GUEST: TROY DOBBS, pastor and author, The Blessed Life
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. –Jesus (Matthew 5:10)
The American Dream says the “blessed” life is one where you own a nice home, have a well-paying job, send your kids to reputable schools, and retire with plenty of money and time to spend traveling and recreating.
Many professing Christians say the blessed life is one where God causes you to be healthy, financially secure, influential, positive, and “anointed”.
Contrast this to what Jesus preached in his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. He opens the sermon with nine “Beatitudes” of the person who is truly blessed, such as seeing one’s spiritual need, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and even being persecuted for following Christ.
Last weekend in Part 1, pastor Troy Dobbs joined us to discuss the first half of the Beatitudes. This week in Part 2, Troy will again join us to discuss the rest in light of his new book, The Blessed Life…That No One Really Wants.
We’ll also discuss the growing criticism of “whiteness”, which the Smithsonian Institution spells out.