Jesus, the Blessed one

Jesus is the Blessed One. The word benediction, which is the Latin form for the word blessing, means “to say (dicere) good things (bene).” Jesus is the Blessed One because God has spoken good things of him. Most clearly we see God’s blessing after Jesus has been baptised in the river Jordan, when “suddenly there was a voice from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rest on him’” (Matthew 3:16-17). With this blessing Jesus starts his public ministry. And all of that ministry makes known to us that this blessing is not only for Jesus but also for all who follow him.

Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith. ©1997 by Henri J. M. Nouwen.

But I Say to You

Jesus Righteousness: Matthew 5:17-48

March 9, 2014

What is Jesus’ attitude toward the Law?

Does he question its authority, or only its interpretation?

What are we required to obey—if anything?

 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

The scribes and Pharisees sought to restrict the commands of the law, and extend their permissions, to suit their convenience.

Jesus explains the true meaning of the moral law with all its uncomfortable implications.

 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

 “You have heard that it was said...” Matthew 5:21

Anger

Lust

Divorce

Oaths

Retaliation

Enemies

But I say to you…

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

Memory Verse: Week Three

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.   Matthew 5:18

Intentional Bible Reading

1. Pronounce It
2. Picture It
3. Probe It
4. Paraphrase It
5. Personalize It 

This Week:

1. Read and reflect.
2. Pick one issue and ask the Holy Spirit for a change in your righteousness.
3. Be an example of perfection.

Reflecting Jesus by looking into The Sermon on the Mount

You will recognize them by how they live. Matthew 7:20

Blessed Are You

Jesus Character & Influence: Matthew 5:1-16

March 2, 2014

Who are the people of the beatitudes?

What qualities are they to have?

What are the blessings promised?

The beatitudes are eight fundamental emotional attributes that are a formula for personal and societal health.

Ø  The Poor in Spirit

Ø  Those Who Mourn

Ø  The Meek

Ø  Those Who Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness

Ø  The Merciful

Ø  The Pure in Heart

Ø  The Peacemakers

Ø  The Persecuted

Salt of the Earth & Light of the World

Our influence depends upon our character.

We bring blessing on ourselves.

We bring salvation to others.

We bring glory to God.

As followers of Jesus, by how we live we are commissioned to stop the spread of evil and promote the spread of truth.

Memory Verse: Week Two

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.   Matthew 5:16

Intentional Bible Reading

1. Pronounce It
2. Picture It
3. Probe It
4. Paraphrase It
5. Personalize It

This Week:

1. Read and reflect.
2. Pick one thing and ask the Holy Spirit for a change in your character.
3. Be an influence for righteousness.

Reflecting Jesus by looking into The Sermon on the Mount

You will recognize them by how they live. Matthew 7:20

Reflecting Jesus series: Overview Insert from February 23

Reflecting Jesus:

          You will recognize them by how they live. Matthew 7:20

Matthew 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount

“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 4:17) “He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 4:23)  The Sermon on the Mount is to be seen in this context.  It portrays repentance and right living.  That is, it describes what human life and human community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God.  The followers of Jesus are to be different—different  from both the nominal church and the secular world, different from both the religious and the irreligious.                                           – John  Stott

Jesus’ Self- Portrait

Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor, the gentle, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for uprightness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness” (Matthew 5:3-10). These words offer us a self-portrait of Jesus. Jesus is the Blessed One (because God has spoken good things of him). And the face of the Blessed One shows poverty, gentleness, grief, hunger, and thirst for uprightness, mercy, purity of heart, a desire to make peace, and the signs of persecution. The whole message of the Gospel is this: Become like Jesus. We have his self-portrait. When we keep that in front of our eyes, we will soon learn what it means to follow Jesus and become like him.                                                                                                                  – Henri Nouwen

1.       Messiah Self-portrait             Jesus’ Manifesto

2.       Blessed Are You                        Jesus’ Character & Influence

3.       But I Say to You                        Jesus’ Righteousness

4.       When You Pray                         Jesus’ Piety

5.       Seek First the Kingdom          Jesus’ Ambition

6.       Ask—Seek—Knock                  Jesus’ Relationships

7.       One Who Has Authority        Jesus’ Commitment

8.       You Will Recognize Them      Jesus’ Reflection

REINFORCEMENTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE:

HEAR: I’ll listen to all 8 messages in the Sermon on the Mount series.

