January 7 Care Group

We discussed the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.  Here is a summary:
-Being "poor in spirit" means that we trust God and do not feel pressured to make sure our lives go "our way."
-It also reminds us of our tremendous need of God and His power and presence in our lives.
-It's not ok to be self-dependent.  God is making us more and more humble.  We need Him more and more as we grow in Him.
-It pushes us to pray and seek God for all life situations, knowing our need.
-Success is not the issue it was when we were younger.  We want to finish well, not just chase after some worldly level of achievement.
-It makes us realize how valuable God's truth is and how many lies are fed to us by the world.
-The Beatitudes are filled with ways that we can grow, character we can achieve by God's grace.  They are relevant to our lives today.
-They are opposite of the world's values.
-This world tells our kids "You can be anything you want if you put your mind to it."  It's a lie!  What we really want is children who walk with God and love Jesus more than anything, putting His values and kingdom first in their lives.
-There is no room for arrogance, self-centeredness, and conceit in our lives.
-"Mourning" refers to times of suffering and we know that those times can leave scars on our souls.  Those scars remind us of bad times as they push us to God over and over to receive His comfort and a sense of His presence.
-"His grace is sufficient" takes on very real significance for those who mourn either their sin or a trial.
-We praise Him during times of blessing as well as times of suffering.