Please read Psalm 15 and Matthew 5: 1-12 and use these notes to prepare for Sunday morning worship.
Sermon Focus: New Year, Same Promises: Blessing
Key Verse: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5: 6)
What does it mean to you to be “pure in heart”?
Are there times in your life where you felt that you saw God? What was it about the experience that led you to feel that way?
Key Verse: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5: 9)
What are some ways you can be a peacemaker?
“The central theme of the Sermon on the Mount is to be found at the conclusion of the fifth chapter of Matthew, where Jesus tells his followers that he intends for them to become perfect just as their Father in heaven is perfect. The word translated “perfection” points to our need to develop toward Christian maturity. To be perfect is to be what we were meant to become; to be perfect is to be mature; to be perfect is to reach the stage of mature self-development that moves beyond the initial moment of Christian commitment into the fullness of life to which Christ is calling his followers.” – from “The Sermon on the Mount: A Theological Interpretation” by Carl G. Vaught