Sometimes keeping the peace is easier than making peace.

In Episode 8 of Let’s Talk!, Billy sits down with Pastor Dale and Dawson to continue the conversation from Matthew 5:9:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Jesus doesn't call His followers simply to avoid conflict. He calls us to become peacemakers, and sometimes that requires doing the hard thing.

The conversation explores the difference between a peacekeeper and a peacemaker, why insecurity can create conflict, how our culture can profit from keeping us divided, and why real relationships require friction.

They also get practical about forgiveness, hospitality, broken trust, and what to do when somebody has genuinely hurt you.

Forgiveness does not mean minimizing what happened. The cross itself shows us that God did not minimize sin. Jesus paid its cost.

So what does peacemaking look like in your marriage, family, workplace, friendships, and the conflicts you are carrying right now?

Sometimes it means having the conversation you've been avoiding.

Sometimes it means listening.

Sometimes it means forgiving.

Sometimes it means welcoming someone to the table.

And sometimes it means doing everything that depends on you and trusting God with what doesn't.

Scripture: Matthew 5:9

Series: Blessed?

People’s Church | Fresno, California

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

Use these questions with your small group, family, friends, or for personal reflection:

1. Is there a relationship where you've been keeping the peace instead of actually making peace? What hard conversation or action might you be avoiding?

2. Pastor Dale talked about insecurity as a peace-breaker. When you feel insecure, are you more likely to blame someone else, prove yourself, or find something to numb what you're feeling?

3. Dawson talked about how character is often formed through friction. Is there a difficult relationship or situation God may be using to form something in you?

4. Jesus brought people with radically different backgrounds and perspectives around the same table. Is there someone you've reduced to their opinions, failures, or what they've done to you instead of seeing them as a person Jesus loves?

5. Forgiveness doesn't minimize the cost of what happened. Is there someone whose debt you're still trying to collect? What would it mean to trust Jesus with justice while taking responsibility for your part?

6. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” What actually depends on you in the conflict you're facing, and what do you need to stop trying to control?

Take a moment to pray: Jesus, show me where I've chosen what is easy instead of what makes peace. Reveal any insecurity, resentment, pride, or unforgiveness I'm carrying. Give me courage to do what depends on me, grace to forgive, and trust to leave what I cannot control with You.

Links

Website: https://www.peopleschurch.org

Online: https://www.peopleschurch.org/online

Next Steps: https://www.peopleschurch.org/next

Giving: https://www.peopleschurch.org/give

What does it actually mean to be a peacemaker?

Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." But biblical peace is more than avoiding conflict, keeping everyone happy, or maintaining the status quo.

In this message from our Blessed? series, Pastor Dale Oquist explores the difference between being a peacekeeper and becoming a peacemaker.

A peacekeeper tries to avoid conflict. A peacemaker is willing to step into conflict and bring the righteousness, wisdom, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus into it.

Peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is the presence of righteousness.

And while having peace may be something we desire, making peace is a decision.

In this message, you'll discover:

- Why our relationship with God affects our relationships with others

- What the Bible means when it talks about true peace

- Why peace can exist even in the middle of conflict

- The difference between a peacekeeper and a peacemaker

- Why insecurity, resentment, and bitterness can destroy peace

- Why peacemakers must first listen to God

- How listening to others communicates value without requiring agreement

- What it means to cover others in love and release unrealistic expectations

- Why every follower of Jesus has been given a ministry of reconciliation

- How forgiveness begins the work of restoration

Listen. Cover. Forgive.

Peacemaking isn't passive. It requires us to listen when we'd rather speak, extend grace when expectations aren't met, and forgive because we recognize that the sacrifice of Jesus covers not only our sin, but the sins of others.

📖 Scripture: Matthew 5:1-10, Matthew 5:9, James 3:17-18, Isaiah 57:21, Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 5:18, Matthew 18

📍 Peoples Church

📅 September 27, 2026

🎤 Pastor Dale Oquist

Reflection Questions

- Am I a peacemaker, or do I tend to avoid conflict simply to keep the peace?

