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.
worshipping God, building up His church, reaching the world
Browsing the archives for the spiritual disciplines tag
No Comments 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.
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.
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.
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.
Andreas Kostenberger has given the church a valuable resource in his newest book, Excellence. It is not a topic often written about, but he provides good exegesis and application on 2 Peter 1:3-11. After a brief personal testimony, he examines the excellence of God, equating it with His holiness, then proceeds to apply His excellence to our excellence in the spheres of work, morals, and relationships. The author targets his audience as Christian scholars and those in the world of academia, but the principles are timeless and apply to believers in all areas of vocation. It is a call to excellence, based on our being children of God, who is excellent. A bibliography, notes, general and scripture index are provided for further study. Although targeted to Christian scholars, this book is well-written and motivating for all believers in all fields.
This book was provided to me by Amazon Vine at no cost for the purpose of review. I was not required to write a positive review.
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.
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.”
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He shared the Lord’s prayer and gave some parables of what praying means. He told them, “ask, seek, knock.” This sermon is from Luke 11:1-13 on January 1, 2012. May we all grow in our prayer lives in 2012.
Another sleep-troubled night filled with worry and anxiety and “what-ifs” and maybe’s – it would just be easier to spend the time on trying to sleep instead of worrying. Grab on to a good worry and you can stay up for hours! Really good worrying is an art form, birthed and crafted and molded and shaped and painted and put on display for all to see.
I resolve today not to spend my time worrying anymore. “Be anxious for nothing.” “Whatever is true and noble and worthy and pure, think on these things.” “Be thankful and let your requests be known to God.” This is a much better use of my time and a more beautiful piece of art.
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