READ: I’ll read Matthew chapters 5 through 7 every week.

ü  Sunday                 5:1-16

ü  Monday               5:17-32

ü  Tuesday               5:33-48

ü  Wednesday        6:1-18

ü  Thursday             6:19-34

ü  Friday                    7:1-20

ü  Saturday              7:21-29

HOST:* I’ll invite a few friends to form a group with me.

DISCUSS: I’ll meet weekly with a small group (home, work, or campus).

REMEMBER: I’ll carry the weekly memory verse with me.

DO: I’ll practice the action steps Pastor Vernon gives us.

Sermon on the Mount Reflections 1of12

Periodically throughout our study of Matthew 5-7, I will post some reflections from Henri Nouwen. Her is the first.

Expecting a Surprise

Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.

Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith. ©1997 by Henri J. M. Nouwen.

Love Talk Starters for Valentines

Love Talk Starters for Valentines

Spark a Great Conversation with your Valentine

Copyright Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

Love Talk Starters for Valentines

www.LesAndLeslie.com

Maybe you’re all dressed up and sitting across from your sweetie at a fancy restaurant. Or maybe you’ve opted for the stay-at-home romantic dinner you’ve made together. Whatever your Valentine scenario, we’ve produced this little resource to help you have a great conversation.

Questions to Explore Together

What follows are a variety of simple conversation starters – so don’t treat this as an assignment to get through. Simply pluck out a few questions that intrigue you most. And begin your love talk.

• What’s the first Valentine’s Day you can remember as a child? What was it like and how did you feel?

• If Hollywood made a movie about our relationship, what would they call it and who would play each of us?

• When you think about us, what makes you smile the most and why?

• What’s the most romantic movie or book you’re ever read and why?

• If you were to finish this sentence, what would you say: I feel most in love with you when…

• When we met for the very first time, what were your immediate impressions?

• What would you like to dream about in your sleep tonight?

• What can I do for you, in practical terms,that would make you feel cared for this week?

• If we had to spend $10,000 tonight on anything that wasn’t practical or predictable, what would it be?

• Where do you think we’ll be and what do you think we’ll be doing on Valentine’s Day ten years from now?

Sharing a romantic evening with your Valentine has far more to do with a conversation that joins your hearts together than with a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers. And we hope these questions are helpful to you in doing just that.

Valentine’s Day Fun Facts to Talk About

The following facts can spark more conversation. Who doesn’t like to be in the know on stuff like this, right? And if you’re clever you can turn these facts into questions to test your Valentine smarts. For example, with the first fact you can ask your sweetheart who purchases more valentines, men or women? And if you’re in a true game show mood, get your partner to wager a few kisses on their answer.

• Women purchase 85% of all valentines.

• Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentine’s Day candy box in the late 1800s.

• About 8 billion candy hearts will be produced this year; that’s enough candy to stretch from Rome, Italy to Valentine, Arizona 20 times and back again.

• Worldwide, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine’s Day each year.

• In Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St. Valentine’s Day to make them dream of their future husband.

• Nearly 150 million cards are exchanged each Valentine’s Day.

• In order of popularity, Valentine’s Day cards are given to teachers, children, mothers, wives, and pets.

• Valentine, Nebraska (yes, it really exists) has a special “Cupid’s Mailbox” that forward your cards with a special Valentine’s stamp.

• The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day.

• Waffle House, Chick-fil-A, and Pizza Hut often take reservations on Valentine’s Day. In fact, some Pizza Huts sell “proposal packages” for $10K that include a videographer, limo service and a fireworks show. Oh, and a pizza.

