A Word About the Weekend...wrapping up the Beatitudes

Living the Blessed Life!

This weekend, we come  to the last message in our series on the Beatitudes. This "Traction" series has given us so many handles on the blessings of God. Many of you have spoken of how the Lord has been using these Scriptures in your life. I am grateful for that! These words of Jesus have stretched and shaped me as well... and never more so than in this last Beatitude that we come to today.

In the Beatitudes, Christ gives us a clear discription of a Godly life. Hopefully you remember that there is a "Root, Shoot, Fruit" pattern

THE ROOT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

1. To be poor in spirit, recognizing that before God I am spiritually bankrupt, and that all my good is in Him.
   
   
2. To mourn over my own sins, seeing their cost so that I move beyond feeling sorry to a place where I actually change. REPENTANCE

3. To meekly submit to the will of God, whatever the cost. Submitting to His hand and His guidance!

These are the roots of a godly life. There is no true Christianity without them. But out of these roots, comes:

THE SHOOT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

4. A life that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.

This deep longing and commitment is the soul of a godly life. And where this life grows, it will bear wonderful fruit!

THE FRUIT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

5. Out of this life will come a tenderness of heart—mercy, compassion, forgiveness—beautiful fruit.

6. Out of this life will come purity of heart—to will one thing, to move beyond the spiritual stagnation of double-mindedness that holds half to the world and half to Christ.

7. Out of this life will come a peaceable spirit. Peace in your own heart that makes it possible for you to be a peacemaker in this troubled world.

Here are the things I am to cultivate. Here is the life that God calls me to pursue, the pathway of sanctification. Here is the path on which God’s blessing is to be found.

What comes of such a life?

If I pursue this life to which Christ calls me, what should I expect? What lies ahead of me? To that question, Jesus gives two answers:

1. You will be persecuted by the world, and 2. You will be blessed by God.

That's not easy to hear...but this weekend we will explore the pattern of persecution and the ultimate outcome of such persecution...THE BLESSING OF GOD!

Join us!

PREVIEW - Beginning Sunday, July 4th, we will begin a new sermon series called "GROW UP... FROM HERE TO MATURITY". You won't want to miss it.