Well, here goes. These verses to me say that worldly wealth, good works, and name mean nothing to God. God says that the meek, those who mourn, and those who are poor in spirit are blessed. Those who are able to give everything up to him are the ones who are blessed. God wants us to be dependent upon him, not ourselves. I don't know about you guys, but I often times find myself depending upon me and thinking that I have things under control. Boy, I sure would have messed my life up a lot if I was in control!

Lets get started...

Verses for this week - Matt 5:1-6

 ¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.
He said:
  ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.

Also check out the updated bio's.

Sermon on the Mount –Why should we study it?

                The theme of Matthew 5-7 is the nature of the kingdom of heaven and the life required by those who desire to become a part of it.  It is applicable to us as a standard for conduct as Christians.  It is not a system of rules or regulations for we are doomed to fail if we try to use our own righteousness as a means to salvation.   It drives us to the cross recognizing we have fallen short of God’s righteousness.  It calls us to live by faith in Christ in a broken world that encourages us to seek our own desires and pleasure. 

                It is about a new way of life.  Leaving the old self behind and putting on the new self, (Eph 4:22-24, Col 3:9-10).  This is a continual renewing  lived out daily by dying to ourselves and living for Christ, (2 Cor 4:16).  The old mindset is shaped by the world and the new mindset is shaped by Christ.  The worldly agenda places importance on our own interests of pleasure, recognition, power, and possessions.  The Christian finds true happiness in accordance with the principles set forth in these chapters.  Life is more than self-satisfaction.  It is about our relationship with God and with others.

                So where do we go from here?  We need to be learners.  Learning from Him and about Him through the study of His word.  This new way of life and continual renewing of the mind requires an investment in learning.  Not just passive learning but intentional learning.  We must take time to think, reflect, and meditate on the Word.  Learning has a cost.  Not just time, but it also requires internal change.  Change that comes from God as we learn to put on Christ.  This is not natural for us and usually a difficult or even a painful process.

                One of the goals of this study is for each of us to think, reflect, and meditate on the selected verses for each week.  Allow them to soak in as you go through your week.  Listen to what God is saying to you through these verses and reflect on what He is trying to teach you throughout the week.  You may find yourself in situations where these words become reality and lead you to even deeper understanding.  You are welcome to post your insights anytime.  Please feel free to comment on the posts that are made during the week.  This might be a simple word of encouragement, confirming one another’s thought process or to let someone know you are praying for them. 

Just testing the text posting option. Anybody who has not sent bio/family info please email it to me. Send pictures in a separate file.

Introduction – Biographies

Hello, my name is Agga Haren, I go by "Aggie."  I am husband to a wonderful woman, Jolene, and father to an exceptional son, Jeremy.  My background, I grew up on the family farm in central Illinois near the town of Cullom. One month after graduating from high school I left my beloved farm life for the US Air Force. I attended college at the USAF Academy which was commissioned in the USAF. While attending pilot training I met my wife in Pensacola, FL. Oddly enough she grew up on Paxton, IL only 30 min from my family farm.  We currently live in Bossier City, Louisiana where I am an instructor pilot flying the mighty B-52.  My son is now 11 years old and growing into a young man. Additionally I have a 15 year old daughter, Breanna, from a previous relationship that recently tracked me down after 11 years of no contact. The sorted details of our estrangement are not pleasant, however the joyful news is that she and I have been texting and talking for more than a year and are learning to know each other. Praise God!

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Jason Myers

Hi, my name is Jason. I'm a childhood friend of Jeremy's where we grew up in the same church in Pontiac. I was destined to marry his [older] sister, but that didn't materialize.
I live in Colorado (between Denver & Boulder) in a farmhouse in the suburbs. My wife Emily and I moved to Colorado nearly five years ago and love it out here! We have been married for six years and have two boys: Owen (5) and Riley (3). We are really having fun as a family and enjoying our community.
By day I am a recovering engineer. I work in the Aerospace & Defense industry in corporate development – which means I buy and sell companies. I love the company I work for: Ball Corporation. Yes, that's the Ball mason jars. We've been around for nearly 130 years. The aerospace division, where I spend most of my time, started with the company over 50 years ago. People most know us for the satellites we build (when you click on the satellite image from Google earth, those pictures are taken by our satellites built here in Boulder).
By night and weekends, we enjoy Colorado! I am active in triathlons, having done up to the Ironman distance. Therefore I spend a lot of time swimming, biking, and running. As a family, we like to explore Colorado, skiing, hiking, jeeping, camping.
Last year we were introduced to a new church; Flatirons Church. We are growing into it and enjoy the leadership A LOT.
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Nate Henrichs
i'm 33 and approaching my wedding date sept 17, 2011. its been a little bit of a challenge letting go of the personal freedom i've had the last 10-11yrs. that freedom has made me a creature of habit with my job and in so doing i've allowed my job and other activities to consume all my time. that needs to change...not only by spending more time in God's word but also thinking of others wishes and concerns. im looking fwd to this study group and learning/understanding other perspectives! ..and also for golf season :)
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Scott Maurice

