Read Matthew 5:6 & Jeremiah 17:7-8.

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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

    whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water,

    that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

    for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

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Discuss the passage

• What kind of person does Jesus describe in Matthew 5? What do you imagine their life looking like? 
• In Jeremiah 17, what is a blessed person compared to? What would a life that reflects this metaphor look like? Use your own words and imagination to picture a day in this blessed life. 
• How would this life be different than what the world or our culture today describe as the good life?

Discuss the third value of Citizens Church | People of Presence: The Active Pursuit of God and Others

• You can sum up the story of the Bible in three words: God with us. We were made for God’s presence and Jesus promised He would provide the very presence we long for (Matthew 28:20, John 14:15-17, Romans 8:9-11). At Citizens Church, being a people of presence means communing with God individually through spiritual practices as well as corporately and in community within our gatherings and groups. This is an active, not passive, part of the life of Citizens Church. We actively behold God and intentionally move toward one another. 
• How would you state people of presence in your own words? How have you experienced this in your life? What mechanisms have you pursued to experience this daily? 
• How does this value encourage your membership at Citizens? Does it excite you to become a member if you are not already?

Close in Prayer

Ask God together to make you a person of presence in your homes, neighborhoods and workplaces.