...But God

Matthew 5: 1-3

Creators & Guests

Host
Chad McBeam
Business Leader, Foster Advocate and Fighter of Human Trafficking, Chad enjoys hosting this podcast channel as a way to spread and highlight the great examples of those who live out their faith daily. He can also be seen on occasion on your TV or Film Screen or be heard narrating one of your books as his love of acting has stuck with him since his childhood.
Writer
Aaron Marcarelli
After getting his under-graduate degree from Cal State University San Bernardino where he played college baseball and received all American honors. he was a graduate assistant baseball coach at both Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, Tennessee, and at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.  He received his master’s degree in Teaching from Whitworth, with plans to someday be a head baseball coach at a university.  However, God had other plans.  Aaron started teaching English and History and coaching baseball and other sports at the high school level and found out how much he loves high school kids, and he has been doing that for the past 27 years.     Personally, heI has been married to his wife Sharon for 32 years, they have one daughter, Amanda Parrish, who has been married to Austin Parrish for 2 years. Aaron also has two grandsons Travis age 2 ½ and Aden who is 13 months and are blessed to have another on the way due in May. Aaron loves reading, golfing, and spending time with his wife and grandkids.
Designer
Linda Cowen
Linda Cowen of San Antonio Christian School is our gracious and talented art designer for the But God, weekday morning devotional series.

What is ...But God?

A weekday morning devotional series written by Aaron Marcarelli and hosted by Chad McBeam

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying; “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:1-3 NASB2020

As I said in my last devotional God gave me a word for this year and that word is follow. What better way to be a follower of Christ than to follow what he says in the greatest sermon ever given. Therefore, for the next few weeks we are going to be immersed in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-6.
All too often we go right to what Jesus said and we don’t look at the context or subtext. Look at what Jesus did before He began to speak. Jesus sat down. This was the teaching style of Rabbis. They did this as to not talk at their students but with their students. As teacher this is my most effective teaching tool. Students are so much more receptive to teaching when I am talking to them not at them. This is a very key point to the sermon on the mount. One that gets missed all too often.
Now we can look at what it means to be a follower of Christ. We must be poor in spirit. What does that mean? It literally means spiritual poverty. It means we should never act as if we know it all. We should always be seeking to know more. At the end of this sermon Jesus will say ““But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.”
Matthew 6:33 NASB2020
In order to follow Christ we must begin and end with a spirit of humility and a constant thirst for the knowledge and will of God.
Lord, thank you for your humility, thank you for talking to us and not at us. Lord, help us to seek you first. Help us to have a spirit of humility and help us to constantly thirst for your word and your will in Jesus Name Amen…
Shalom Blessings and Press In and Press On!