Hey there. Have you ever imagined what it would be like if Jesus was right there with you in the car on the way to school? What would he say to help you kick your day off on the right foot? Well, that's what Carpooling with Jesus is all about. Together, we'll dive into the Bible and discover how Jesus might guide us on our daily journey. I'm Pastor Justin, and to start the year, we're talking about something super important. The Beatitudes. Now, these are not bumblebees we're talking about, but I am buzzing with excitement. So what are the Beatitudes? They are a part of a really important talk that Jesus gave to his disciples and a large crowd of people who were listening. It's called the Sermon on the Mount. And just like it was then, it's full of important lessons for us today. Jesus tells us how to live a life that makes God happy and blesses the people around us. Now the word Beatitudes might sound kind of fancy, maybe a little bit funny like we're just smashing two words together, but you can think of it like this. It's the B attitudes, the attitudes or way we should be. To live in a way that's good and pleasing to God and makes us more like Jesus every day. We want to be more like Jesus, right? I know I do. I want my kids to be more like Jesus in the way they talk and the way they act and the way they treat their friends and they treat their teachers and how they respect and listen to mom and dad. In the Bible, Jesus says something unexpected. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. That's from the book of Matthew chapter five, verse three. Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and part of four books referred to as the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So what is Matthew writing about? When Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? You might think it has something to do with being sad all the time or not having a lot of money, and you'd be wrong. Instead, Jesus says, know that you need God and realize you can't do life all by yourself. We need God's help every day. Sometimes we feel like we need to be strong and do everything right or never ask for help. But Jesus says you are blessed when you realize you don't have to be perfect. When you know you need God, you are right where Jesus wants you to be. Being poor in spirit means trusting God to take care of us and admitting that we don't have it all figured out. And when you're young, it's okay not to have it all figured out. That's why God gave us parents who love us and teachers who help us. Jesus says that when you are poor in spirit, you get something amazing. The kingdom of heaven. That means God gives us all his love and his care and a place in his family forever. So how can you be poor in spirit today? It might look like starting your day with a simple prayer. God, I need you, please help me today. It might mean before you take a test, a simple prayer, God, help me in this test. Help me remember everything I studied. Or maybe it's asking for help from your parents or teachers when things get hard, knowing that God is with you every step of the way today, whenever you feel like you're not enough or when things are tough, remember that Jesus says you are blessed. When you rely on Him and guess what? His help is always available to you. You just need to ask. All right, friends, that's all for today's carpool. As you go about your day, remember that being poor in spirit just means you need God, and God is with you and his son Jesus loves when we come to him for help. I hope you believe it. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Join me tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus, where we turn every car ride into a faith filled moment. And parents, if you enjoy this podcast, share it with your parent friends so they can turn their car rides into faith filled moments too. Here's today's question. Try and answer it together before you get out of the car. How can we show that we need God's help in our everyday lives, at school, with friends, or at home with our family?
