This week at Zion, Pastor Nancy Joe Block shares with us the knowledge and wisdom of those who suffer and mourn in life. The scripture reminds us that our hope in Jesus Christ sets our mourning apart from others. Matthew 5:4 says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." We face many trials in life, but none are faced without the arms of our heavenly father available to us. Walk with us through this week's beatitude as you tune in to this episode. . .

The Sermon on the Mount is the sermon where Jesus establishes the culture of the kingdom. The culture of his kingdom, coming to earth, is counter-culture to the world's. In the first of the beatitudes, Jesus establishes a precedent: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." While many in the world would say, "The poor are more blessed," Jesus isn't talking about those in poverty. He goes a step further and acknowledges the importance of spiritual bankruptcy. For us to exist in God's kingdom, we have to understand that it is a dimension beyond the one we live in here on earth. Tune in to this week's episode for more. . .

In this week's episode at Zion, we are studying the final chapters of Acts, where we witness the inspiring story of Paul's journey to Rome to face Caesar as a political prisoner. In this sermon, we'll take an in-depth look at Paul's unwavering commitment to spreading the gospel, even while confined in Caesar's prison for two years.

During his time in captivity, Paul displays incredible resilience by writing letters to the churches and passionately teaching the gospel every single day, from morning until night. His audience is comprised of Jews, Christians, and Romans, and despite quoting Jesus and Isaiah, there are some who struggle to fully embrace the gospel message.

As we reflect on Paul's experiences, we'll explore the profound lesson that it is the condition of our hearts that ultimately determines the extent to which the gospel takes root and flourishes in our lives. It is the soil of our hearts that determines whether or not this gospel grows in our lives or not.

Tune in to this episode as we unpack the timeless wisdom contained within these chapters of Acts and draw inspiration from Paul's unwavering faith and dedication to sharing the teachings of Jesus.