Jesus invites His disciples to learn from Him. Through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, we discover what a life shaped by Jesus looks like—loving God with everything we have and learning to love the people around us.
Message Summary
In this sermon, Pastor Steph continues a series called “Discipleship Street,” focusing on what it means to learn from Jesus. She emphasizes that true learning from Jesus is not merely a duty but flows from a genuine relationship with Him, rooted in the understanding that He loves us and speaks to us through His Word. The foundation of this learning is spending intentional, attentive time in the red letters of Scripture, the words Jesus Himself spoke, approaching them with fresh eyes and great expectation.
The heart of the message centers on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5, which Pastor Steph unpacks as a guide for how we love God and love others. The first four Beatitudes address our relationship with God: being poor in Spirit, mourning over what breaks God’s heart, embracing meekness as disciplined strength, and hungering for righteousness. The final four address our relationships with others: showing mercy, pursuing purity of heart, actively making peace, and enduring persecution for righteousness. Together, these teachings reflect the greatest commandments Jesus gave: to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you today with open hearts and willing spirits. We thank you for the gift of your Word and for the truth found in the teachings of Jesus. As we gather together, we ask that you would quiet the noise of our daily lives and soften our hearts to receive whatever you have for us today. Holy Spirit, guide our conversation, open our eyes to see you more clearly, and help us to be not just hearers of your Word but doers as well. May this time together draw us closer to you and to one another. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Ice Breaker
What is one subject or skill you have learned later in life that surprised you, and what made you want to learn it?
Key Scriptures
– Matthew 5:1-10
– Matthew 22:36-40
– Philippians 4:8
Questions
– Pastor Steph said there is a big difference between reading the Bible out of duty and reading it from a place of knowing that Jesus loves you and has something to say to you. Which of those two postures best describes where you are right now, and what has shaped that?
– The Beatitudes begin with being poor in Spirit, which means recognizing the depth of our sin and our need for God. How does genuine humility before God change the way we approach our faith and our relationships with others?
– Jesus says that those who mourn are blessed because they will be comforted. Pastor Steph described this mourning as being broken over the things that break the heart of God. What are some things in the world around you that break your heart, and how might that connect you more deeply to God?
– Meekness was described not as weakness but as strength under control, like a warhorse trained for battle. Where in your life do you find it most difficult to submit your strength or your will to God, and what would it look like to hand that over to Him?
– Pastor Steph talked about hungering and thirsting for righteousness as a cyclical pursuit where God fills you and you chase after more. What are the things that most compete for your attention and energy, and how might you begin to redirect that hunger toward God’s will?
– John Mark Comer is quoted as saying we become like who we believe God is. What are the main things currently forming your view of God, and are they giving you a high or low view of Him?
– Peacemaking was described as an active, ongoing work rather than simply keeping the peace by avoiding conflict. Can you think of a situation in your life right now where you are called to be a peacemaker? What would that look like in practice?
– Pastor Steph said that if persecution comes because of how you are living out these Beatitudes, it is actually a sign that you are on the right track. How does that reframe the way you think about difficulty or misunderstanding that comes as a result of your faith?
Life Application
This week, set aside time each day to read from the words of Jesus in the Gospels. If your Bible has red letters, start there. Come to those words not as a duty but with the expectation that Jesus has something specific to say to you today. As you read, pick one Beatitude that stood out to you from this discussion and ask God to show you one concrete way to live it out before the week is over. At the end of the week, reflect on what God revealed to you through His Word and how it shaped your interactions with Him and with the people around you.
Key Takeaways
– Learning from Jesus requires more than reading the Bible as a duty. It requires coming to Scripture from a place of relationship, knowing that Jesus loves us and speaks to us through His Word.
– The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 are not simply a list of virtues. They are a practical guide for how we love God and love others, which Jesus identified as the two greatest commandments.
