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.