Paradigm Shift Ministries

This summer, we are looking at the Beatitudes, which are a series of blessings and characteristics that describe followers of Jesus. This week, we looked at how God comforts those who mourn both by bringing people together in this life and with the promise of the next. No matter how dark this world seems, we know there is always hope in the name of Jesus. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28VGDRF via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Amplified Bible | Weekly Video: The Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3 | Luke 18:9-14) “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].” – Matthew 5:3 (AMP) Live It Out! The kingdom of God belongs to the people who are willing to put their egos aside and to serve shoulder-to-shoulder in respect and admiration for the King of kings. The more we chase after temporal happiness, the more empty we will feel on the inside. There is nothing in this world that can satisfy us because we are not of this world. This is not our home. We are citizens of heaven. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/297HDDy via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: New International Version | Weekly Video: The Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3 | Luke 18:9-14) “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:14 (NIV) Live It Out! Our justification comes from what Jesus did, not from what we do. No one can save themselves — we all need mercy. When we lift ourselves above God, we fall into sin. In the kingdom of God, humility is valued above pride. Instead of praising our own names and building our own mini-kingdoms, we are called to represent Jesus wherever we go. Humility allows us to live for a higher purpose. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28PF2yt via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Message | Weekly Video: The Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3 | Luke 18:9-14) “ Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ‘God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’” – Luke 18:13 (MSG) Live It Out! None of us can ever live up to the standard God holds us to – but Jesus can and did. Jesus lived a perfect life, and His death paid the price for all of our sin. We must humble ourselves before God. We need mercy. We need forgiveness. We need a Savior. Don’t be proud of your perceived righteousness; be humbled by the great mercy shown to us on the cross. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28RwCto via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: Holman Christian Standard Version | Weekly Video: The Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3 | Luke 18:9-14) “The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people— greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’” – Luke 18:11-12 (HCSB) Live It Out! As Christians, we have to be careful not to be like this Pharisee. The longer we follow Christ, the more holy we become, but we cannot let our own personal holiness get in the way of what it means to love people. In the kingdom of God, there is no us vs. them. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, let us try every day to become more like Jesus. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28RmcJl via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Voice Bible | Weekly Video: The Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3 | Luke 18:9-14) “Imagine two men walking up a road, going to the temple to pray. One of them is a Pharisee and the other is a despised tax collector.” – Luke 18:10 (VOICE) Live It Out! What is striking about this parable is how quickly the original audience would have been able to picture these two men in their mind’s eye. Both Pharisees and tax collectors were very much stereotyped groups of people. The Pharisees cold yet upright and the tax collectors swindlers and thieves. Jesus uses these preconceived notions to show people that what truly matters is on the inside. Moral behavior is not enough if it leads to pride and hardness of heart. Blessed are the poor in spirit – not the proud. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28KIyv1 via IFTTT

This week, we continued our  #BlessedAre  campaign by looking at Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." We also looked at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18 as an example of pride vs. humility. Big idea for the week: what we need is less pride and more humility. It's not about us; it's all about Jesus.

Today’s Translation: New Living Translation | Weekly Video: The Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3 | Luke 18:9-14) “Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else.” – Luke 18:9 (NLT) Live It Out! To demonstrate what it means to be poor in spirit, Jesus shares a story of two men and how they viewed themselves in relation to God. Throughout Jesus’ public ministry, He often criticized the religious leaders of His day for their hypocrisy. Basically, they had become so enamored with personal holiness (i.e. moral behavior) that they had lost sight of what truly mattered (having a pure heart). As followers of Christ, our confidence should be in Him rather than in ourselves. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28Jlfnu via IFTTT

The Created… Music Project live from the Galion Summerfest Concert Series. From 3-11pm, local Christian artists performed in downtown Galion, Ohio. The Created… Music Project (house band for Paradigm Shift Ministries and The Haven on Vine Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center) closed out the night with a set of rock and Christian rock favorites. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28O3Y1X via IFTTT

