Matthew 5:7: Blessed are the merciful

I) What does it mean to be blessed?

A) The Greek word “makarios” (Blessed) describes _______________ according to God’s values.

1) The emphasis is on ______________ well-being.

2) It should not be confused with material _____________ or prosperity.

B) We often don’t ________________ this spiritual growth that God is producing in our lives.


II) What is the mercy that we are to exhibit?

A) Mercy _________________ what is deserved.

B) Mercy also extends what is _______________ — a blessing no one had the right to ask for.

C) Relational mercy requires ______________.

1) It refuses to ______________, absorbing the wrong rather than returning it.

2) It moves beyond restraint, actively showing ____________ and generosity toward the one who caused the hurt..


III) What is promised to those who show mercy?

A) They will ___________ mercy in return.

B) Merciful people tend to be aware of their own faults and humbled by God’s grace.

C) Others tend to be more ______________ toward merciful people.
IV) What can keep us from extending mercy?

A) R________________

1) It causes us to view others through the ____________ of our worst experience with them.

2) It assigns the worst possible ____________ to everything they do.

3) Result: We become so _____________ by bitterness and anger that mercy struggles to find its way out of us.

B) E______________

1) It operates on the lie that another person's joy somehow diminishes or steals our own.

2) Result: We withhold mercy because, deep down, we don't want to see anything good come to someone we resent having ________ than us.



V) How can we cultivate mercy?

A) Remember the ____________ Christ has given us!

B) Humbly ask God to show us his ______________ on the people we resent.

C) Ask God to help us ______________ with others.