Life’s Healing Life’s Healing ChoicesChoices

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are Blessed are those who hunger and thirst those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will for righteousness, for they will be filled.be filled.

Surprise # 1: Lasting happiness has Surprise # 1: Lasting happiness has to do withto do with _______________ . _______________ . righteousnes

s

The tragic reality is that those who The tragic reality is that those who pursue happiness pursue happiness

Can’tCan’t _________ it for long. _________ it for long.

Create greater _____________. Create greater _____________.

keep

emptiness

Pursue happiness and you’re sure Pursue happiness and you’re sure to to

________ it . ________ it . miss

Surprise # 2: ________ is no Surprise # 2: ________ is no substitute for blessedness.substitute for blessedness.

Relief

Lasting happiness is always a Lasting happiness is always a ___________ of pursuing something ___________ of pursuing something else.else.bi-product

Surprise # 3: Lasting happiness is Surprise # 3: Lasting happiness is associated with __________. associated with __________. hunger

Luke 1:53 For God has filled For God has filled the hungry with good things, the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent and the rich he has sent empty away.empty away.

Matthew 6:33 But But seekseek firstfirst His kingdom and His His kingdom and His righteousness and all these righteousness and all these things will be given you.things will be given you.

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you For I tell you that unless your righteousness that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.enter the kingdom of heaven.

Hosea 6:4 "What can I do with "What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.”early dew that disappears.”

““Hunger and thirst”Hunger and thirst”

Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer As the deer pants for streams of water, so pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. my soul pants for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go the living God. When can I go and meet with God?and meet with God?

How do we hunger and thirst for How do we hunger and thirst for righteousness?righteousness?

________ unrighteousness.________ unrighteousness.Flee

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure call on the Lord out of a pure heart.heart.

____________ pursue righteousness.____________ pursue righteousness.Proactively

Isaiah 51:1 Listen to me, you Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;which you were hewn;

Expect ____________ .Expect ____________ .pressure

Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled He humbled you, you, causing you to hungercausing you to hunger and then feeding you with and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on live on bread alone but on every word that comes from every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.the mouth of the Lord.

Turn to the face and ________ of Turn to the face and ________ of God.God.

heart

Isaiah 55:1-2 ""Come, all you Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk Come, buy wine and milk without money and without without money and without cost. cost. 2Why spend money on Why spend money on what is not bread, and your what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”delight in the richest of fare.”

““Shall be filled”Shall be filled”

What are the benefits of What are the benefits of righteousness?righteousness?

____________ for life’s challenges.____________ for life’s challenges.Strength

Isaiah 59:17 He put on He put on righteousness as his righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.as in a cloak.

____________ blessings.____________ blessings.Material

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his But seek first his kingdom and his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as things will be given to you as well.well.

_________ , _______________ and _________ , _______________ and ______________ .______________ .

contentmentPeaceconfidence

Isaiah 32:17 The fruit of The fruit of righteousness will be peace; righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence be quietness and confidence forever.forever.

Luke 6:25 Woe to you who are Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and now, for you will mourn and weep.weep.