- Is insecurity, resentment, or bitterness disrupting peace in any of my relationships?

- Do the people around me feel heard?

- Is there an expectation I need to release and cover with grace?

- Is there a conflict I need to take directly to someone instead of talking about it with others?

- Is there someone I need to forgive by accepting that Jesus' sacrifice covers their sin too?

- As far as it depends on me, what step can I take toward peace this week?

Join us on Sundays, online or in person at Peoples Church

8:30AM | 10AM | 11:45AM

7172 N Cedar Ave

Fresno, CA 93720

Links

Website: https://www.peopleschurch.org

Online: https://www.peopleschurch.org/online

Next Steps: https://www.peopleschurch.org/next

Giving: https://www.peopleschurch.org/give

Events: https://www.peopleschurch.org/events

Hashtags

#Blessed #ThePeacemakers #Beatitudes #SermonOnTheMount #Matthew5 #Peacemakers #Peace #Reconciliation #Forgiveness #ChristianLiving #PeoplesChurch

What has your heart?

In Episode 7 of Let’s Talk!, Billy sits down with Pastor Brian Krum and Dawson Oquist to continue the conversation from Matthew 5:8:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

When we hear the word purity, it can be easy to think about behavior, rules, or cleaning up the parts of our lives everyone else can see.

But Jesus goes deeper.

He cares about what is happening underneath the surface: what we desire, what motivates us, what we fear, what we trust, and what we are ultimately living for.

Pastor Brian explains that a pure heart is not a perfect heart. It is an undivided heart.

The conversation gets practical about approval, control, fear, success, security, money, marriage, our phones, and the countless things competing for pieces of our attention and affection.

They also talk about the danger of becoming really good at looking spiritually healthy while something entirely different is happening inside, and why following Jesus is not about maintaining a religious image.

It is about knowing Him.

Purity is not something we manufacture through enough rules or spiritual disciplines. Jesus is the One who changes our hearts. Practices like prayer, reflection, Scripture, silence, and surrender simply help us slow down, become aware of His presence, and keep turning our attention back toward Him.

One of the clearest takeaways from the conversation:

A pure heart doesn’t mean a perfect heart. It means an undivided heart.

And maybe the question for all of us is simple:

What has my heart right now?

Scripture: Matthew 5:8

Series: Blessed?

People’s Church | Fresno, California

Watch the full weekend message, request prayer, or take your next step at People’s Church using the links below.

Join us in person or online Sundays at 8:30, 10:00, or 11:45 AM.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

Use these questions with your small group, family, friends, or for personal reflection:

1. Pastor Brian asked, “What am I wanting? What am I longing for?” What do your current desires reveal about what is happening in your heart?

2. Is there an area where you are spending more energy looking healthy, successful, or spiritually put together than actually allowing Jesus to change what is underneath?

3. A pure heart is not a perfect heart, but an undivided heart. What currently competes most strongly with Jesus for your attention, trust, or affection?

4. Billy and Dawson talked about things like security, success, fear, approval, money, and even our phones. What do your time, habits, spending, and attention reveal about what is first in your life?

5. Brian said Christianity is not ultimately about becoming “nice,” but becoming new. Where might Jesus be inviting you beyond simply changing your behavior and into deeper transformation?

6. What is one practice that could help you slow down this week and become more aware of God’s presence rather than simply reacting to everything around you?

Take a moment to pray:

“Jesus, search my heart. Show me where I am divided, what I am trying to control, what I am afraid of, and anything I am placing ahead of You. I don’t just want to know about You. I want to know You. Give me an undivided heart.”

