How does God do it? 

How does He unite us in friendship with people who disagree with us? 

How does He take noodles and sauce and turn it into a night of basketball and conversations and joy?

How does He take our hunger, thirst, grief, poverty and persecution…and turn it into blessing?

When the world tells us we are victims, that we need to hustle to “get what is ours,” Jesus comes in with the anti-hype and calms our spirits and says: Look. You are already blessed. 

How does He do that? He takes our hands and leads us back to the love of the Father again and again and again. Today we enter into Luke’s beatitudes and talk about:

• What it means to be blessed
• Gratitude as a weapon against the devil
• And how the beatitudes are a counter-cultural picture of grace 

ALSO:

• Share your stories! How does gratitude affect how you do life? 
• The “Thank God” Experiment
• Anti-Hype music is a thing
• How reading the prophets resembles watching Marvel heroes in action

When I am thankful:

1. I receive the hope to make it through the day.
2. I stop seeing myself as a victim of the circumstances I am in.
3. I am kinder to my neighbor.
4. I am less jealous.
5. I see evidence of God’s goodness.
6. I am less fearful of the future.
7. I am more fun.
8. I am quicker to help others and people are quicker to ask.
9. My heart is open to new experiences 
10. I am less burned out
11. I remember how God provides
12. I am a better listener 
13. Hands down, I am a better wife and mother 

Blessed are Those Who Mourn https://youtu.be/oyYOKe3RTNk?si=93vI9li31Wea0PKF

Blessed are the Pure in Heart https://youtu.be/llUL-u3zXLo?si=LqDPeZar4oaAU6_4

Blessed are the Meek https://youtu.be/6QJ9dG721-o?si=zotpaVjC6VsKmmhg

Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness https://youtu.be/wKHM3raJoPc?si=jm3DPgXxeJ3Em-fq

Blessed are the Merciful  https://youtu.be/BoOWxc3DS94?si=rjPsBHVfOvEGUE4C

Blessed are the Peacemakers  https://youtu.be/wV2Pte5ARbY?si=WcAdfNZxXzJLJDv6

Media: Jen Wilkin "Sermon On The Mount" Bible Study