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SOM: Blessed are the Peacemakers

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” – Matthew 5:9 It is estimated that there has been a little over 260 years of peace in all of recorded history. While there are many causes for conflict, we still desire to have peaceful resolutions. Now, we find Jesus referring toContinue reading “SOM: Blessed are the Peacemakers”

SOM: Blessed are the Pure in Heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8 If one thing is clear in the Sermon on the Mount, it is that the Lord is concerned with more than outward cleanliness and show. He has emphasized the spiritual life of His people in comparable ways to the physical. Poor,Continue reading “SOM: Blessed are the Pure in Heart”

SOM: Blessed are the Merciful

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7 The first four beatitudes look towards God, the next four toward people. These discuss virtues which mark the godly as blessed in their interactions with others. We all come across those with a heightened sense of spiritual connection to God but behave poorly towardsContinue reading “SOM: Blessed are the Merciful”

SOM: Blessed Are They Which Do Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 This is the last beatitude that focuses on our relationship with God. The remainder will focus on our relationship with other people around us. With that in mind, we find words in this verse that are commonly usedContinue reading “SOM: Blessed Are They Which Do Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness.”

SOM: Blessed are the Meek

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5 Weak and meek are not the same the same thing. Jesus was anything but weak. He had power of demons, diseases, and death. He demonstrated his power over nature by simple use of His voice and when he spoke the people thatContinue reading “SOM: Blessed are the Meek”

SOM: Blessed are they that Mourn

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” -Matthew 5:4 Our society is no longer sick about sin. Instead, sin many times is glorified and rather than seeking repentance it is celebrated. Those who feel remorse over sinful thoughts and behaviors are quick to post it on social media because they know theyContinue reading “SOM: Blessed are they that Mourn”

SOM: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” – Matthew 5:3 Poverty is not something we desire. Most work against it and the insecurities that it brings. Still, it does teach us something of immense value. It teaches us humility before and dependence upon God. It is those “poor inContinue reading “SOM: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit”

SOM: The Blessed Attitudes

Our attitude towards things has a direct affect on what we go through. It is because of our attitude that our reaction toward different situations, people, and thoughts will determine how we react and how we react will in turn cause different outcomes. Making our attitude toward things the root cause of many things thatContinue reading “SOM: The Blessed Attitudes”

Sermon on the Mount: Introduction – The Sermon of the King

I could fill a book with countless lessons and quotes given by my father. Many were quite interesting. If you asked me to narrow it down to primary teachings on life, I would still have quite a handful. That seems to be exactly what Jesus did in his famous sermon on the mount. It wouldContinue reading “Sermon on the Mount: Introduction – The Sermon of the King”

Church Health: Functional Health

Measuring a Church’s Functional Health Chances are great that your church is suffering from what is called Pareto principle. This principle is a “commonly noted observation that 20 percent of the people in a church do 80 percent of the work” (Thumma, 2011, p. xxi). This principle is so prevalent in cultures globally almost regardlessContinue reading “Church Health: Functional Health”