Jan 25, 2026 “Am I Still Blessed?” (Matthew 5:1–12)

Am I still Blessed 

Matthew 5:1-12 

 

The Beatitudes talks about blessings. There are eight blessings in particular, but the blessed people he mentions seem they are lacking, struggling or suffering.  

 

Jesus doesn't give a message saying that their lives will get better, but he gives a new direction for living. Even the way Jesus calls his disciples to learn with him is humble and different from other leaders. 

 

Matthew 5:1 ESV 

[1] Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 

 

Jesus then goes on to say how to live. He does not say that if you do these things you will be blessed. Instead, He says this is how blessed people are. 

 

Matthew 5:3 ESV 

[3]  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

 

This is not talking about the future. It is talking about now. God's kingdom is for those who come empty handed. They come with complete dependence. 

 

Matthew 5:4 ESV 

[4]  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

 

The same is true with the second beatitude. When we realize the gap between us and God is do severe. When we see what sinners we are and how much we have rebelled against God. However, God will comfort those who come to this realization.  

 

Matthew 5:5 ESV 

[5]  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

 

Those who wait on God to right the wrongs and do not seek vengeance will be blessed. 

 

Matthew 5:6 ESV 

[6]  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

 

People who crave a right relationship with God are hungry for God and what is good. Following God will give a blessed life. 

 

 The first part of the beatitudes that deal with our self but then we move into the second part which deals with our relationship with others. 

 

Matthew 5:7 ESV 

[7]  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 

 

Mercy costs something. It might cost you time, comfort or some resource, and this is why we are reluctant to give mercy. Yet, we know Jesus has been merciful to us, and this alone should make us merciful to others. Those who show mercy are already living in God's mercy and this is a blessing.  

 

A sinless life is a direction towards God that is not divided. A divided heart is always suspicious. Is this God's will? The one whose direction is straight to God can be faithful. 

 

Matthew 5:9 ESV 

[9]  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

 

To be a peacemaker does not mean to avoid confrontation. Sometimes we need to confront people and make people uncomfortable in order to reconcile them to God. This is choosing obedience over comfort. 

 

What is the outcome of this path? 

 

 

Matthew 5:10 ESV 

[10]  “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

 

If you love God and are serious about living for God, you will be hated by the world. Jesus also tells us to be happy when we are persecuted because we are on the right path. Our life has meaning now and pleasing to God. 

 

We do not need to seek pain or suffering, but we do need to live for God. We start poor in spirit and move towards living for God. It will be difficult but worth the effort. 

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• How He Loves
• How Deep The Father's Love For Us

Jan 18, 2026 "Meeting the King" (Matthew 2:1-12)

• Resurrecting
• Because He Lives
• This Is My Father's World

Jan 11, 2026 "Faith Is Not Homework" (1 John 5: 1-15)

 

Faith Is Not Homework 

1 John 5:1-15 

 

In church circles we often hear that we need more faith. We are told when things go wrong, it is because we lack faith. However, faith is not homework . John tells us faith is different. 

 

1 John 5:2-3 ESV 

[2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 

 

John is talking about making faith your daily rhythm. John does not say this because we are weak or lazy. John says we lack faith when we are distant from God. It is harder to keep God's commands when we are not close to God. 

 

The language of relationship is keeping God's word. John is telling us that being in relationship with God we are guided to keep God's word. Obedience to God becomes natural as we depend on God more and draw closer to Him. 

 

John is not talking about doing more work to get closer to God or talking more about God. John is talking about faith that is the potential how God can work. Faith is not pretending that reality doesn't exist. Faith allows us to see the world through God's perspective. 

 

1 John 5:13 ESV 

[13] I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 

 

Christian faith is not about living in fear or asking if we are good enough. John reminds us that our confidence comes from the faithfulness of God. This assurance comes from God. 

 

1 John 5:14-15 ESV 

[14] And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 

 

Faith is not a magical spell or the power of our will, but the direction in the way we pray. When we pray, we admit that God is real and God comes first. Prayer is the way we converse with our Father.. When we pray with God, our hearts settle and we understand God more. 

 

We pray because God is already with us. We pray because that is how we converse with God. Faith is trusting that God is already holding on to us. 

 

Christian faith is not about asking us if we are strong enough or doing enough. Faith is being confident that God is strong enough. We can see the world's problems through God's perspective. 

 

Whether our faith is small or large, God will be enough. 

• It Is Well With My Soul
• Holy Forever
• Agnus Dei

Jan 4, 2026 “Loved First”(1 John 4:7-16)

 

1 John 4:7-16 New International Version

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 

¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.

¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Loved First

1 John 4:7-16

 

One of the phrases we hear much in church that we need to love. Love is central to the Christian life. When compared to faith and hope, love is greater.

 

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

[13] So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

However, loving other people is not an easy thing. It can be very hard to love someone who has wronged or hurt us. We need divine intervention to love. John tells us what the source of love is. It is not that we can force ourselves to love. Love does not come from our personality, skills or will; it comes from God.

 

1 John 4:7 ESV

[7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

 

Our love comes from God and if we love, we show we have been born of God and know God. In other words, our relationship with God allows us to love. Furthermore, John defines love as an action and not a feeling or a thought.

 

1 John 4:9-10 ESV

[9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  

 

Love moves towards its object of affection. God came to us and stayed with us. God did not sit in Heaven. He came as a person, Jesus Christ, and lived with us. God came not just to live with us, but to live in us.

 

1 John 4:13 ESV

[13]  By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

  

We have his spirit, but we have to have faith.

 

1 John 4:15 ESV

[15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  

 

There is no work we need to do. There is no formula we have to complete. God did the work and we need to believe that He loves us.

 

When our hearts feel closed or we find it impossible to love, John reminds us to go back to the place we were loved first. When our faith is restored, love will come naturally.  

 

God is not telling us to try harder, but to go back to the cross. We don't become more loving, so that God will come into our hearts. God has already given us the gift to love, we just need to return to the truth that God loves us.

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