Jul 25, 2012
In Acts 6, the apostles are confronted with the problem of who will do the work of ministry – the feeding of the widows. This is what happened and what they decided:
Acts 6:2-4 And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”
They made the decisive and theological decision not to serve tables but to spend the bulk of their time in prayer and ministry of the word (which I take to mean teaching, preaching, counseling, discipling, thinking, writing).
This is an important lesson for us today. The most important role of the pastor is to devote his time to prayer and the ministry of the Word.
This was the topic of the BASICS 2012 conference in Ohio this past May. More information can be found at this site.
Apr 10, 2012
I read this post by Nancy Guthrie and I have been challenged with the place of prayer and suffering, God’s will and our will. I am concluding it is a tension that we live with and experience in our lifetimes, as part of the “now and not yet” aspects of the kingdom. I am thankful for a stretching post that helps me grow in my prayer life.
Mar 27, 2012
On Sunday, Ed shared a message on “giving thanks” from Luke 17:11-19.
He focused on the one leper who was healed and gave thanks and the nine who were healed and walked away. It’s important for us to give thanks, always, for all things, even if it’s hard sometimes.
I was reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 where Paul says to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, because this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. Again, it’s hard for us to give thanks sometimes, in our flesh, but because it’s God’s will for us, and He works in us to will for his good pleasure, we are able to give thanks, even in the midst of diabetes, cancer, or hard economies. Thank God we are in process and can learn to give thanks, as he teaches and leads us. We humble ourselves to learn and acknowledge His goodness and sovereignty in giving thanks.
Ed’s application was simple = grow and learn to live in an attitude of giving thanks to God, always.
Feb 29, 2012
stream or download
Jesus told us to pray for our spiritual health in Matthew 6:13, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”
This is my sermon given on February 26.
Feb 22, 2012
stream or download
This is my sermon from February 19. I preached from Matthew 6:12, 14-15 on forgiveness. Our relationships with others has direct bearing on our relationship with God, and vice-versa.
Feb 8, 2012
stream or download
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, one item He said was, “Give us this day our daily bread.” These seven words reflect on your relationship with God and what you can ask Him for.
This is my sermon from Matthew 6:11 given on February 5, 2012.
Jan 24, 2012
stream or download
The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 is a radical and new way to pray. It will change your life.
This is my sermon on “Your Kingdom Come” from Matthew 6 on January 22, 2012
Jan 19, 2012
stream or download
The second part of Jesus’ teaching on prayer, “Hallowed be your name”, is powerful and life changing.
I preached this sermon from Matthew 6:9 on January 15, 2012.
Jan 10, 2012
stream or download
Jesus begins to teach his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9. This is an important lesson for us as we grow in our prayer lives.
I preached this sermon on January 8, 2012.
Jan 4, 2012
It is a good practice to take the Psalm and read them back and pray through them. This is my brief prayer from Psalm 3:
“You oh Lord are a shield about me, my glory, the lifter of my head. I cry aloud to you and you answer me from your holy hill. You sustain me. I will not fear what or who comes against me.”
No Comments 
