Redefining Meekness

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 28th Sermon, Day 1

In our world today, meekness is often misunderstood. We tend to equate it with weakness, timidity, or being a pushover. But Jesus turns this understanding upside down when He declares the meek as blessed.

The first step in embracing the meekness Jesus spoke of is unlearning how the world has defined it. True meekness isn't about lacking courage or strength. Rather, it's about having your strength under God's control. It's about trusting God's will and action more than your own abilities.

When we look at great biblical figures like Moses, we see this virtue exemplified. Despite his position of leadership and his close relationship with God, Moses didn't defend himself when criticized. Instead, he remained silent and allowed God to intervene. This wasn't weakness—it was profound trust in God's justice and timing.

Jesus’ definition of meekness requires a shift in our thinking. It means recognizing that our value doesn't come from asserting ourselves or proving our worth to others. Instead, it comes from knowing who we are in God's eyes and resting secure in His love and plan for our lives. As we begin this journey of exploring meekness, let's ask God to help us see this virtue through His eyes rather than the world's distorted lens.

Bible Verse

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." - Matthew 5:5

Reflection Question

In what areas of your life have you confused meekness with weakness, and how might your perspective change if you viewed meekness as strength under God's control?

Quote For starters, the first thing I think we need to do is we actually need to unlearn how the world has defined the word meek.

Prayer

Lord, help me unlearn the world's definition of meekness and embrace Your truth. Teach me that true strength comes not from asserting myself, but from submitting to Your perfect will. Guide me as I begin this journey of understanding biblical meekness. Amen.

Becoming Comforters

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 21st Sermon, Day 5

God's comfort to us in our mourning isn't meant to end with us. As recipients of divine comfort, we're called to become channels of that same comfort to others who are suffering. When we've experienced the depth of God's presence in our own pain—whether in forgiving our sin or sustaining us through suffering—we're equipped in a unique way to come alongside others in their grief.

We can offer not just sympathy but true empathy, born out of our own experience of being comforted by God. This is how the kingdom of God spreads: comfort received becomes comfort given. The blessing of being comforted multiplies as we extend it to others. We become part of God's answer to the mourning of the world.

This doesn't mean we have all the answers or can remove someone else's pain. Often, the most powerful comfort we can offer is simply our presence—being willing to sit with someone in their grief without trying to fix it or explain it away. We can listen, we can pray, we can serve in practical ways. And in doing so, we become the hands and feet of the God who comforts.

As you reflect on the comfort God has given you, consider who in your life might need that same comfort today. How might God be calling you to be His instrument of comfort to someone who is mourning?

Bible Verse

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." - 2 Corinthians 1:4

Reflection Question

How has God's comfort in your life equipped you to comfort others? Is there someone specific He might be calling you to come alongside right now?

Quote "God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

Prayer

God of all comfort, thank you for the ways you've comforted me in my mourning and pain. Help me to remember your faithfulness so that I can share that comfort with others. Show me who needs your comfort today, and give me wisdom to know how to come alongside them. Use me as a channel of your compassion and healing in this broken world. May the comfort I've received multiply as I share it with others. Amen.

Mourning With The World

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 21st Sermon, Day 4

The mourning Jesus blesses extends beyond our personal sin to encompass the brokenness of our world. As followers of Christ, we're called not only to recognize our own spiritual poverty but also to feel the weight of suffering around us. Jesus himself was described as "a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." He wept at the tomb of Lazarus, even knowing he would raise him from the dead. He looked over Jerusalem and mourned for a city that rejected God's love.

To follow Jesus means to develop this same sensitivity to the pain of others. In a world that often encourages us to look away from suffering or numb ourselves to it, Jesus calls us to a different path. He invites us to open our hearts to feel the ache of injustice, the sorrow of violence, and the pain of human rebellion against God.

This isn't about wallowing in despair but about refusing to turn away from reality—both its beauty and its brokenness. When we allow ourselves to mourn with those who mourn, we become more like Christ. We develop His compassion, His tenderness toward the suffering, and His desire to bring healing and justice. And in this Christ-like mourning, we find ourselves blessed—not because suffering itself is good, but because in our mourning we encounter the God who comforts and who promises one day to make all things new.

