I hope all is well in your world today...man was God awesome last night! I am so thankful we serve a God who is alive...always moving and breathing down on us! Thank You Lord Jesus for being our Healer, and thank You for coming in our midst last night and healing some hearts...You are AMAZING and I love You so much!
Summary...
So we are looking at the rest of the Beatitudes today...which one stood out to you most? I have to say one thing I noticed is how each Beatitude went against the "way of the world". Did you notice that? For example...God blesses those who are humble when the world encourages pride...self ambition...it is all about you in the world. Or how about God blesses those who are merciful when the world tells you to hold a grudge as long as you want and not to show mercy! What God is asking of us and expecting us to live out is so different than the way the world lives their lives. My momma often says that in situations that she is not sure what to do in, she asks herself what would the world do and then she does the opposite...gotta love my momma cause she's got it!
Again we must remember what these Beatitudes are for. They are like a code of conduct for us to live out as Christ followers. At the start of the passage it says that Jesus sat down to teach the disciples. In biblical times, when a rabbi would sit down to teach it meant they were serious, what they were teaching was crucial and the teaching deserved full attention. As you read these 8 key things, these 8 Beatitudes, give it your full attention because they are the expectation for you and for me in the way we live our lives.
I think the Beatitude that stood out to me most was verse 7...God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. I don't know about you, but I love the mercy of God and I am forever thankful for it! It is the mercy of God that has changed my life forever...I need His mercy. Yet this passage tells me I will be shown mercy as I give mercy. How good are you at giving mercy? I think a lot of times I am good at pointing out the wrong that people do, but I am not so good at extending them mercy in that moment as Christ would. We must learn to be more grace-filled, allowing for other's faults in life. Check out Ephesians 4:31-32...good stuff for sure!
Questions...
- What Beatitude do you struggle with most and why?
- How different are you from your friends who don't know Jesus? Do you see a difference between God's way and the world's and if so what is the difference? Which way is easier?
- When it comes to mercy, how good are you at showing it to others?
- Verse 10-12, again Jesus does not hide the fact that we will face persecution if we live for His Name. Have you ever been made fun of because of your faith in God? What do these 3 verses mean to you as a follower of Jesus Christ?
Lord Jesus I ask for Your mercy today for myself and my friends. But today Lord help us not only to receive this great gift You have given us, but help us to give it away to others. Help us to be grace-filled even to those who make fun of us and say false things about us. Help us to love them like You have first loved us. Bless my friends as they study You Jesus. Bless our desire as a community to draw closer to You and become better followers of You. Please continue to reveal who You are to us each day that we spend with You! We love You Jesus, remind us today of our GREAT need for You!
In Jesus Name...Amen.
tom
5 comments:
hey guys.
Having graduated from a public school and going to public school all my life it's hard not to be persecuted about your faith in Christ. Everyone seems to think that because I'm a Christ follower, I must be perfect, but thats the thing. I'm FAR from perfect, I never will be perfect, and that's why I need Jesus, He shows me mercy in my time of need, and when I totally screw things up trying to do them my own way. Matt. 5:10-12 gives me hope for the future, no matter how many times I am insulted or persecuted, it's okay, their words will hurt, but verse 12 says "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven..." I'm ready.
Honestly, I try to be merciful, but it's hard sometimes, when hardly anybody in the world gives mercy, and it's like "well, why should I give you a break if you never give me one??", so I'm working on being more merciful, and understanding, and trying on the other persons shoes.
This post is overwhelming and I still can't completely comprehend God. God is definitely over my head. Verse 5 "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." I must say I struggle with the most. Just being content with who I am and the way God made me. I mean sometimes I really don't even like myself and when I get to thinking about how God made me and how intricately made each individual is. You have to like how God made you and be humble about it. Showing humility is a big part of what believe in and i struggle the most with. I have to be torn from the inside out to sometimes realize God's there and that the world doesn't revolve around me.
I'd say I'm pretty differnt but somehow we fit together very well. They know my boundaries and what I stand for and I'm strong about what I believe and I don't let people in to tear me down. The world is not of God and I hope to never be like the world, but I definitely slip up becasue I'm not perfect. I have an issue with giving grace like Jesus gives grace. I'd love to always remember to give grace to those I get extremely irratated with.
Jesus please help me to give mercy on those who I get irratated with easily and help me to be humble insead of a pride-filled individual.
I'm praying for you all...<3 Mars
Wow, this passage is powerful to the max! Reading this before starting my day made me look at life through different eyes. I mean how amazing is it to think that God works greater as we get weaker. In our weakness, he is strong. There is nothing we face that he doesn't totally have under control. That alone puts a little pep to my step. Just as Lauren said, Mathew 10-12 gives me hope in every situation! This gives me a hope and a future in Christ! I'm excited to read on and learn and see what God does hrough this in our outh group. :)
Hey Guys its Valerie, I think The beatitude i struggle with is The Peace one, I have been doing really really good with not arguing over stupid stuff or walking away but sometimes its hard to Make peace with someone when they dont want to make peace with you but thats where Praying to God comes in handy:)!
I realize how diffrent i am from friends who arent saved by just the way that i talk and they talk, when they talk its cursing and gossiping constantly and all i want to do is talk to them about how amazing Jesus is,The Way the World handles stuff is by going to drugs and sex and even suicide sometimes to deal with there problems and they think that will fill in the empty hole, but it doesnt Jesus's ways are so much better they might be hard cause we can get persecuted but its just one of the things we have to deal with and Jesus did so much already that it wont hurt to give him so back but hes ways are easier.
When it comes to showing mercy for people i can sometimes have problem just cause i can still be mad at that person and may not want to be nice but then i feel God tugging on my heart and saying you cant be this way if you want to be my follower you have to show them mercy.And i have been doing much much better with it:)!
The verses mean a lot to me in this chapter because God just straight out tells us that its going to be hard being a christ follower and we are going to face trouble and persecution but hes always going to be there for us! i love him so much:)!!
Have a great day everyone i am praying for all of you! God Bless!
OUCH! Well i was all excited because God has made very real to me that He comforts those who mourn & that He satisfies those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, i hold those beatitudes very near & dear to my heart.
was gonna share THEN Tom had to zoom in on those who are merciful. Immediately i thought "oh yeah let me tell you i have shown mercy" & then i heard REALLY? YOU THINK SO? HUH. i must confess in this moment i am completely & totally convicted. i seem to have not much of a problem being merciful to those who don't know better, (non-Christ followers)however to my dear brothers & sisters in Christ, not so much.
Seriously signing off to contemplate.
Hope i still have friends after this post.
Love & mercy to all!!!
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