March 1, 2026 Welcome to Trinity!
Basic Theme:
After defeating the devil in the wilderness, Jesus steps forward with one urgent message: the long-awaited Kingdom of God has broken into history. In His teaching, His touch, and His very person, heaven is now invading earth. This series traces Jesus’ early Galilean ministry as He proclaims and demonstrates the nature of God’ s reign. Lent becomes a six-week prayer—“ Thy kingdom come”— as we repent of every rival kingdom, realign our hearts with the King’ s priorities, and prepare to crown Christ alone on Easter morning.
Sermon Snapshot( Key Points):
Everything the world counts as success— pride, power, self-sufficiency— Jesus calls loss. The Beatitudes are the upside-down constitution of the Kingdom: the poor inherit, mourners are comforted, the persecuted win. This is not a future hope only; it is present reality for those who live out Kingdom values. Lent is the season to stop climbing the world’ s ladder and start descending into the blessedness Jesus pronounces over the broken.
So What?
Which Beatitude( e. g., poor in spirit, meek, persecuted) feels most counterintuitive to you, and how can you embrace it this week to experience Kingdom blessedness in your relationships? Where in your life are you climbing the“ world’ s ladder” of success, and what would it look like to descend into the upside-down Kingdom by showing mercy or making peace instead? Identify someone in your community who embodies one of the Beatitudes’“ blessed” traits: how can you learn from them and participate in God’ s reign by supporting or joining them in their faithfulness?
Do This!
Pick one Beatitude that feels furthest from your natural instincts. For the next seven days, intentionally live it out in one specific relationship or situation: show mercy, practice meekness, make peace, or mourn with someone who is hurting.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-12; Isaiah 61:1-3( NIV)
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. 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.
1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’ s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.