Matthew 5:9-16

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 :)"

"[Jesus continued:] "You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a..."

"[Jesus said] "You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.""

"[Jesus continued:] "God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. "God blesses you when people mock..."

Is the interconnectedness of our world really such bad news? The interconnectedness of our world isn't bad, but really an opportunity to do good and bring redemptive influence.

Can anything change our decaying culture for the better? Paul Faulkner cites a recent Wallstreet Journal report on domestic violence and observes that change happens one man and one family at a time.

So who really made Bill Clinton President? Who has the greatest influence, you on the world or the world on you?

I'm not sure I'm that trusting: are you? Patrick Odum talks about a strange occurrence involving trust, a New York ad agency worker, a homeless man, and an American Express Card, which reminds us that God trusts us.

"Dear Disciple, While I was in the world, I was the "Light of the world" (John 9:5). I AM still the Light of the world (John 1:4-5; John 8:12), but..."

Is there still time? We must use all the time we have and not waste it because we can make a difference in the time we are given.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your..."

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 5:11-12 -- Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they perse

Inevitably, the darkness will weigh on them, exhaust them, and feel altogether overwhelming to them. Then, they can come to the light to re-charge, but they can't glow in the light! Jordan Harrell learned from her son's fascination with glow-in-the-dark spiders that we are made to shine in darkness, not sit under a light.

How are your neighbors going to know? Patrick Odum tells about a gaudy, JESUS Christmas sign in the yard that tells everyone that the owners of the home believe Jesus is the reason for the season.

What can of light do you owe the world? We all need to be a little more ready and intentional about letting our light shine before others, but we also know and willingly bear the consequences.

Have you got your strings of light hung yet? Rob Frazier writes about why he puts up Christmas lights and how each of us has some light to share with others.

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!

What makes a true lighthouse in a world of despair and darkness? God gives us moments where we can not just be a solid light, but a startling, once in a lifetime influence for grace and good.

Does your life back up your words? He was called Basil the Great. Bishop of Caesarea in the fourth century, he was a staunch defender of the idea of the Trinity. He stood his ground against all opponents, even when the Emperor tried to exile him for his beliefs. Basil may have been bett

What do you think they see? People are watching us all the time and learn from watching what is important to us and to them.

"Dear Beloved, Many mortals chase after so many things thinking that a fulfilling life will be found in those things... those pursuits... those..."

Where did that laser beam come from, anyway? In a world of darkness, an intensely focused life is going to emit a lot of light in our dark world.

What would happen if your church were on Larry Davies had a dream about being on Shark Tank and being offered 1 million dollars to invest in a church.

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.

I was taught to appreciate the beauty of the world and to see in that beauty glimpses of its Creator. Patrick Odum challenges us to look at sin, community involvement, engagement in the problems of our world, and what it means to be a citizen of the world in which we live.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me."

""You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out...."

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."

""You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.""

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

"[Jesus continued:] "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out..."

"This is the seventh of the beatitudes: and seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. It may be that the Saviour placed the peacemaker the...."

"[Jesus continued:] "God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.""

Inspirational e-card: Matthew 5:14 - You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:16 - Let the light of your life shine in such a way that other see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.

Inspirational e-card: Matthew 5:14 - You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 5:13 -- "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

Inspirational illustration of Matthew 5:16 -- In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Are you a situation complainer or an environment changer? We can be situation complainers -- thermostats -- or situation changers -- thermometers; Jesus' will, however, is that we be salt, light, and examples who display the fruit of the Spirit.

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

Surely Jesus is talking about something other than evangelism? Phil Ware continues his LifeWORDS series and shares Jesus' Great Commission as a call to incarnational ministry and not just evangelism.

Is there any message we can take from our dark night of the human soul? Phil Ware adds some beginning thoughts and Phillip Morrison writes beautifully about a messenger to mankind and The Messenger to humankind.

Christianity is not a secret commitment. Christianity is a public commitment. It must not be hidden.

"Dear Believer, Somewhere along the way, My light shown into your heart and changed you. More than just the light from the bright star that guided the..."

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.

Give thanks for this? Phil Ware finishes his November series of giving thanks and focuses on our mission or call from God.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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 is the major message of your life? Russ Lawson reminds us of the importance of our letting our light shine in such a way that allows others to see God in your life.

Running the right race! Rubel Shelly tells the story of Josh Ripley running cross country and helping out a fellow competitor and showing great compassion, kindness, and helpfulness, as a follower of Jesus.

When was the last time you truly shined the light for someone else to see? Larry Davies talks about us being lighthouses to others, and sometimes that means being a steady stream of light and sometimes it means being a blazing beacon of hope.

Is there a place to start making the world a better place? To start making things better, begin with yourself!

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 we really letting our love light shine in a world filled with so much darkness? Byron Ware reminds us that in our world of darkness, now more than ever, we need to be a people who do put love into practice every day.

What do you really love? What we really love shines through and shows others our heart and will reveal or not reveal our passion for God.

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.

With the genuine seeker, the struggling follower longing to be more godly, and those broken by life, the Lord used tender language filled with grace and mercy. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to call us to be salt to a world of decay, flavorlessness, and bland hope.

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

Your church needs to know who lives next door Our churches can't afford to sit and wait for our neighbors to come to us. We must take the first step in connecting with those around us.

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.

How can you tell how we are doing with our spirituality? Phil Ware takes us back to The Story, God's story and our story and reminds us that while rebuilding infrastructure for a city and country is hard, it is even harder to rebuild the morale, moral, and faith foundation.

Do you know how to make a duck dance on an upsidedown pot? A duck that dances on a pot reveals the secret to shining our light and keeping our candle lit so that we can influence others.

Doing right is always good, but not always honored by the world around you. our culture disregards the "role model" for the "role idol" where everything celebrities do is worshipped including their unseemly behavior and outward expressions. Like Bobby Richardson, there are some celebrities who strive to live the Christ like lif

Who is responsible for the good things that happen to me? Good things happen in this world. I believe that God is the source of the these in the lives of his people. It is not "dumb luck" or "blind fate."

What's a young guy got to do? Rubel Shelly wades into the Tim Tebow issue with some good insight and a reminder to wait and see how this all turns out.

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.

What does it take to keep your battery charged? Keeping us going in ministry, keeping our lights shining, requires us to spend time alone with God.