passage presents a stark contrast to a world that often celebrates self-promotion and public accolades. By choosing to act with humility and to seek reward from God alone, we embrace a counter-cultural faith. This path may be costly, requiring us to deny ourselves the satisfaction of earthly recognition, but it leads to a far greater and more enduring treasure. [13:13]

Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)
"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Reflection: Where in your daily life do you feel the most pressure to perform or to seek external validation, and how can you intentionally practice humility in those moments?

Day 5: The Unseen Labor and Heavenly Treasure

The promise that "your Father who sees in secret will reward you" is a powerful encouragement. It assures us that every act of faithfulness, every prayer offered in sincerity, and every sacrifice made in secret is not in vain. Even when we don't see immediate results or receive earthly recognition, God is meticulously recording our efforts. This truth calls us to persevere, knowing that our true treasure is being stored up in heaven, a reward far surpassing anything this world can offer. [20:34]

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be."

Reflection: Reflect on a time you invested significant effort into something that yielded no visible or immediate reward. How might God be using that unseen labor to build your heavenly treasure?

Sermon Summary

Jesus’ instructions about giving, praying, and fasting are reframed as communal practices rather than merely private obligations. The text highlights that these disciplines are assumed — “when” not “if” — and that they are meant to shape the life of a gathered people who seek God’s kingdom above acclaim. The posture God desires is one of hidden faithfulness: acts done without public performance, motivated by love for God and others rather than the applause of onlookers. This counters both the first-century culture that prized public piety and the modern impulse to display spiritual life on social platforms.

Community transforms these disciplines. Shared prayer, giving, and fasting provide accountability, spiritual encouragement, and a pooling of gifts that surpass what isolated individuals can offer. Practicing them together makes ordinary devotion sustainable when zeal wanes and deepens spiritual insight as gifts and revelations circulate among the group. The call is costly because it often forfeits visible rewards, but the cost is meaningful: storing up treasure in heaven and building a kingdom-shaped character.

Authenticity between public and private life is central. The hidden life should mirror the visible one, not be a mask for performance. The promise anchored throughout is that the Father who sees in secret notices and rewards what the world overlooks. Therefore disciples are urged to seek the kingdom first — to orient daily life around God’s reign — trusting that God will provide and that no faithful labor in Christ is ever wasted. The emphasis lands on sacrificial devotion, communal discipleship, and an eternal economy that values inward transformation and heavenly recompense over temporal recognition.

Key Takeaways

1. God dwells in hidden places True worship and faithful acts find their source in a God who notices what is unseen; divine attention, not human applause, defines spiritual worth. When deeds, prayers, or fasts pass without public acknowledgment, they are not wasted — they are observed by the Father who collects what the world discards and invests it into eternal treasure. This reframes discouragement into patient hope and calls for integrity between private devotion and public life. [11:54]
2. Practice communal spiritual disciplines Giving, praying, and fasting flourish when done with others because community supplies perseverance, diverse gifts, and mutual edification. Shared disciplines create structures that resist distraction and cultivate sustained longing for God, converting individual weakness into collective strength. The church is meant to be a laboratory for kingdom habits, where ordinary sacrifices compound into significant mercy and witness. [06:41]
3. Motives matter more than recognition The posture of the heart determines whether an action stores up eternal reward or exhausts in public praise; checking motive is the gospel work of refining love. Authentic discipleship refuses performative religion and chooses humility over reputation, allowing God’s approval to be the primary aim. Honest self-examination and repentance guard leaders and communities from subtle idolatries of fame and affirmation. [13:36]
4. Treasure in heaven outweighs applause The economy Jesus commends prioritizes unseen, eternal fruit over immediate validation; what is lost or unrecognized now can be recompensed by the Father. This conviction empowers sacrificial living: to give, pray, and fast without guarantee of visible return because the greater reward awaits. It reorients ambition from accolades to God’s glory and sustains endurance amid delayed or hidden outcomes. [21:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:27] - Series: Sermon on the Mount
[00:38] - Reading Matthew 6:1–18
[04:09] - Themes: Give, Pray, Fast
[05:15] - Up, In, Out: Kingdom Rhythm
[06:41] - Community Lens on Disciplines
[11:54] - Point 1: Hidden Places
[13:36] - Checking Heart Motives
[20:34] - Father Sees in Secret
[21:50] - Seek First the Kingdom
[24:08] - Prayer and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary and transcript:

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:1-18 (ESV)
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Observation questions

The passage states that Jesus' instructions about giving, praying, and fasting are given with the assumption that these are practices we will engage in, not if we will. What does the phrasing "when you give," "when you pray," and "when you fast" imply about the nature of these spiritual disciplines? [12:22]
The sermon highlights that Jesus was speaking to a gathered crowd, not just individuals. How does viewing these instructions through a "community lens" rather than an "individual lens" change the way we might approach giving, praying, and fasting? [06:41]
The passage warns against practicing righteousness "in order to be seen by them." What are some modern-day equivalents to "sounding a trumpet" or "disfiguring faces" when it comes to spiritual practices? [13:55]
The sermon emphasizes that God "dwells in hidden places" and "sees in secret." What does this tell us about where true worship and faithful acts find their source? [11:54]

