The Eight Beatitudes of Jesus
"God blesses those who recognize they are spiritually helpless." Matt. 5:3 (GW)
Recognize I need help. I realize that I'm not God and I admit I'm powerless to control my harmful attitudes and action and my life is unmanageable.
"Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways." Prov. 20:30 (TEV)
"Stop fooling yourselves!" 1 Cor. 3:18a (NLT)
"Stop being childish in your thinking." 1 Cor. 14:20a (NASB)
"God blesses those who mourn their losses and He will comfort them." Matt. 5:4
Action Plan: Being brutally honest is very difficult. Ask a trusted friend to go for a quiet this week. This should help you feel more at peace to share your troubles. This may take several walks, but each one is a step forward.
Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that he has the power to help me recover.
"I don't understand myself, for I really want to do what is right, but I can't! I end up doing what I don't want to do, and I hate that! I'm well aware that what I'm doing is wrong . . . But I can't help myself! . . . The sinful urges inside me are stronger than I am . . . This makes me miserable! Who can free me from all this? Thank God, the answer is Jesus! . . ." Rom. 7:15-17, 24-25 (LB)
"God blesses those who practice meekness." Matt. 5:5
Action Plan: Ask your trusted friend if he/she will be an accountability partner. Seek to develop a relationship where each of you understand that you are able to call or text each other during a moment of weakness.
Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.
Jesus: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. . . ." Matt. 16:24 (Mes)
"Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you." Ps. 37:5 (TEV)
"God blesses those with a cleansed heart. They get to see God." Matt. 5:8
Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.
"Let us examine our ways and test them and return to the Lord." Lam. 3:40
"You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. But if you confess them and give them up, God will show mercy to you." Prov. 28:13 (TEV)
"Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed." James 5:16a (LB)
God: ". . . no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow!" Isa. 1:18a (LB)
"God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty to do what's right!" Matt. 5:6
Action Plan: From 'Recognize' make each of your troubles into a daily prayer. Lean into Christian community and Christ for healing.
Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask him to remove my character defects.
"Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. . . . and let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. . . ." Rom. 12:1b-2 (TEV)
"God blesses those who show mercy to others. They will be shown mercy." Matt. 5:7
"God blesses peacemakers. He calls them his children." Matt. 5:9
Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who've hurt me and make amends for the harm I've done to others except when doing so would harm them or others.
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger . . . along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Eph. 4:31-32
Action Plan: Are you able to make a list of people that have hurt you or you have hurt and have not reconciled? With humility in your heart, reach out to those that you need to forgive and those that you need to make amends. Share with your small group and accountability partner. This is an ongoing process.
Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and gain the power to do his will.
"Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3:18a (TEV)
"IF you continue in my Word, then you are my disciples indeed; And you shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31b-32 (KJV)
"God blesses those who do what's right even when they are insulted, mistreated, lied about, and slandered because they follow me. . . . A great reward awaits you in heaven." Matt. 5:11-12
Yield myself to be used by God to bring this Good News to others, by my example and my words.
". . . Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15a (NIV)
"My brothers and sisters, when any of you wander away from the truth, you should help that person recover and come back. Don't write them off. Go after them! And remember this: Anytime you bring a friend who's sinned back from the wrong way, you save their soul from death and you cover a multitude of sins with forgiveness." James 5:19-20
Weekly Action Steps
We recommit our lives to Jesus Christ. Text NEWSTART (1 word) to 99000 or email newstart@saddleback.com
We express our gratitude to God for his goodness by giving back to him. Your generosity online is feeding tens of thousands of out-of-work families and serving many other needs. Give at Saddleback.com/give
We meet in small groups online to discuss what we've heard. To join a group, text SMALLGROUP to 99000 or email SMALLGROUP@saddleback.com.
Listen to our new Doable Discipleship podcast season, "Politics and the Church" at Saddleback.com/learn
