10/16/2026
Dear HCC Family,
What does it cost to be different?
In our society, declaring distinctions between ideas comes at a cost. Going against the grain of commonly accepted behavior is costly, too. We commonly see people who advocate for unpopular causes get major backlash. Many lose relationships, face public scrutiny, and some are outright canceled. Being different has a cost.
For followers of Jesus, this is nothing new. From the early church to today, it's been risky to hold tightly to and openly share Biblical ideas. In fact, it's so risky that people will twist what Scripture teaches in an attempt to stay "Christian" while bowing to worldly ideas. Being different has a cost, but as a believer, I'm convinced of the reward that God has for those who hold fast against "the waves and... every wind of doctrine, human cunning, craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:14 ESV).
Over the last two weeks in our message series through the Gospel of Matthew titled Our King, His Kingdom, we've studied the Beatitudes, Jesus' opening statement of the first major public teaching He gives in Matthew's Gospel. Among other things, Jesus wants to help his disciples and the crowds see how to be distinct from the world. Over the last two weeks, we've learned how to think and live differently in six areas of life: recalibrating our needs, understanding our grief, recognizing true power, managing our desires, living in mercy, and measuring our growth.
This Sunday, as we reach Matthew 5:9-12, Jesus concludes the Beatitudes by explaining how to count the costs of these differences. I hope you can join us for this important discussion.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Tom Beasley