– The first four Beatitudes (poor in Spirit, mourning, meek, and hungering for righteousness) shape our relationship with God by emptying us of ourselves and filling us with Him.
– The final four Beatitudes (merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for righteousness) shape how we relate to others and reflect God’s character to the world around us.
– Spending consistent, attentive time in the words of Jesus is the linchpin of discipleship. Without it, everything else in our walk with God loses its foundation.
Ending Prayer
Lord Jesus, we are grateful for this time together and for the truth of your Word that you have placed before us. Thank you that you are patient with us, that you keep knocking and inviting us to learn from you every single day. As we leave this place, we ask that the things we have discussed would not stay in this room but would take root in our hearts and grow. Where we have been poor in Spirit, fill us with your kingdom. Where we have mourned, comfort us with your presence. Give us the strength to be meek, the hunger to pursue your righteousness, and the courage to show mercy, seek purity, make peace, and stand firm even when it is hard. May the red letters of your Word be alive in us this week. We love you, Lord. In your name we pray, amen.
5-Day Devotional Guide
Day 1: Come Ready to Listen
Devotional
There is a real difference between reading your Bible because you feel like you have to and reading it because you genuinely believe God has something to say to you today. One feels like a chore. The other feels like a conversation with someone who loves you deeply. Jesus sat down on a hillside, and His disciples gathered close. They followed Him everywhere. They were not just curious onlookers. They were people who had decided that what Jesus said mattered, and they positioned themselves to hear every word. That is the invitation for us too. Not to check a box, but to show up expectant. To believe that the same Jesus who taught on that hillside is still speaking through His Word today, and that He has something specific for you. The Beatitudes, which we will explore this week, are not a list of rules to follow. They are a portrait of a life shaped by love, and Jesus is the teacher walking us through every brushstroke. He wants you to understand them not as obligations, but as a path toward the life you were made for. You do not have to earn your seat at His feet. You just have to show up.
Bible Verse
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them.” – Matthew 5:1-2 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
When you open your Bible, are you approaching it as a duty to complete or as a conversation with someone who genuinely loves you?
Quote
“There is such a difference, guys, in reading the Bible, because it’s a duty, and it’s something that I have to do because I’m a Christian and reading the Bible from a place where I know that Jesus loves me and He has something to say to me through these words today.”
Prayer
Lord, help me come to Your Word with an open and expectant heart, believing that You have something to say to me today. Teach me to sit at Your feet not out of obligation, but out of love for You. Amen.
Day 2: Empty Hands, Full Heart
Devotional
Most of us spend a lot of energy trying to appear like we have it all together. We manage our image, hide our struggles, and present our best selves to the world. But Jesus begins His most famous teaching with a surprising statement: blessed are the poor in Spirit. To be poor in Spirit is not about being emotionally defeated. It is about honesty. It is recognizing that before a holy God, we come up short, and that no amount of effort, achievement, or reputation changes that. It is the posture of open hands rather than clenched fists. Here is the beautiful part: when we empty ourselves of pride, God fills us. The kingdom of heaven, Jesus says, belongs to those who come to Him this way. Not to the confident or the accomplished, but to those who know they need Him. This is not a discouraging truth. It is actually one of the most freeing things Jesus ever said. You do not have to pretend. You do not have to perform. You can come exactly as you are, with all your limitations and failures, and find that God is not disappointed. He is ready to fill what you bring to Him. Humility is not the end of the road. It is the beginning.
Bible Verse
“Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
Is there an area of your life where pride or self-sufficiency might be keeping you from experiencing the fullness God wants to give you?
Quote
“Being poor in Spirit means recognizing how far we fall short before a holy God and emptying ourselves of pride so that He can fill us.”
Prayer
Father, help me release my grip on pride and come before You with honest, open hands. Fill the places in me that I have been too proud to surrender. Amen.
