1. Beatitudes
Matthew 5:4

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3. Who remembers last week’s memory verse?
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

4. Last week’s challenge:
Have you taken this past week to not compare yourselves to others?
Have you focused on the strengths of others and compliment/encourage them?
Share your experiences!!! 

5. ✏ Doodle time!!!! Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted”
Now let’s pray

6. Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”
What does this verse mean to you?

7. “Blessed is the one…” Who remembers what blessed means from last week?
Steady joy!

8. “… of those who mourn…” What does it mean to mourn? Greek: πανθεό
Translation: pentheo
Definition: mourning, sorry, sadness, grief, lament either over death or for the sorrows of sins

9. Question: Do you think it is good to mourn? Why or why not?
When should we mourn, and when should we chose not to?

10. Mourning looking into scripture
James 4:7-10
 ”Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
From what we learned about pentheo, what type of mourning is expressed in James 4:7-10?
Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you have done – be real with God and uproot any deep issues you don’t want to bring up when it comes to your faith. God knows your heart but also gives you the choice to give yours to him willingly

11. Mourning looking into scripture
John 11:33-35
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept.
From what we learned about pentheo, what type of mourning is expressed in John 11:33-35?
We have a God who cares. When Jesus saw the weeping and wailing, he too wept openly. Perhaps he empathized with their grief, or perhaps he was troubled at their unbelief. In either case, Jesus showed that he cares enough for us to weep with us in our sorrow
People think that God has no emotions or is not involved with humans, but here we see many of Jesus’ emotions: compassion, sorrow, and even frustration
He expressed deep emotion, and we must never be afraid to reveal our true feelings to him. He understands them, for he experienced them. Be honest, and don’t try to hide anything from your Savior. He cares.

12. “… for they will be comforted…”
What does it mean to comfort?
Greek: παράκλησις
Translation: paraklesis
Para = beside
Klesis = call
Definition: "called to one's side,“
capability or adaptability for giving aid
Used in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant, counsel for the defense/advocate
One who pleads another's cause, an intercessor, advocate

13. Comfort looking into scripture
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 
From this passage, what does it say about our God, and what does it mean for us?
Why does God allow suffering in this world?

14. Comfort looking into scripture
Romans 12:15
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”
With 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 and Romans 12:15 together say about mourning and comforting?
Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for him. We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trail you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles.

15. Do we have enough time??? We actually did in the lesson yay
If we don’t, click here
If we do, there’s 2 extra slides but I will indeed include this on the website!

16. Suffering: Good? Bad?
What do you think of suffering? Is it a good or bad thing? What can you view suffering in a Christian standpoint?
Paul considered it a privilege to suffer for Christ. We do not by nature consider suffering a privilege
Yet when we suffer, it we faithfully represent Christ, our message and example affect us and others for good

17. The benefits of suffering
Believe it or not, suffering has its benefits and shows who we are as Christians
It takes our eyes off of earthly comforts
It weeds out superficial believers
It strengthens the faith of those who endure
It serves as an example to others who may follow us
When we suffer for our faith, it doesn’t mean that we have done something wrong
In fact, the opposite is often true – it verifies that we have been faithful. Use suffering to build your character. Don’t resent it or let it down.

18. Our God is a God who comforts 💕
Revelation 21:4
Psalm 34:18
Deuteronomy 31:6
Psalm 147:3
Psalm 73:26
John 14:1
Isaiah 53:5
Joshua 1:9
Romans 8:28

19. For this week… Journal question: Challenge:
Look into your heart and see what God has been calling you to uproot even if you change your laughter to grieving.
Challenge:
Ask God to look into the heart of others and understand if they are in need of comfort or not. Not only pray for them, but also let them know because you never know how you could be the only Jesus to them!