"God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied."Matthew 5:6

There's a progression within the beatitudes. The first three are to do with our inner thoughts emotions and character. Would you say that you are humble, compassionate and meek (yielded fully to God?) Which of these character traits do you struggle with the most?

Church is to be like a family (sharing, praying, living in the way of Jesus together)

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted”There is a progression in these beatitudes. The first step of a blessed life is the recognition that we are poor in spirit...that we have a deep need for God's help in our lives. The second step, is to the place where we can find comfort in our time of need.

Matthew 5:3 Blessed (happy) are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. How would you define the word happy? What makes you happy?When people are poor in spirit, they are ready to listen to God. They are willing to give up on “their own will” and trust God’s will for their lives. Would you define yourself as being happy in this sense?

Some consider the 'beatitudes' to be the most profound words every stated by anyone at any time. Do you agree? What are some other Scripture passages that could lay claim to this title?

There are no easy formulas for worship: we cannot put God in a box– the Spirit blows where He wills. We must be careful not to become so set in our ways that we organise the Holy Spirit out of the service. Discuss how this can happen.

Chuck Swindoll says, "Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it."Do you agree?

What might it look like for our church to be a family?

Describe a situation that you once completely misread or misinterpreted.After Joseph and his wider family of 75 moved to Egypt, little more is said about the them. During 400 years of slavery the family grew to over 2 million, until it was time for Moses to help set them free. Why do you think they didn't move back to Canaan after the 7 years of famine?