May 19 | Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is God’s kingdom. Blessed are you when they may insult you and persecute and might say all kinds of evil against you, lying on your account. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your…
May 18 | Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are those who are peacemakers, for they will be called God’s sons.” (Matthew 5:9) We live in a world at war. From the political to the social scene everyone is screaming at everyone else. There is no unity or tolerance as we used to…
May 17 | Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) I love M&Ms. But my favorite our peanut M&Ms. There are days when I’m not in the mood for peanut M&Ms. I want to try another kind. I don’t have to be…
May 16 | Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) The world doesn’t see merciful people as strong. In sports, we see unhappy coaches when athletes show mercy to their opponents. Yet, we all want the judge to show us mercy if we…
May 15 | Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness,for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) Some people don’t care if the right thing is done. We have literature and movies that extol the villain instead of the hero. Some don’t want to do the…
May 14 | Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Our world can’t understand meek. They think any form of power without control is weak. But they’re not the same. They think strength must be overwhelming. A man’s man shows off his strength…
May 13 | Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) Funerals are awkward for me. I don’t know how to comfort the mourners even as a pastor. When they asked, “Why did God take Him now?” I don’t know how to respond. I…
January 15 | Matthew 6:13 “And don’t lead us into tests, but rescue us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13) There’s a whole plane of existence people don’t consider. God made us flesh and spirit. Everyone recognizes the physical realm, but many people miss the spiritual realm. Things happen all…
January 13 | Matthew 6:11 "Our daily bread give us for this day" (Matthew 6:11) You’re stranded on a desert island. What do you find first? Food? Water? Shelter? You must meet your needs if you want to survive. All those pictures of beautiful island beaches don’t seem so inviting…
Summary: Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount with three illustrations of two ways. One way leads to eternal destruction while the other way leads to eternal life. Jesus describes the disciples who have an eternal destiny with Him, the ones He knows by name. Introduction In my last post,…