Reclamation Church Monroeville

Heart check ❤️ ✅

Purity in heart is not about pious behavior or righteous deeds. Jesus always goes deeper than the external, straight to the heart. Instead of perfection, he seeks undivided devotion. Instead of goodness, he wants honesty. Where is your heart today?

Power Up was a huge success! Over 130 kids learned about how Jesus is the light of the world. This year's mission goal was to provide supplies for 125 backpacks for kids in our community. And we did it! Later this summer, RCKids on Mission will pack those backpacks to see the direct impact of their mission goal. Thank you to the 80 volunteers who ministered so faithfully to these kids!

Stephen prayed for those who killed him. Elizabeth Elliot sat with the men who murdered her husband and shared the gospel with them. How? Because mercy flows from hearts that truly understand how much they've been forgiven. Real mercy isn't natural, but a response to being overwhelmed by God's mercy in our own lives.

"If this verse is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain you are a Christian; if it is not, then you had better examine the foundations again."

• Martin Lloyd-Jones

Hunger and thirst, as referred to in Matthew 5:6, is not a passing interest but an all-consuming desire to practice righteousness as we are positionally righteous by and in Christ. This is where true statisfaction lies. If this is not where you stand, examine your heart, your foundation, you faith.

Meekness ≠ weakness

Instead, meekness is Spirit-guided strength expressed in gentleness. Pausing instead of reacting, speaking truth without attacking, reconciling over retaliating – these are the hallmarks of meekness, and require the type of strength that only the Holy Spirit can give.

It's an incredible promise: in our mourning, the God of Creation comes alongside us to comfort us. Now, that's the good life 🙌

The world tells you that what you need is in yourself – you can do it, you are strong, you have hope inside. But the truth of the Gospel is that apart from Christ, I can do nothing. Does this leave me in a position of destitution? No! Because the truth of the Gospel also tells me his grace is sufficient for me, for his power is made perfect in my weakness. What an amazing truth that we are to rejoice in! Start your day by shaving off the thin veneer self-sufficiency and coming to Jesus in full confession of your weakness, trusting him to do what only he can in his grace and strength.

When Jesus looked at the paralyzed man, He didn't just see physical brokenness - He saw a man in need of forgiveness first. What we want vs. what we need can be two very different things, BUT Jesus always knows what we NEED. Hallelujah!