Teaching Summary: Cultivating A Secret Life With God

Scripture: Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18

Florida is full of sinkholes—formed when water disappears from the limestone beneath the surface, leaving the ground hollow and vulnerable. It’s a powerful metaphor for our lives.

We often focus on what’s above the surface—our image, productivity, or even our spiritual performance. But if we’re hollow underneath, the surface won’t hold. Eventually, the weight of life will expose the erosion of the soul.

Jesus offers another way.

In Matthew 6, he invites us to live not just visibly but secretly:

“When you give… when you pray… when you fast… do it in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

This is not about hiding from people or making faith private.

It’s about cultivating a deeper, quieter life with God—one that’s rooted in presence, not performance.

This invitation corrects the shallow version of faith we’ve sometimes inherited.

The phrase “personal relationship with God” was meant to remind us that faith is real and relational—not just religious.

But sometimes it gets reduced to emotional individualism—faith as a private feeling rather than a shared formation.

Jesus calls us deeper:

To a secret life with God—a life that is:

• Formed in obscurity

• Strengthened in hiddenness

• Shaped by the Father’s presence and love

We see this in the Prophet Elijah.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah stood alone before the prophets of Baal. It was his big public moment—and God moved in power.

But immediately after, in 1 Kings 19, Elijah collapsed in fear and exhaustion.

He was burned out, disillusioned, and done.

So what does God do?

He meets Elijah not in wind, fire, or earthquake—but in the sound of sheer silence.

And He reveals that Elijah is not alone. There are 7,000 others. A remnant. A deeper reality Elijah couldn’t see from the surface.

Like Elijah, we need moments where God reveals what’s underneath and calls us back to intimacy.

So how do we cultivate that kind of life?

Jesus models three quiet rhythms throughout his life:

1. Silence – Stillness without words, where we become aware of God’s presence.

2. Solitude – Being alone with God and allowing His presence to shape us.

3. Secrecy – Doing hidden acts of love and obedience, not for applause, but for the joy of God’s smile.

To begin, we’re practicing something called “The Secret Seven.” A practice we’ve included in this week’s Quiet Table Guide.

What is the reward Jesus promises in Matthew 6?

It’s a deeply formed life.

A life rooted in the unseen, anchored in love, shaped by the Father’s gentle whisper

A life able to sustain our souls and fuel our God given mission.

What kind of life are you cultivating beneath the surface of your life?