Matthew 5:3-11

God promises us a sacred blessing and a sacred delight in these words of Jesus! Max Lucado reminds us that while the Beatitudes are demanding, they are also life-giving and a privilege to live as an answer to God's call in our lives.

Do you want to be lucky or blessed? Luck has many definitions depending upon those with whom you visit; but Christians are blessed!

Does it matter if we don't do some things that are hard Imagine that we all approached life with the attitude of, "If it's not on the test then I'm not going to learn it."

When's the last time you felt the joy of being truly thankful? We need to recover the lost art of giving thanks and there are some steps we can take to do just that.

The power of grace, the gift of life in marriage. Phil Ware continues his series called 50 shades of grace that focuses on the intimacy between a husband and wife in marriage.

Are you lucky or just blessed? We don't like being passive, so we have a hard time recognizing that we have what we have because we are blessed.

A King headed to a cross, the foal of a donkey, and a formerly blind man who followed along the way. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that many were blind to Jesus as the Messiah because he refused to be the kind of Messiah they expected; he was the upside down Messiah.

Our groups and our churches must be the arenas where Jesus' upside-down kingdom comes to life. Phil Ware shares Jesus' teaching that is upside-down to the world around us in terms of status, wealth, power, position, achievement, and importance.

A simple reminder of grace from one in a difficult place. Phil Ware shares the sweet prayer request from one of the translators in a predominantly Muslim nation wracked with violence and bloodshed: "Please pray for the terrorists that they know Jesus Christ like Saul who became Paul :)"

Hopefully remembering the horrors can help us prevent them. Phil Ware uses Memorial Day to think about the cost of war and the ultimate sacrifice of a friend named Roy who lived through World War II, the assault on Normandy Beach and the Battle of the Bulge.

Are you willing to suffer if it spreads the Gospel? We must be ready to suffer; our brothers and sisters all around the world are and have!

Can you think about nothing but God? Can we spend any special, focused, time thinking about nothing but God? It is hard, but we must learn to do so.

Will technology be the difference? David Capes uses The Voice translation to drive home the point that technology is not going to save us from ourselves, but only gracious trust that Jesus is Lord and our following Jesus into the world of forgiveness.

What do you do when you don't feel like you have anything to offer? Tom Norvell reminds us to listen to God when we feel like we have nothing to offer, and if we do, we will realize that is enough.

What blessing can there be in powerlessness? Life is full of events that make us feel and actually be powerless, but that is exactly where God can work in our life the most.

They laugh because they have given up hope, and hope born anew is always funny before it is real.

Do you know peace in your life? Do you know peace in your life? Or, do you find your days filled with conflict? Are you often belligerent and contentious with those around you? Find real peace in Jesus.

Prayer becomes a tuning fork that helps us sing the song of God's magnificence with both holy praise as well as genuine concern for the people in our world. Phil Ware continues his series of thoughts on living as a disciple that is JesuShaped and focuses on how the Lord's Prayer tunes our hearts to living the JesuShaped life.

What do your ears want to hear? Some folks only want to hear the cheery stuff from God, not the hard stuff, too.

What do we do in the face of evil and meanness? Phil Ware continues his series of messages related to "The Story" curriculum, using Abraham's call to be a blessing to be a reminder to us as well.

Do you really want to fill your sponge with grey water? Teresa Bell Kindred compares seeing Fifty Shades of Grey to a dirty mop bucket and a sponge.

He was nitroglycerin; if you bumped him the wrong way, he blew up. Max Lucado reminds of what is necessary when we have failed publicly and why it is necessary.

Our ToGather time today focuses on God's great promises to bless us, but also challenges each of us to ask: What is the true source of my delight? Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to call us to recognize God's greatness and his desire to bless us with every good thing we need.