Time to Step Up
This Sunday, we welcome a very special guest speaker: former senior minister of Unity Fort Worth and current host of Unity Online Radio show, World Spirituality, Rev. Paul John Roach!
In his message, Paul will talk about the qualities of courage, determination, and focus that are essential to living a meaningful and victorious life. Together, we’ll look at how to find and express these qualities in our lives.
Join us for an inspiring message and wonderful music, and stick around after service for a book signing with Rev. Paul in celebration of his new book, Unity and World Religions.
Listen & Watch
About Rev. Paul John Roach
Sermon Notes
Opening Prayer
by Rev. Jean-Marie Schweizer
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. And we shall be such children if we want real peace in the world. It is not enough to say, “We must not wage war.” It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but the positive affirmation of peace. For we shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace.
Each one of us has to find their peace from within. And for such peace to be real, it must be unaffected by outside circumstances. We find peace not by rearranging such circumstances, but by realizing who we are at the deepest level. And, we can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. For one who never unites the mind with God there is no peace.
Peace and war start within one’s own home. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Let the behavior of others not destroy our inner peace, for among hostile people, we dwell free from hostility. The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
The highest moral practice is a peaceful mind. Better than a thousand useless words, peace begins with a smile. Let us forgive ourselves for not being at peace, for the moment we completely accept such reality, we are transformed. Anything we accept fully will take us into peace. This is the miracle of surrender, which looks like a passive state, but in reality it brings something entirely new into this world. That peace, a subtle energy vibration, is consciousness.
Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways. We will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast. Let us then depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. For we will have peace to the extent that we have God. Thus we may measure our progress with God by measuring our peace.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on us, let us live at peace with everyone. Let us not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Let us make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, so that in us we may have calm and ease. May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. May we leave Peace with us and give it away, not in the way the world gives but with the untroubled and unafraid hearts of Spirit. For blessed are we, the peacemakers, as we will be called the children of God.
And so it is. Amen.
Scriptural Foundation
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
"If you want real peace in the world, start with children.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
"It is not enough to say 'We must not wage war.' It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but the positive affirmation of peace.” (Martin Luther King Jr., Anti-War Conference, Los Angeles, California, February 25, 1967.
“For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12)
"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.” (Eckhart Tolle)
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” (Dalai Lama)
“For one who never unites the mind with God there is no peace; and how can one who lacks peace be happy? (Bhagavad-Gita 2:66)
“Peace and war start within one’s own home.” (Mother Teresa)
“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18)
“Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace.” (Dalai Lama)
“Among hostile people, free from hostility we dwell.” (Dhammapada 197)
"The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
“The highest moral practice is a peaceful mind.” (Collected Bodhi Leaves IV:91–121)
“Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace.” (Dhammapada 100)
“Peace begins with a smile.” (Mother Teresa)
“Forgive yourself for not being at peace. The moment you completely accept your non-peace, your non-peace is transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.” (Eckhart Tolle)
"You will have peace to the extent that you have God, and the further you are away from God the less you will be at peace... Thus you may measure your progress with God by measuring your peace or the lack of it.” (Meister Eckhart)
“Acceptance looks like a passive state, but in reality it brings something entirely new into this world. That peace, a subtle energy vibration, is consciousness.” (Eckhart Tolle)
“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.” (Dalai Lama)
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)
“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Other Scripture Verses
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. 19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Romans 14:17–19)
“That person, who gives up all material desires and lives free from a sense of greed, proprietorship, and egoism, attains perfect peace.” (Bhagavad-Gita 2:71)
“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.” (Dalai Lama)
“Better than mechanical practice is knowledge; better than knowledge is meditation. Better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of actions, for peace immediately follows such renunciation.” (Bhagavad-Gita 12:12)
“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33)