Read Matthew 5: 1-12 – The Beatitudes.

1. The “Main Idea” this week is that God has placed us in specific places and around specific people so that we can bring peace into our broken world. In what ways is our world broken. How can you help bring peace?

2. Pastor Mick had some fun using the transitive property from mathematics (if a=b and b=c, then a=c) in conjunction with Matthew 5: 9 and John 1: 12. What was his point? How do those passages relate to one another?

3. Read Romans 12: 18. How does this relate to our passage for today? How does this instruct the way you are to live?

4. Chandler describes the Biblical concept of peace as deep harmony that leads to the flourishing of all creation. How does that differ from many common definitions of peace? What does peace mean to you?

5. What does it mean to be a peacemaker? Why is it a blessing to be a peacemaker?

6. What do you think the everyday life of a peacemaker looks like? How can we all be peacemakers?

7. Chandler talks about being peacemakers in our own “domains.” What does he mean by domain? How does this make being a peacemaker more realistic?

8. Pastor Mick talked about “blooming where you’re planted” and God planting you where you are “for such a time as this.” What was his point? How can you “bloom” as a peacemaker in this time and place?

Prayer for the Week:

Gracious and loving God, help us to truly understand and appreciate the beautiful blessings you offer each and every one of us. As we reflect on the beatitudes, the blessings, help us to remember that you are working to transform us and instill these characteristics within us. Help us to surrender our lives completely over to you, and allow your Holy Spirit to do this transformative work within us. We confess that we can’t do this work on our own, but we know you can and we trust that you will, if we let you. Thank you, Lord, for being patient with us when we try to do things our own way through our own power. Grant us the humility to confess our need for you. Lord, we love you, we need you, we trust you and we believe in you. In your mercy, Lord, hear our prayers. Amen.