For those who are broken, repentant, and submitted to the Lordship of Christ, Jesus calls His followers to desire righteousness above all else. We, therefore, are not to pursue happiness for happiness sake, but are called to pursue righteousness, which results in our happiness and satisfaction.

Those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and mourn over their sin in repentance are called to meekness. Meekness is best defined as power under divine control. We are called to be broken in by God's Word and live lives of total submission to God's will.

Only those who have first recognized their spiritual bankruptcy will then be able to mourn over their sin. It is not enough to recognize our sin with a cold heart, rather, we must recognize our sin and then have broken hearts before the Lord that only He can comfort.

The first beatitude lays the groundwork for the following beatitudes, as one must recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before receiving Christ's riches. Humility is the mark of true believers and is required for those seeking to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

The greatest preacher to ever preach and the greatest sermon ever preached comprise three chapters of Matthew. As Jesus begins His Magnum Opus, He establishes Himself as a preacher that carries His own authority. May we ever sit at the feet of Jesus.

The Disciples asked Jesus how to pray, and He gave them the Lord's Prayer. In Romans, though, Paul explains the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer, Who helps us know what to pray.

How can we be reconciled to God? It is only through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was through Him being made sin that we could become the righteousness of God.

Jesus went throughout all of Galilee when He began His public ministry and focused on teaching, preaching, and healing. All three of these aspects are crucial to His ministry and His identity as the Christ and as the Son of God.

Jesus calls His disciples by name, gives them a clear mission, and demands complete surrender to His will. In His calling of the 12 disciples, Jesus clarifies that a new mission and priority are disrupting their lives. When we come to Christ, do we recognize all that is required of those seeking to follow Jesus' path?

Jesus is the Light that has dawned in the dark kingdom of Satan. Many hate the Light because the Light exposes their deeds as evil. When Jesus' light dawns in our hearts, the only proper response is to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.