I live in Houston, TX with my wife and two boys (ages 6 and 4).  I have worked as an architectural and conceptual designer for Sea World and Busch Gardens for fourteen years.  About two years ago I reduced my hours to be home early for the family each day and make time for writing a book.  I enjoy family, friends, all my kid's activities, along with reading, discussing theology, traveling to new places, and football.

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Sean Patrick Flaherty, Traverse City, MI

I am the father of two beautiful girls, Sydney & McKenna, ages 7 & 5-1/2.  I am currently in the middle of a divorce with my high school sweetheart & wife of 14 years.  I am an architect and own a building firm in Northern Michigan.  Times right now are a challenging to say it lightly.  We are blessed in so many ways, family and friends, but at the same time I (we) have carved out a very hard road ahead.  I am looking forward to the study and the time alone with God.
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Jeremy Henrichs - Mahomet, IL

My wife, Christine, and I will be married 13 years this summer. We have 3 children, Annie (9), Sam (7), and Ellie (5). We are navigating life together, sometimes successfully, and it has been a wonderful trip. I have varied interests including running, hunting, working outdoors, and making maple syrup. I made 4 gallons of maple syrup this spring. I collect the sap from sugar maples on my property. I am excited to share this time with all of you. Christ has been molding me a lot over the past five years, reshaping my understanding of Him, His Church, and His plan for me. More than I can write in a short paragraph. This is my first study online so bear with me. My friend Gabe from Dayton, OH introduced me to the concept 18 months ago. Initially I thought he was crazy but eventually I saw the value of bringing a group of men together that otherwise would not be able to meet. Hopefully we can use this forum to encourage, learn from, and minister to each other.

 

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Tom Campion

My wife, Sheri, and I have been married for 15years this Spring. We have 6 children ranging from 10 to 2 years of age. The first four are our biological children and the last two are our adopted children. We have been foster parents since 2005 which is how we have come to adopt. I am a clinical psychologist and have been in private practice since the late 90s. I have also been doing some teaching for Greenville College since 2008. I enjoy any outside activities and athletic sports, especially those that involve the children. I am a native to central Illinois but have done my share of traveling even though I have come back to establish my family here. I grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as my savior at an early age. I enjoy studying the Bible and having fellowship with other Christians; therefore, I am looking forward to this experience. I currently attend the Vineyard Church in Urbana.

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Justin Kean

Hello, I am Justin Kean.  My wife (Erin) and I have been married for 10 years, and we have 3 wonderful boys (Payton 9, Braylen 7, and Cohen 4).  I am a driver's ed and weight training teacher at Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School, and I also stay very busy coaching high school football, youth wrestling, and various other sports that my kids are involved in.  I am a member of the Gibson City Bible Church, and I am involved with The Fellowship of Christian Athletes with Jeremy at the high school.   

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Josh Carter

My wife Dena and I have been married for 15 years. We have two children: Aaron (13) and Kindall (10). I teach and coach at GCMS High School in Gibson City. My wife is a stay-at-home mom. We attend River Valley Church of Christ in Fisher.

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Mike White

I live in Paxton, IL with my daughter Christina(7). We are blessed to have a community of believers with whom we worship, fellowship and draw strength. Over the last few years we have relied on God's strength and His love demonstrated by others.

I recently lost my wife of 14 years, Julie, after a 4 year struggle with cancer. Her faith and strength in the face of the disease continue to amaze me. My prayer each day is for patience, strength and God's direction as Christina and I navigate our new normal.

We are active in the ministries of the Paxton First United Methodist Church, where I teach an adult Sunday School class and lead the senior high youth group.

I look forward to this opportunity to study God's word and share with and learn from each of you.