“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 NIV). In this beatitude, Jesus presents us with a paradox, that we are most powerful when we are meek. This idea is challenging because we tend to think of meekness as weakness. But meekness is not the absence of strength; it is strength under control. It is not laziness or cowardice; it is surrender to God. There is no one on earth stronger or more powerful than someone who is surrendered to the power of the Holy Spirit. When we walk in meekness, we live with an uncommon security, a higher perspective, and supernatural power. We do not have anything to prove. The pettiness and drama of the world does not get under our skin. We do not get offended. We live with the peace and strength of someone whose life is controlled by God Almighty. Never forget: more meekness, more power.

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

-Hebrews 12:3-4 (NLT)-

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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This week, Pastor Jordan taught on the second of the nine Beatitudes: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4 NIV). While it does not make logical sense that those who are experiencing deep sadness would also be ‘blessed’; there is blessing to be found in difficult times, because we can experience the provision, purpose, and presence of God. Psalm 34:18 (NIV) tells us that God is close to the brokenhearted. If we walk through mourning with a real understanding of who God is and how He is continuing to move in our lives, we can have deep comfort and peace in the midst of our pain.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance

to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

-James 1:2-4 (NLT)-

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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The concept of poverty of spirit allows us to continue building a strong foundation in our faith. In our everyday lives, we often allow material abundance to feed into our pride, obstructing our acknowledgment of our spiritual bankruptcy. The inevitable self-righteous path we follow shifts the focus away from God's grace and we begin to believe we have single-handedly earned all our wealth. This narrative makes every aspect of our lives about us instead of about God. Jesus said that our pride will exclude us from the kingdom of God, and we must come with empty hands in order to open up the doors to everything the kingdom has to offer.

“Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.”

-Psalm 138:6-

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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People often look at happy images of marriages on social media and say, “I want that,” but they don’t really know what “that” is. The real secret to a great marriage goes far deeper than just a hashtag.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

-Matthew 6:21 (NIV)-

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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Jordan dives into what the Scriptures have to say about singleness. Often there is an assumption that you will grow in love with someone, marry, and have children. When that assumption is delayed, you may become discouraged or at worst identify as incompetent or unlovable. We see that there is a purpose to singleness. The goal of this teaching is to reveal God’s plan for both the gift and calling of singleness as well as the anticipation and preparation of marriage. Pastor Jordan reminds us not to miss the benefits of the season we are in because we are pining away for the benefits of another season. “God has ordained a season of singleness not for us to fill it with distractions or career ambitions, but to pursue an undistracted devotion to Him.”

“Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you,

and remain as you were when God first called you…”

-1 Corinthians 7:17 (NLT)

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

EthosOH.com

Small Groups: EthosOH.com/Community

ServeColumbus.org

Sometimes, the past does not stay in the past. We end up carrying painful moments with us, allowing them to weigh us down. When we hold on to those painful moments and difficult mistakes, it not only weighs us down, but it drastically changes how we live out our day to day lives. It steals away from our potential to be our best selves. But you don’t have to keep holding on to the pain from your past. Forgiveness is powerful. It allows us to experience the freedom that God intended for us to live in. It is the moments when we confess our sins and give our pains over to God, that we truly learn how to finally let go.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

-1 John 1:9 (NLT)

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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We tend to minimize how negative words affect us and others, but words have more power than we know. As we walk out our faith journey, it’s critical for us to recognize four practical truths about our words and how they influence our relationships.  We also need to allow God to change our hearts. When we surrender our hearts and lives to God, He will empower us to change our words. But the only way to change our hearts is to put a filter on what we allow in our hearts. Jesus said our words come out of the overflow of our hearts. When we make healthy choices regarding what we watch, listen to, and participate in, we will have healthy hearts and be able to speak in a way that pleases God. Ultimately, healthy relationships understand how to use healthy words because healthy words are a part of God's plan for healthy relationships.

“Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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Jesus’ vision for the church is a people united under Him. It cannot be overstated the mission of Jesus to unite the people of God in healthy relationship. But that’s no easy task and it requires something of you. In fact, Healthy relationships begin with you. Don’t confuse healthy with convenient. Don’t confuse healthy with easy. Healthy relationships require a healthy amount of work. But the good news is that Jesus, if you’ll allow Him, wants to lead you in this work. For many of us, Jesus has influenced an occasional time slot on Sunday mornings but has little influence on the character of our lives. So, maybe it’s time we stop expecting something from Gods people that we’re not maturing in ourselves.

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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Before we write out our goals, we should begin in the heart. The temptation for Christians is to make our plans and add a dollop of Jesus on top, rather than allowing him to form in us the desires and motivations to do his work. So, whether or not we’re making concrete goals or more abstract ones, whether we’re writing down resolutions or foregoing them altogether, here are a few questions to consider as we peer into 2022, to draw closer to Christ.

“You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

-Psalm 139:15-16”-

Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference.

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Small Groups: EthosOH.com/Community

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