Matthew 5:1-12 When I first started thinking about this beatitude: Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy, my mind went immediately to situations where I am confronted with people in need and struggle with what to do. “When I pass by a beggar in the street without giving anything,” I asked myself,…
Matthew 5:1-12 “Only Jesus satisfies. Money and possessions do not satisfy. Power and pleasure do not satisfy. Only Jesus satisfies.” That’s what he said and I couldn’t contain myself. “I don’t think that’s true.” “What do you mean you don’t think that’s true?” “Well, for example, money, power and pleasure can be extremely satisfying.” “Are…
Matthew 5:1-12 One of the advantages of fishing over preaching is that when you make a cast you don’t like, you can reel the line in and cast again. In preaching, once a sermon is preached, you can’t take it back and try again. I would like to pull back last week’s sermon, make a…
Matthew 5:1-12 Let’s start out this morning with a little Bible Quiz. Ten questions. I’ll ask the questions and then give the answers. You can score yourself. No one need know how you did. Old Testament 1. Who in the Bible said, “Here I am! Send me.”? 2. Who said, “If you had not played…
Matthew 5:1-12 Growing up in mainline denominations, Lutheran and Presbyterian to be exact, there were certain parts of Scripture we had to memorize. While there might be disagreement about the validity of other parts of Scripture, there was no disputing that these passages reflected the highest form of moral truth. The four principle passages were…