This week, we continued our #BlessedAre campaign by looking at Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We also looked at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18 as an example of pride vs. humility. Big idea for the week: what we need is less pride and more humility. It’s not about us; it’s all about Jesus. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1UHstUn via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Amplified Bible | Weekly Video: Those Who Care (Matthew 4:23-5:2) “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to teach them, saying…” – Matthew 5:1-2 (AMP) Live It Out! Before Jesus delivered His famous Sermon on the Mount, He had to earn the right to be heard. He did this by traveling around and healing people, giving them hope despite their hopeless situations. We need to emulate our Lord’s model by loving first and using words second. Our actions speak louder than any sermon or Bible study. If we want to be able to tell people about who Jesus is and what He came to do, we need to first become ‘those who care’. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1Uh12GK via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: New International Version | Weekly Video: Those Who Care (Matthew 4:23-5:2) “Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” – Matthew 4:25 (NIV) Live It Out! Jesus often attracted attention from people outside the established Jewish community. In addition to teaching in the synagogue, He took His message beyond the four walls by caring for people’s needs. The only requirement to follow Jesus is to put your faith and trust in Him regardless of what labels the world uses to define you. We need to care for others, no matter who they are because our Savior died for everyone. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1WQk1Z2 via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Message | Weekly Video: Those Who Care (Matthew 4:23-5:2) “Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering.” – Matthew 4:24 (MSG) Live It Out! It’s easy to get caught up in trying to design programs and craft strategies to reach people for Jesus, but His ministry grew simply because of His love for others. People who were desperate for hope gravitated toward Jesus because they could sense that He truly cared about them. Our local churches – and us as individual Christians – should be places where people feel safe to share their story. We all need healing. We all need hope. We all need Jesus. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1rrsEeW via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: Holman Christian Standard Bible | Weekly Video: Those Who Care (Matthew 4:23-5:2) “Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And He healed them.” – Matthew 4:24 (HCSB) Live It Out! In a time long before modern medicine, people with these types of conditions were desperate for hope, and they found that hope in Jesus. Because Jesus did more than stand up and preach, news about Him spread far and wide. As the Church, we too should be giving people hope. We are called to live together as family. We are called to be ‘those who care.’ from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1UOMZFb via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Voice Bible | Weekly Video: Those Who Care (Matthew 4:23-5:2) “And so Jesus went throughout Galilee. He taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of the Kingdom, and He healed people, ridding their bodies of sickness and disease.” – Matthew 4:23 (VOICE) Live It Out! Jesus is the King of kings, and His ultimate mission is to set people free from their sin. Early in His public ministry, Jesus gave people a taste of the kingdom by healing them of all types of ailments. As followers of Christ, we are also citizens of His kingdom. We can’t just preach good news, we must live it. We must follow Jesus’ example by practicing what we preach and leading people to freedom. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/24NJIc1 via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: New Living Translation | Weekly Video: Those Who Care (Matthew 4:23-5:2) “Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.” – Matthew 4:23 (NLT) Live It Out! Before Jesus arrived on the scene, several false messiahs had risen up. What set Jesus apart is that He didn’t only talk the talk; He walked the walk. It’s easy to preach about a kingdom where there will be no more pain or suffering, but to actively heal people along the way takes it to a whole other level. Jesus is the real deal. He is the Savior we’ve all been waiting for. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/28AwUuf via IFTTT

Last night we kicked off our summer campaign, #BlessedAre. Over the next twelve weeks, we will walk through the Beatitudes. But before we get there, we pick up the story of what Jesus was up to before He delivered His famous Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 4:23-5:2 ).

Early this morning, there was a mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub. Also in the news this week, the murder of a 22 year old singer as she was signing autographs, the rape of an unconscious college student, a brawl between European soccer fans that left dozens injured and the bombing of a city in Syria just hours after they had received food aid for the first time in four years. Friends, I don’t know about you, but I am tired of waking up to these types of notifications on my phone seemingly every morning. My heart is broken. Not just for those who have lost their lives but also for those who have lost their way. I don’t care if you are white or black, Christian or Muslim, gay or straight, male or female – whatever slight or injustice you may feel, an act of violence against yourself or others is never the correct response. For anyone who considers themselves a person of faith (any faith), it is times like these when people look to us for guidance. Our response should be out of lo...

