Sermons
The first two words of the Lord's or Model prayer, Our Father, reveal both the basis and purpose for our prayer. Those two words give us the confidence to come to the King of the universe as Father and puts us on mission to hallow his name.
This sermon opens our "When You Pray" series through the Model or Lord's Prayer. Here we see what the heart of prayer is, recognizing that it is not a performance, but it is desperation. Praying rightly is an understanding of who God is.
Thanksgiving is more than something we should add on to our lives. It should be the tenor of lives, and if it is will we live differently. We will be more content and useful for God's kingdom.
You will only risk for something that you value. Christians are willing to risk in the advancement of the gospel because Jesus is worth it. He is the foundation for our risk-taking. You cannot follow Jesus if you are unwilling to take risks.
The heart of the biblical story is God's commitment to be with his people, and that is the blessing of the Christian life, the nearness and with-ness of God.
When we are short-sighted and focus only on what's immediately in front of us we are tempted to not press on in our spiritual walk, but the safest thing for the believer is to keep moving forward with our focus on the eternal.
In light of the fact that God is above time, we should have confidence in his redemptive plan now. God's future redeeming work should shape our lives today.
Often our faith doesn't need new information, rather we need to be reminded of the story to which we belong if we are in Christ. God's word helps us to stand firm, recognize false teaching, and trust in God's promises.
To hear the word of grace, the word of God, tacitly believe in it, then to walk away chasing competing voices is no better than a dog who returns to their vomit. Our task is to listen to God's word understanding that Christ is the center of reality and the only voice that matters. All others are false.
Rejecting the wisdom of God and his word makes us more foolish than a donkey. Our confidence comes only in obedience and trust in God; therefore, we need to fight to hear God's voice over all the competing voices.