This is Pastor Rick's Daily Home, the audio broadcast ministry of Pastor Rick Warren.

Well, today we continue with our series called The Keys to a Blessed Life.

In these lessons, Rick shares the practical steps found in Jesus' sermon on the Mount

that will help you live the hopeful and purpose-filled life God planned for you.

In just a few moments, we're going to tell you how you can go deeper in Pastor Rick's teaching

by getting his video-based Bible study for this series. You can find out more by going to

pastorrick.com or by texting the word daily to 800-600-5,000-4. That's the word daily to 800-600-5,000-4.

Right now, here's Pastor Rick Warren with part one of a message called handling opposition to your faith.

Have I told you lately that I love you?

If you have a Bible you open to Matthew, chapter 5, and bring out your message notes.

If I asked you to name the most persecuted group on the planet, you'd probably name the wrong group.

Because it's Christians. It's Christians. It may surprise you that that's the most persecuted

group on the planet because it is the most ignored, most unnoticed, least reported,

most overlooked news item on the planet without a doubt. The International Society of,

let me get this right, International Society for Human Rights. It's a secular organization. It's

not a Christian organization. Just recently, read out a report and it says, quote, 80% of all religious

freedom violations in the world today are directed against Christians. Now, we're all aware that

throughout history, for 2,000 years, Christianity, the Christian church, and Christians in particular,

have been persecuted. We all know that for 300 years, it was illegal to be a Christian in the

Roman Empire. They were feeding Christians to the lions. Nero was tarring them and lighting them

on fire. For 300 years, first 100 years of the church, it was against a lot, it'd be a Christian.

We know about the different cleansings throughout history and the tortures and the burning at the

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