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES + RESOURCES

Looking for practical ways to slow down, examine your heart, and become more aware of God’s presence throughout your day? Here are a few places to start:

Lectio 365 - A free daily devotional app built around Scripture, prayer, and the P.R.A.Y. rhythm: Pause, Rejoice/Reflect, Ask, Yield. It includes morning, midday, and evening rhythms.

https://lectio365.com/

YouVersion Bible App - Scripture, reading plans, audio Bible, and guided plans that can help build a consistent daily rhythm in God's Word.

https://www.bible.com/app

BibleProject - Free videos, podcasts, classes, and reading resources designed to help you understand Scripture as a unified story that leads to Jesus.

https://bibleproject.com/

Daily Examen - At the end of the day, slow down and ask: Where did I notice God today? What was happening in my heart? Where did I respond well? Where did I miss Him? What do I need to surrender before tomorrow?

Links

Website: https://www.peopleschurch.org

Online: https://www.peopleschurch.org/online

Next Steps: https://www.peopleschurch.org/next

Giving: https://www.peopleschurch.org/give

What if seeing God wasn't only a promise for someday, but an invitation for right now?

Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." In this message from our Blessed? series, Pastor Brian Krum explores what it means to recognize God at work in your everyday life and how an undivided heart changes what you see.

Purity of heart isn't about achieving a spotless spiritual record or being defined by your past. It's about the direction of your attention and devotion toward God. Jesus invites us to turn from the things competing for our hearts, turn toward Him, and recover the wonder of seeing God in the ordinary.

Purity of heart is direction, not perfection.

In this message, you'll discover:

What Jesus really means by "pure in heart"

Why purity isn't defined by your past or a spotless moral record

What it means to see God in everyday life

Why we become like what we give our attention to

How purity of heart is focused, undivided devotion to God

How competing desires can quietly become masters in our lives

Why spiritual growth involves both turning from and turning to

How spiritual pathways can help us become more aware of God's presence

Why narrowing your focus on Jesus can actually help you see more, not less

How to keep moving toward God even when you fail along the way

📖 Scripture: Matthew 5:8, John 4, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 6:33, 1 Corinthians 6

📍 Peoples Church

📅 September 20, 2026

🎤 Pastor Brian Krum, Discipleship Pastor

Reflection Questions

Where am I most aware of God?

Is there something I need to surrender to God today?

Is there something I've allowed to become more important than God?

What appetite or desire in my life has begun to master me?

What do I need to turn from, and what can I turn toward that helps me become more attentive to God?

How can I intentionally create space this week to recognize God in the ordinary?

Join us on Sundays, online or in person at Peoples Church

8:30AM | 10AM | 11:45AM

7172 N Cedar Ave

Fresno, CA 93720

Links

Website: https://www.peopleschurch.org

Online: https://www.peopleschurch.org/online

Next Steps: https://www.peopleschurch.org/next

Giving: https://www.peopleschurch.org/give

Events: https://www.peopleschurch.org/events

Hashtags

#Blessed #YouWillSeeGod #PureInHeart #Beatitudes #SermonOnTheMount #Matthew5 #SpiritualFormation #ChristianLiving #Jesus #peopleschurch

What if missions isn't something reserved for a select few Christians who feel called to go somewhere far away?

In Episode 6 of Let’s Talk!, Billy sits down with Pastor Dale and missionary leader Joe Gordon to continue the conversation from Global Outreach weekend and explore what it means for ordinary followers of Jesus to participate in His mission.

Joe shares how hearing about people who had never heard the gospel changed the direction of his life and eventually led him to serve across Eurasia, a region spanning 44 countries and more than two billion people.

The conversation explores Jesus' command to make disciples, the impact missionaries have had throughout history, and what God is doing around the world today. Joe shares firsthand stories from places including Syria and Iran, talks about thousands of people groups that remain unreached or unengaged, and explains why the global Church is increasingly sending missionaries across borders.

They also wrestle with what Christians in America can learn from believers who follow Jesus through persecution, hardship, and tremendous sacrifice.

But missions isn't only about somewhere else.

Prayer, giving, going, serving, and simply noticing the person God has placed next to you can all become part of living on mission.

The question isn't whether God's mission includes us.

It's what part He is asking us to play.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

Use these questions with your small group, family, friends, or for personal reflection:

- Joe said that Jesus assumes His disciples will be going, and the command is to make disciples “as you go.” Who has God already placed in your everyday life that you could intentionally love, serve, and point toward Jesus?