Interpretation questions

The sermon suggests that practicing spiritual disciplines like giving, praying, and fasting in community provides accountability, encouragement, and a pooling of gifts. How might shared disciplines help to sustain devotion when individual zeal wanes? [10:06]
The passage contrasts the reward received from people with the reward from "your Father who is in heaven." What does it mean to seek God's approval rather than human applause, and why is this a challenging posture in today's culture? [13:36]
The sermon notes that the call to hidden faithfulness is "costly because it often forfeits visible rewards." What are the "visible rewards" that we might be tempted to seek, and how does the promise of "treasure in heaven" reorient our ambition? [21:13]
The sermon states that "authenticity between public and private life is central." How can we ensure that our hidden life mirrors our visible one, rather than being a mask for performance? [18:19]

Application questions

Consider your own practices of giving, praying, and fasting. Are these primarily individual pursuits, or do you engage in them with a community? What is one small step you could take this week to practice one of these disciplines more communally? [07:09]
The sermon challenges us to check our heart posture and motives behind our actions. When you give, pray, or fast, what is the primary motivation driving you? Is it for God's glory, or for the affirmation of others? [13:36]
We are encouraged to practice our faith in secret, trusting that the Father who sees in secret will reward us. Can you identify an area in your life where you have been doing something faithful for God, but have received no recognition for it? How can you find encouragement in that hidden faithfulness? [20:34]
The sermon emphasizes that "God is all about people" and that we are meant to do discipleship with people. How can you intentionally invest in the spiritual growth of others within your community this week, even if it requires sacrifice of your time or comfort? [10:35]
The idea of "storing up treasure in heaven" is presented as an alternative economy to worldly recognition. What is one tangible way you can shift your focus from seeking temporal validation to investing in eternal treasure this week? [25:12]
The sermon encourages us to "seek first the kingdom of God." What does it look like practically to orient your daily life around God's reign, and what is one area where you might be prioritizing other things over seeking His kingdom? [21:50]

Sermon Clips

``at the end of each little bit, it says that your father who sees in secret will reward you. And that's really what where I wanted to land today is that your father sees your father sees your father sees what goes on in secret. Your father sees what is happening behind closed doors. Your father sees the stuff that no one else sees And actually take courage from that because everything you've sown into in secret, the father promises to reward you. [00:20:21] (39 seconds) #FatherSeesSecret

And actually take courage from that because everything you've sown into in secret, the father promises to reward you. Everything you've put your hand to, every time you've given, every time you've prayed, every time you've fasted, Maybe no one else has known. Maybe no one else has seen. Maybe you received no recognition on this earth, but take heart and take courage because you're storing up your treasure in heaven. [00:20:50] (33 seconds) #TreasureStoredHeaven

And I think that's really like Jesus' exclamation mark summary of this of these passages. What he's saying is, don't go after the things that the world is going after. Don't go after recognition. Don't go after everybody thinking that you're an amazing Christian. Just go after me. Just go after me. Go after me in your public life. Go after me in your private life. Go after me when people are watching. Go after me when people aren't watching. [00:21:50] (29 seconds) #FollowJesusNotFame

I know that every tear you've cried in the secret place that no one's seen, every question you've asked that no one's seen, everything that you've sacrificed that no one has seen or recognized or acknowledged, the father knows, and the father takes delight in those things. New treasure is being stored up in heaven. And that is true on an individual level personally between us and God, but I think that is also true on a community level [00:22:18] (32 seconds) #GodDelightsInHidden

That can be really hard. That can be really deflating. That can be really disappointing. And, again, I think that is why we we are called to pray in community because it's too disheartening to keep going on your own. But I I felt like God was letting me into the secret of actually when you're praying and you're not seeing anything happen, it's not because nothing's happening. But you your treasure is coming, and you might not see that treasure here on the earth, but your treasure is in heaven. [00:17:55] (38 seconds) #UnseenPrayersMatter

as a church, as a as your family, as your group of close friends, as we go on this journey of becoming disciples of Jesus, Know that everything you've given maybe as a community towards something and you've not seen the fruit, know that your father sees it. Every time you've prayed in a prayer group and you've seen no breakthrough, God has still heard your prayers. And those are sacrificed of the time it takes to meet with people. Every time you've gone on a journey and fasting as a community, God sees it. God knows it. God honors it. [00:22:50] (40 seconds) #CommunitySacrificeCounts

But, actually, what if we looked at this through a community lens and we thought, actually, instead of taking off this instruction just as me, myself, and I, with God, how do I make this happen in my life? What if we actually went, okay. How about we do this together? How about we go on this journey together? What does it look like for us to give as a community? I think we can give so much more when we give together, and that might be financial giving. That's often what I think we think of when we read this passage, but it's also giving of our time, of our resources, of our skills. [00:07:52] (38 seconds) #CollectiveGivingPower

But when I gather with a group of people to pray, there is an accountability already there of, nope. We got up. We got out, and we're spending this twenty minutes praying. So I better be here and praying because others are here and praying. And often, I find those times of prayer so much richer because when my when my zeal is running out, the person next to me feels seems to spike. And there is this giving and this flowing and this inspiration from what those around me are saying. [00:09:45] (35 seconds) #PrayTogetherStronger

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