Jesus calls His disciples to lifetime of following Him – a following that included ongoing transformation and living on Jesus’ mission.
In and through Jesus Christ, we have received every blessing God intended from the beginning. His story has become our story. His victory is our victory.
God invites us to grow closer to Him. We need a steadfast walk with Him – an appetite for the things of God and His righteousness.
Life can be tough sometimes. Most of life is about the decisions we make and how we navigate ourselves. It comes down to us as individuals because God gives us freedom of choice. Serving God and loving Him is easy and that makes life less tough.
James, a half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, provided pastoral guidance for the early church, showing how to live more intentionally in a real-world of threats posed by external persecution and internal bickering. Pastor ‘Jacob’ believed wisdom from above would help the church live out its faith with hope and love
Worshippers confess their total dependence on God as their refuge and strength. By worshipping with other believers, we can hear testimonies of God’s trustworthiness from each other’s experiences. The greatest reward for worshippers comes when the Lord personally promises deliverance, honor, satisfaction, and salvation.
Jesus’ opens His Sermon on the Mount by identifying those who are truly “blessed” and “happy.” Here, Jesus is describing what God’s Kingdom people are like—attributes that He modeled perfectly. The Beatitudes describe God’s work in the lives of believers as He showers them with His grace and rescues them from despair.