- Joe said, “The goal of life on earth is not going to heaven. The goal of life on earth is bringing glory to the name of Jesus.” How would your priorities change if you genuinely lived with that perspective?

- Hearing stories of believers following Jesus through persecution can challenge the way we view our own faith. What parts of following Jesus have become easy for you to take for granted?

- Joe described prayer as “not an act of strength, but an admission of weakness.” What situation in your life or in the world feels beyond your ability to change? What would it look like to bring that honestly before God?

- Missions can involve going across the world, but it can also begin with the person in the cubicle, classroom, neighborhood, or home next to us. Where might God be asking you to stop simply noticing a need and begin participating?

Take a moment to pray: Ask God to open your eyes to what He is doing around you, give you His heart for people, and show you the part He is asking you to play. Be willing to listen if His answer requires you to go, give, pray, serve, or simply love the person already in front of you.

What does it really mean to be sent by Jesus?

On this special GO Sunday, Global Outreach Partner Joe Gordon shares from John 20 and reminds us that God has always been a sending God. He sent Abraham. He sent Moses. He sent the prophets. He sent His Son. And now Jesus looks at ordinary, imperfect people like us and says:

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

We don't have to be the strongest, smartest, or most fearless people in the room. Like lambs staying close to their shepherd, our calling is to stay close to Jesus and faithfully participate in what He is doing.

Whether it is across the hall, across the street, or across the world, every follower of Jesus has a part to play in taking the hope of the gospel to others.

In this message, you'll discover:

Why God has always been a sending God

What Jesus' words in John 20 mean for every believer

Why our weakness does not disqualify us from being used by God

What it means to be sent “as lambs among wolves”

Why staying close to the Shepherd matters more than our own strength

How sharing the gospel can be as simple as telling someone what Jesus has done in your life

Why prayer is participation in God's mission

How generosity allows us to partner with believers around the world

Why every disciple is called to preach, pray, and give

How the whole church can participate in taking the whole gospel to the whole world

📖 Scripture: John 20:19-21, Luke 10:3, Matthew 9:37-38, Romans 15:30, 2 Corinthians 8:2-4

📍 Peoples Church

🌎 GO Sunday - Global Outreach

🎤 Joe Gordon, Global Outreach Partner

📅 September 13, 2026

Reflection Questions

Where is Jesus sending you right now?

Are you relying on your own strength, or staying close to Jesus as your Shepherd?

Who in your everyday life needs to hear what Jesus has done in you?

How can you participate more intentionally through prayer, generosity, or going?

What is one step God may be asking you to take to help bring the hope of Jesus to someone else?

Join us on Sundays, online or in person at Peoples Church

8:30AM | 10AM | 11:45AM

7172 N Cedar Ave

Fresno, CA 93720

Links

Website: https://www.peopleschurch.org

Online: https://www.peopleschurch.org/online

Next Steps: https://www.peopleschurch.org/next

Giving: https://www.peopleschurch.org/give

Hashtags

#GOSunday #GlobalOutreach #Missions #Sent #John20 #GreatCommission #Jesus #ChristianLiving #PeoplesChurch #JoeGordon

What happens when we stop treating relationships like a scoreboard?

In Episode 5 of Let’s Talk!, Dawson sits down with Pastor Dale and Discipleship Pastor Brian Krum to continue the conversation from Matthew 5:7:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

They explore why keeping score comes so naturally, how envy and comparison shape the way we see other people, and why mercy becomes much harder when someone has actually hurt us.

The conversation also looks at the mercy of Jesus, the cry of Bartimaeus, resentment, forgiveness, trust, consequences, and healthy boundaries.

Mercy does not mean pretending nothing happened. Forgiveness and trust are not the same thing, and reconciliation requires both people.

One of the clearest takeaways from the episode:

Forgiveness is a one-person job. Reconciliation is a two-person job.

If you are carrying a grudge, keeping a record of wrongs, or struggling to show mercy to someone who has disappointed or hurt you, this conversation offers a practical path forward.

