Kingdom Culture
A Countercultural Guide To Kingdom Living
Leo Burge
Part of Kingdom Culture—A Countercultural Guide To Kingdom Living
April 15, 2023

Welcome to church!!

We are so excited you’re joining us for worship. Whether you’re here with us in person, or tuning in online, we believe that God has a word for you today. If this is your first time visiting, or maybe you’ve been coming for a while but haven’t taken a next step to let us know, we can’t encourage you enough to fill out Connect Card at the first time guest tent at the church entrance, or go to the Next Steps tab at the bottom of the screen in the Life Church app and fill a digital Connect Card in the Connet section. As always, never hesitate to let us know if there’s any specific way we can be praying for you!


BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT


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.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:1-12 NIV


“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3 NIV


“Blessed is the person who realizes they are

, utterly helpless, one who realizes their .”


“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Matthew 5:3 NLT


“Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”

Matthew 5:3 GW


“Those people who know they have great spiritual needs are happy, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Matthew 5:3 NCV


We will never depend on something we don’t think we need.


I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Revelation 3:15-17 NIV


1. Without Jesus, I pay for .


For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23 (NIV)


For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 NIV


He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross”

Colossians 2:14 NLT


As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world… All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:1-5 NIV


Because of Jesus, I have the free gift of , , and .


2. Without Jesus, I can only cope through my pain and my personhood.


They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.

Jeremiah 6:14 NLT


Because of Jesus, I have the power to be and .


“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 2:24-25 NIV


But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV


3. Without Jesus, I’m trying to find or create .


“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV


Because of Jesus, I have the ability to know who I am and what my life is all about.


4. Without Jesus, I am living my life for joys that .

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV


JESUS I NEED YOU!