Tonight we kicked off our summer campaign, #BlessedAre. Over the next twelve weeks, we will walk through the Beatitudes. But before we get there, we pick up the story of what Jesus was up to before He delivered His famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 4:23-5:2). from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/25RaHJy via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Amplified Bible | Weekly Video: United We Stand (John 17:20-26) “And I have made Your name known to them, and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them [overwhelming their heart], and I [may be] in them.” – John 17:26 (AMP) Live It Out! Jesus dedicated His life to making God’s name known to the world. These words sum up His final prayer before He was arrested in the garden. He knew He was about to die. He knew the pain He was about to endure, but His love for us was greater than His fear. And now, since we have been filled with His Holy Spirit, let’s commit our lives to making known the name of God everywhere we go! from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1szE41i via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: New International Version | Weekly Video: United We Stand (John 17:20-26) “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.” – John 17:25 (NIV) Live It Out! The righteousness of God is something that stands out in a world that does not know Him. Doing the right thing for the right reason is often considered a luxury by those who are struggling to survive. Our Lord, Jesus, lived a rural and humble life before beginning His public ministry. And once He had the world’s attention, He gave up His life in order to set us all free from our sin. Everything you need to know about the righteousness of God can be found in that one act of love. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/22XpFIX via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Message | Weekly Video: United We Stand (John 17:20-26) “Father, I want those you gave me to be with me, right where I am, so they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me, having loved me long before there ever was a world.” – John 17:24 (MSG) Live It Out! One God, three persons for all of eternity. We are called to be one as the Father, Son and Spirit have been one since before creation. This is made possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – our bodies are now God’s holy temple. Together, as the Church, we are to radiate the glory of God through the way we love and serve each other. Live your life in the presence of God, and let His radiance in you grow as you grow closer to His Son. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1regciy via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: Holman Christian Standard Bible | Weekly Video: United We Stand (John 17:20-26) “I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.” – John 17:23 (HCSB) Live It Out! When Jesus died on the cross for our sin, it was the ultimate act of love. Because we have been washed clean by the blood of Christ, our bodies are now God’s holy temple. Just as the Spirit filled Jesus to allow Him to do His ministry, the indwelling of the Spirit gives us everything we need to accomplish the work God has set before us. We must be one as Jesus and the Father are one by allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our steps each and every day. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1t81ZEW via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Voice Bible | Weekly Video: United We Stand (John 17:20-26) “All the glory You have given to Me, I pass on to them. May that glory unify them and make them one as We are one.” – John 17:22 (VOICE) Live It Out! Jesus came to show us the glory of God in person. Our God is not a philosophical concept; He is a living being who was manifested in the flesh by Christ. Jesus is the Son of God, and He has passed on that mantle unto us. Because we have been made children of God, we have a responsibility to work together as one family to honor the name of our Father. We are to be one as the Father, Son and Spirit are one. We may all have a different role to play, but we should be united in our mission of making Jesus known to the world. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1TT4IsS via IFTTT

Live video from our weekly Six Thirty Saturday Nite service. This week, we finished up our #WeAreOne campaign by looking at Jesus’ final prayer before He was arrested. His prayer was for His future followers (that’s us!) to be one as He and the Father are one.

Today’s Translation: New Living Translation | Weekly Video: United We Stand (John 17:20-26) “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one— as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” – John 17:20-21 (NLT) Live It Out! On the night He was betrayed, Jesus not only prayed for His disciples but also for all of His future followers to be one as He and the Father are one. What Jesus is calling for is a type of unity that transcends everything else. It is by our radical love and unity that the world will known Jesus was sent by God (and by extension, us as well). The Father sent the Son. The Son sent the Spirit. And the Spirit sends us. Let’s go forward together! from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1UCvdoC via IFTTT

LIve video from our weekly Six Thirty Saturday Nite service. This week, we finished up our #WeAreOne campaign by looking at Jesus’ final prayer before He was arrested. His prayer was for His future followers (that’s us!) to be one as He and the Father are one. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1PvA3oW via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Amplified Bible | Weekly Video: Kingdom Building (1 Corinthians 3:1-23) “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom], so that he may become [truly] wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God; for it is written [in Scripture], ‘[He is] The one who catches the wise and clever in their craftiness;’ and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the [humanly] wise, that they are useless.’ So let no one boast in men [about their wisdom, or of having this or that one as a leader]. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things are yours, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.” – 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 (AMP) Live It Out! The world will call us foolish for focusing on the kingdom of ...

Today’s Translation: New International Version | Weekly Video: Kingdom Building (1 Corinthians 3:1-23) “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV) Live It Out! A temple is a place that is set aside for a specific purpose, and, as the Church, so are we. Because we have been sanctified by the blood of Christ, we are now God’s holy temple – His Spirit lives inside us! We must strive to live lives worthy of the One who calls us His own. We are never alone. We have each other, and we have the Spirit living within! from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/1r4VWjj via IFTTT

Today’s Translation: The Message | Weekly Video: Kingdom Building (1 Corinthians 3:1-23) “Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive— but just barely.” – 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (MSG) Live It Out! As Christians, we are called to build our lives upon the foundation laid down for us by the shed blood of Christ. Our salvation depends solely on our faith in Christ. That said, how we live our lives and go about doing ministry (i.e. telling people about Jesus through word and deed) will define our legacy. We must build our lives around the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) rather than the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). L...

Today’s Translation: Holman Christian Standard Bible | Weekly Video: Kingdom Building (1 Corinthians 3:1-23) “According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (HCSB) Live It Out! No matter our color or our creed, we all (as Christians) share a common foundation — Christ lived a sinless life, died on a cross, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is coming back again. Our salvation is tied to our foundation. Denominational doctrine and stylistic preferences are to be of secondary concern. All too often, we allow ourselves to get hung up on the details while forgetting about the reason we started going to church in the first place — to worship the God who saves. from Paradigm Shift Ministries http://ift.tt/24immLy via I...