Everywhere we turn, it seems we find conflict. Not only on the news but in our homes, workplaces, and communities. We long for peace in our world, in our lives, and in our hearts, but it seems there is always something ready to rob us of it. In this video, we explore the upside-down path of peacemaking Jesus lays out. While we’re distracted by achieving our definition of peace, Jesus calls us to engage through conflict to do the hard work of true peacemaking. Learn how to trust God through the struggle and become conduits of peace in a hostile world.

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MESSAGE NOTES

Being A Peacemaker Takes Action
[Matthew 5:1-2,9]
1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat
down. His disciples gathered around him,  2  and he began to teach them.
9  God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
1. Peace in me
[Philippians 4:6-7]
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
2. Peace around me
[Romans 12:17-18]
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
3. Peace through me
[2 Corinthians 5:19-20]
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.  20  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal
through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Persecution for your faith is rewarded by God
[Matthew 5:10-11]
10  God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is
theirs. 11  “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you
and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.
[James 1:2-4]
2  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an
opportunity for great joy.  3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance
has a chance to grow.  4  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you
will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
[James 1:12]
12  God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will
receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
[Matthew 5:12]
12  Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
[2 Peter 1:3-4]
3  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have
received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his
marvelous glory and excellence.  4  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us
great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine
nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

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Application Questions

  1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
  2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
  3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
  4. How will this message change how you act at home, at work, and in your relationships?