Scripture: Matthew 5:7

Series: Blessed?

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

Use these questions with your small group, family, friends, or for personal reflection:

- Where are you most tempted to keep score in your relationships, your work, social media, or somewhere else? How is that affecting you?

- Pastor Dale asked, “What have I hired this grudge to do?” Is there a resentment you are holding onto? What has it promised to accomplish, and what has it actually produced?

- How does remembering the mercy you have received from Jesus change the way you view someone who has hurt or disappointed you?

- Is there someone you have started defining by your worst experience with them? What would it look like to see that person through a lens of mercy and compassion?

- The episode reminds us that forgiveness is a one-person job, while reconciliation is a two-person job. Is God inviting you to forgive someone, rebuild trust, establish a healthy boundary, or take a step toward reconciliation?

Take a moment to pray: Ask God to remind you of His mercy, reveal any resentment you are carrying, and show you one practical way to extend mercy this week.

What happens when we stop keeping score?

We naturally remember offenses, compare what we've given with what we've received, and wait for things to finally feel fair. But Jesus introduces a radically different way to live:

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

In this message from our Blessed? series, Pastor Dale Oquist explores a mercy that goes far beyond simply accepting an apology. Biblical mercy is filled with forgiveness, compassion, and love. It refuses to forget people, give up on them, or treat them according to what they deserve.

We don't repay Jesus for the mercy He has shown us. We experience His mercy more deeply as we begin giving it away.

Mercy is what happens when we stop keeping score.

In this message, you'll discover:

- Why keeping score can quietly destroy our relationships

- How mercy goes beyond forgiveness

- What people were really asking when they cried, "Jesus, have mercy on me"

- Why God's mercy never runs out

- How mercy can turn strangers into family

- Why giving mercy helps us understand how deeply God has forgiven us

- What our unwillingness to show mercy can reveal about our own hearts

- Why fairness can become a bottomless pit

- How mercy can transform marriages and our closest relationships

- What it means to become carriers of God's mercy in a wounded world

📖 Scripture: Matthew 5:1-10, Matthew 18, Mark 9, Mark 10, Matthew 15, Matthew 17, Psalm 23:6

📍 Peoples Church

📅 September 6, 2026

Reflection Questions

- Who are you still keeping score with?

- Is there someone you've given up on because of what they've done?

- Where is God asking you to extend mercy before someone apologizes or makes things right?

- How has showing mercy to someone else helped you understand God's mercy toward you?

- What would change in your marriage, family, or closest relationships if you stopped trying to make the score even?

Join us on Sundays, online or in person at Peoples Church

8:30AM | 10AM | 11:45AM

7172 N Cedar Ave

Fresno, CA 93720

Links

Website: https://www.peopleschurch.org

Online: https://www.peopleschurch.org/online

Next Steps: https://www.peopleschurch.org/next

Giving: https://www.peopleschurch.org/give

Hashtags

#Blessed #TheMerciful #Beatitudes #SermonOnTheMount #Matthew5 #Mercy #Forgiveness #KingdomOfGod #ChristianLiving #PeoplesChurch

What do you do when your spiritual hunger starts to fade?

In Episode 4 of Let’s Talk!, Billy sits down with Dawson and Olivia to continue the conversation from Matthew 5:6:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Together, they explore what Jesus means by righteousness, how spiritual hunger differs from simple unhappiness, and why genuine hunger for God should move us toward action.

They also talk honestly about the things that slowly shape our desires, including screen time, work, comfort, social media, busyness, and the people we surround ourselves with.

Olivia shares about seasons where grief, parenting, and life circumstances can make spiritual hunger feel distant, while Dawson challenges us not to let a lack of desire become an excuse for disobedience.

Sometimes discipline has to carry us until desire catches back up.

The episode closes with a practical challenge: ask God where He wants you to stop looking away, where He wants you to step in, and what He may be trying to reignite in your heart.

Scripture: Matthew 5:6

Series: Blessed?