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Lesson OneThe Context of the Beatitudes3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoMajor Approaches3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeReversals for the Unfortunate3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourRewards for the Virtuous3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveLuke's Blessings and Woes3 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 179
Discussion Questions
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In your own words, and based on what you learned in this lecture, explain what it means to be merciful.
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Being merciful means loving my neighbor by being kind to the needy. Dr. Bloomberg uses Proverbs 14:21 as background to Jesus’ teaching:
It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,
but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. -
Over forty years as an active RN and a Christian, mercy has taken on such an important meaning for me. Each time I try again to define mercy I have to go back to how merciful God has been to me, not just sometimes but always. I stand on the fact that no matter who we are or how long we’ve tried to follow our Lord, we are not entitled. We do not deserve riches or health or food and clothing or anything because we are only “sinners saved by Grace” . The Bible teaches us that what we ‘deserve’ is death and destruction. It is only by God’s Grace through His son and the price He paid that we are able to avoid this, not because of ourselves. We love as we are loved. We forgive as we have been forgiven. We are bought with a price. Everyone is important to God, everyone should be important to us as treated as we would be treated…and maybe even better.
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Mercy to me equals kindness, forgiveness, and a poor memory. If someone needs help be kind and help them. If someone wrongs you not only forgive them but forget about it. Holding onto grudges harms the person holding on while the other person probably doesn’t even know there is a problem.
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When you have mercy unto others that is pleasing to God because you never know when you are going to need mercy yourselves from God.
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To be merciful means to be compassionate and kind to others; to esteem them (rather than to despise them or mock at them). Proverbs 14:21 and Proverbs 17:5 describe the attitude of someone who is not merciful.
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In your own words, and based on what you learned in this lecture, explain what it means to be pure in heart.
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For me, to be “Pure in heart” has a childlike innocence where I look at every person with love and try to find the good in them. It’s an attitude where every person is valuable and worth my time to interact. It also requires me to think Godly thoughts and stay in tune with the Holy Spirit. When my mind wanders it is important to give those thoughts to Jesus, ask for forgiveness if necessary, and get back on track.
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You must have clean heart ( will thoughts and emotions) and not have a heart full of hate, lust, unbelief, malice etc. The Lord needs a clean heart so that you can be use to spread the gospel.
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To be pure in heart means to be singularly devoted to God Almighty. Psalm 24:4 reinforces this by telling us that the person who has clean hands and a pure heart is one “who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.”
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To be pure in heart means to be blameless in who we actually are. Being pure in heart involves having a singleness of heart toward God. A pure heart has no hypocrisy, no guile, no hidden motives. The pure heart is marked by transparency and an uncompromising desire to please God in all things.
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Pure in heart is an attitude. It is an inner view of God and desire to know God that reflects his nature to others.