Day 3: Strength That Serves
Devotional
We live in a world that rewards the loudest voice and the strongest personality. Meekness, by most cultural standards, sounds like a liability. But Jesus calls the meek blessed, and He means something far more powerful than we might expect. The word Jesus uses for meek was actually used to describe warhorses trained for battle. These were powerful animals, capable of tremendous force, yet trained to remain steady when swords and arrows flew around them. Meekness is not the absence of strength. It is strength that has been submitted and placed under control. Building on yesterday’s reflection about humility, meekness takes that same posture and puts it into action. It is choosing to use your gifts, your voice, and your influence not for your own glory, but for God’s. It is saying, “I have been given something, and I want to offer it back to Him.” Think about the abilities you carry. Your creativity, your leadership, your compassion, your words. What would it look like to hold those things with open hands, letting God direct how and when they are used? You are not called to shrink. You are called to surrender. And in that surrender, God does something remarkable through you.
Bible Verse
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
In what area of your life do you find it hardest to submit your strengths and abilities to God’s direction rather than your own?
Quote
“Meekness is not weakness but strength under control, submitting our abilities to God so He can be glorified through them.”
Prayer
Lord, I offer You the gifts and abilities You have placed in me. Teach me to hold them with open hands and use them for Your glory, not my own. Amen.
Day 4: Love That Looks Deeper
Devotional
Loving people is easy when they are easy to love. But what about the person who is sharp with their words, difficult to be around, or has hurt you in ways that still sting? Jesus does not give us a pass on those relationships. He calls us to mercy. Mercy is not pretending that someone’s behavior is acceptable. It is choosing to look past the behavior and see the person underneath it. It is asking, “What is this person carrying that is making them act this way?” and responding with love rather than judgment. This builds naturally on the humility and meekness we have been reflecting on this week. When we recognize our own need before God, it becomes harder to write other people off. We have all been the difficult person in someone else’s story. We have all needed someone to look past our worst moments and love us anyway. God does exactly that for us. His mercy toward us is not based on our performance. It is prompted by our need. And as we receive that mercy, we are shaped to extend it to others. Someone in your life right now may need you to look a little deeper. Not to excuse what they have done, but to see who they are. That is the mercy Jesus is talking about, and it has the power to change everything.
Bible Verse
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” – Matthew 5:7 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
Is there someone in your life whose difficult behavior might be masking a deeper pain, and what would it look like to respond to them with mercy instead of frustration?
Quote
“Mercy means choosing to look beneath someone’s difficult behavior and love the person underneath it.”
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for looking past my worst moments and loving me anyway. Give me eyes to see the people around me the way You see them, and the courage to respond with mercy. Amen.
Day 5: The Foundation Everything Rests On
Devotional
We have spent this week walking through the Beatitudes, and each one has pointed us in the same direction. Humility before God. Strength surrendered to Him. Mercy extended to others. Peace pursued actively. All of it flows from one source. When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, His answer was simple and complete: love God with everything you have, and love the people around you. Every Beatitude is an expression of one of those two things. They are not separate ideas. They are one life, lived from the inside out. This is the encouragement to carry with you: you do not have to master eight different character traits. You are invited into one relationship with a God who loves you, and that relationship, when it is genuine and growing, naturally produces everything the Beatitudes describe. You will not always get it right. Living this way will sometimes be misunderstood, and it will cost you something. But the promise woven through every Beatitude is that God meets you in it. He fills the humble. He satisfies the hungry. He shows mercy to the merciful. Keep following Jesus closely. Keep showing up expectant. The life He is describing is not out of reach. It is the life He is building in you, one day at a time.
Bible Verse
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'” – Matthew 22:36 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
Looking back at this week, which Beatitude feels most like an invitation from God for where you are right now in your life?
Quote
“All eight Beatitudes rest on the same foundation Jesus identified as the greatest commandments: love God with everything you have, and love the people around you.”
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the life You are building in me. Help me to love You with everything I have and to love the people around me the way You love them. Keep shaping me into who You created me to be. Amen.
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