Bible Verse

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18

Reflection Question

In what ways might God be calling you to open your heart to the suffering in the world around you rather than turning away or becoming numb to it?

Quote "To be blessed as mourners means we don't harden our hearts or numb ourselves to suffering. Instead, we let ourselves feel, feel the ache of injustice, the sorrow of violence, the pain of human rebellion against God."

Prayer

Compassionate God, forgive me for the times I've turned away from the pain of others or hardened my heart to the suffering in our world. Give me the courage to mourn with those who mourn, to feel the weight of injustice and brokenness as Jesus did. Thank you for your promise to draw near to the brokenhearted. Use me as an instrument of your comfort and healing in a hurting world. Amen.

The Comfort of Forgiveness

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 21st Sermon, Day 3

One of the greatest comforts God offers to those who mourn over their sin is forgiveness. When we come to Him with honest sorrow over our wrongdoing, we don't find a stern judge waiting to condemn us. Instead, we find a loving Father eager to restore us.

God's forgiveness is complete and transformative. He doesn't merely overlook our sin or pretend it didn't happen. He fully pardons us, removing our sin "as far as the east is from the west." The weight of guilt and shame that we've been carrying is lifted, replaced by the lightness of grace and the joy of restoration.

This is why mourning over sin is actually a blessed state. It's not the mourning itself that's the blessing—it's where that mourning leads us. It leads us straight into the arms of a God who specializes in forgiveness and restoration. It leads us to a place where we can start again, free from the burden of past failures.

No matter how far you feel you've strayed, remember that you are only "one repentance away from being restored." God's forgiveness isn't earned through the intensity of our sorrow or the perfection of our future behavior. It's freely given to all who come to Him with sincere hearts, mourning over their sin and seeking His grace.

Bible Verse

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

Reflection Question

Is there an area in your life where you've been hesitant to fully receive God's forgiveness? What might be holding you back from embracing His complete restoration?

Quote "We're all only one repentance away from being restored."

Prayer

Merciful God, thank you for your incredible promise of forgiveness. Help me to truly believe that when I come to you with godly sorrow, you completely forgive and restore me. Free me from any lingering shame or guilt that keeps me from fully experiencing your grace. Thank you that I am always just one repentance away from restoration. May I live in the freedom and joy of your forgiveness today. Amen.

The Pathway of Godly Sorrow

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 21st Sermon, Day 2

There's a profound difference between feeling bad about our mistakes and experiencing true godly sorrow. Many of us are familiar with momentary regret—that fleeting feeling of "I shouldn't have done that" that quickly fades without producing any real change in our lives.

But Jesus calls us to something deeper. The mourning He blesses isn't superficial remorse; it's a heartfelt sorrow that recognizes the reality of our sin and its impact on our relationship with God and others. This kind of mourning doesn't leave us stuck in guilt or shame. Instead, it opens us up to transformation.

Godly sorrow leads to repentance—a complete turning away from sin and turning toward God. It's not just feeling sorry; it's being changed by that sorrow. When we allow ourselves to truly mourn over our sin, we create space for God to work in us, molding us more into the image of Christ.

The beautiful promise is that this path of godly sorrow doesn't end in despair. It leads to comfort—to the assurance of forgiveness, to the joy of restoration, to the peace of being right with God. The very act of mourning becomes a doorway to blessing because it brings us face to face with the God who comforts.

Bible Verse

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10

Reflection Question

How has godly sorrow worked in your life to produce genuine change and draw you closer to God?

Quote "Godly sorrow, like Paul was talking about, like Jesus was talking about, actually breaks us open, and it leads us to repentance and ultimately to change and to life."

Prayer

Lord, I confess that too often my sorrow over sin is shallow and short-lived. Create in me a heart that truly mourns over the ways I've grieved you. Thank you that you don't leave me in my sorrow but lead me through it to repentance and new life. Help me to embrace godly sorrow as a pathway to transformation and deeper communion with you. Amen.