Just for Laughs

Sometimes a little laughter is just the ticket for sparking more romance. So with that in mind, you may want to share some of these goofy (read “cheesy”) jokes with each other. Cringing is permissible.

A woman was taking a nap on Valentine’s Day afternoon. After she awoke, she told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave me a gorgeous and expensive diamond necklace for Valentine’s Day! What do you think it means?”

“You’ll know tonight,” he said.

That evening, her husband came home with a small package for her. Thrilled, she opened it and found a book titled “The Meaning of Dreams.”

Two antennae met on a roof, fell in love, and got married. Their wedding ceremony wasn’t fancy. The reception, however, was excellent.

Q: What is a vampire’s sweetheart called?

A: His ghoul-friend.

Q: Why did the banana go out with the prune?

A: Because it couldn’t get a date.

“If someone says ‘I love you’ and you don’t feel the same way, just say ‘I love YouTube’ really fast.” – Will Ferrell

Knock, Knock!

Who’s there?

Olive.

Olive who?

Olive you!

Cupid is Stupid

We hope your Valentine’s Day is everything you imagined, but if you’re like most couples, you’ll probably find a bit of a gap between your expectations for romance and your romantic reality. That’s okay. Just don’t let Cupid get in the way of your love life. How? By living in the moment rather than in a fantasy world that creates irrational expectations. That’s how.

With every good wish and prayer,

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

Fwd: Is Santa a Woman?

I saw this humorous post and thought I should pass it along.

Is Santa A Woman?

I think Santa Claus is a woman....

I hate to be the one to defy sacred myth, but I believe he's a she. Think about it. Christmas is a big, organized, warm, fuzzy, nurturing social deal, and I have a tough time believing a guy could possibly pull it all off!

For starters, the vast majority of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve. It's as if they are all frozen in some kind of Ebenezerian Time Warp until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24th, when they - with amazing calm - call other errant men and plan for a last-minute shopping spree.

Once at the mall, they always seem surprised to find only Ronco products, socket wrench sets, and mood rings left on the shelves. (You might think this would send them into a fit of panic and guilt, but my husband tells me it's an enormous relief because it lessens the 11th hour decision-making burden.)

On this count alone, I'm convinced Santa is a woman. Surely, if he were a man, everyone in the universe would wake up Christmas morning to find a rotating musical Chia Pet under the tree, still in the bag.

Another problem for a he-Santa would be getting there. First of all, there would be no reindeer because they would all be dead, gutted and strapped on to the rear bumper of the sleigh amid wide-eyed, desperate claims that buck season had been extended. Blitzen's rack would already be on the way to the taxidermist.

Even if the male Santa DID have reindeer, he'd still have transportation problems because he would inevitably get lost up there in the snow and clouds and then refuse to stop and ask for directions. Add to this the fact that there would be unavoidable delays in the chimney, where the Mike Holmes-like Santa would stop to inspect and re-point bricks in the flue. He would also need to check on carbon monoxide fumes in every gas fireplace, and get under every Christmas tree that is crooked to straighten it to a perfectly upright 90-degree angle.

Other reasons why Santa can't possibly be a man: - Men can't pack a bag. - Men would rather be dead than caught wearing red velvet. - Men would feel their masculinity is threatened...having to be seen with all those elves. - Men don't answer their mail. - Men would refuse to allow their physique to be described even in jest as anything remotely resembling a "bowlful of jelly." - Men aren't interested in stockings unless somebody's wearing them. - Finally, being responsible for Christmas would require a commitment.

I can buy the fact that other mythical holiday characters are men......... Father Time shows up once a year unshaven and looking ominous. Definite guy. Cupid flies around carrying weapons. Uncle Sam is a politician who likes to point fingers. Any one of these individuals could pass the testosterone screening test. But not St. Nick. Not a chance.

As long as we have each other, good will, peace on earth, faith and Nat King Cole's version of "The Christmas Song," it probably makes little difference what gender Santa is. I just wish she'd quit dressing like a guy!!!

http://www.dezert-rose.com/humor/christmas/santa_woman.html