Christ is Supreme | Life Redefined - Colossians 3.17-4.1
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Speaker: Mark Slomka

Christians believe and confess that Jesus is Lord.But either Jesus is Lord of and over all — or He is not Lord at all. Life is the lie-detector test of a Christian’s faith. This is not about being the perfect saint… it IS about living with a surrendered soul.

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 3:17-4.1

17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

18  Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 20 Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. 1 Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.

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Christ is Supreme | Colossians 3:12-17
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Speaker: Vince Medrano

The place the Lord is leading the church is into unity and peace. To travel toward this destination we are invited to be clothed for the occasion.

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Council Sunday
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Speaker: Church Council

This Sunday the Church Council recalls the Lord's kindness and faithfulness shown to us by hearing stories from members of our community, reviewing last fiscal year's budget and presenting the budget for the year ahead.

Today’s Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

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Christ is Supreme | Building God’s New Community
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Speaker: Mark Slomka

What are the essentials for building a community that authentically reflections the grace and truth of Jesus that draws women and men, youth and children? What must this community embrace to be distinct from the surrounding culture yet remain a relevant presence for beauty, compassion, and renewal? This morning we gain a glimpse into three essential hallmarks…

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 3.1-11

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Col. 3:5    So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

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Colossians: In Him
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Speaker: Lorissa Medrano

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 2:6-15

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers[a] of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Learn more about the book of Colossians

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Colossians: We Live in a Mystery
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Speaker: Vince Medrano

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1:24-2:5

24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

Learn more about the book of Colossians

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Colossians 1:15-23
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Speaker: Lorissa Medrano

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1.15-23

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,[a]

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.[b]

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Learn more about the book of Colossians

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Colossians: Christ is Supreme!
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Speaker: Mark Slomka

Today’s Message

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one year before he was hung by the Nazis, wrote in his journal: What is bothering me incessantly is the question: What Christianity really is? or indeed what Christ really is for us today?

This is the question for the ages and the one that should intrude upon all lives — regardless of one’s faith. The supremacy of Jesus challenges any worldview that seeks to ignore Him or adapt Him as the servant of an agenda not His own. In short, either Jesus is Lord of all and Lord over all or He is not Lord of all

So today we consider an exuberant song celebrating the magnificent rule of Jesus. The fact that this song is composed by a prisoner might cause us all to pause and wonder how an imprisoned soul might sing so freely…

Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1.15-20

Col. 1:15    Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Learn more about the book of Colossians

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Colossians: Thanks to Global Partners
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Today’s Message

Today is Family Sunday. We’ll take time to discuss the importance of expressing our thanks to our Family in Christ, then gather in the Fellowship Center to put this into practice

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Learn more about the book of Colossians

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Colossians: Grow where you're Grounded
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Speaker: Vince Medrano

Today’s Message

Today we kick off our series in the book of Colossians. As followers of Jesus we discover that there is no part of our lives that the supremacy of Christ does not reach and influence.

Learn more about the book of Colossians

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The Father's Heart
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Today’s Message

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Today we welcome Pastor Roma from Kiev, Ukraine. Twenty-five years ago Roma began a ministry to orphan street kids in Kiev, later built and orphanage named, Father’s House, and later planted a church under Faith Community which he named, Heavenly Father’s Church. What began with Father’s House grew into a nationwide alliance — Ukraine Without Orphans. This has since grown into a worldwide movement— World Without Orphans. We are both excited and delighted to be welcoming him this morning.

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A Great Day for Faith
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Today’s Message

Today is a great day because we celebrate a transition in leadership that we believe reflects the promise and shepherding hand of God for our community. Today we shift the responsibilities of the pastoral team that I (Mark) have led. Today our District Supervisor (think bishop) will appoint pastors Vince and Lorissa to be the lead pastors at Faith and I will now serve as a member of their team.

Therefore, today’s podcast is a bonus — 3 messages for the price of 1! There will be a general message from our District Supervisor, Fernando Castillo. Then there will be a personal charge to Vince and Lorissa (Pat and Mindy Crowder) and a charge to Faith Community (Pastor Mark)… Don’t skip today’s messages— they are not just for our community. The principles discussed today are relevant for everyone!

Today’s Scriptures | Philippians 1.3-19

3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

7    So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

9    I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

12    And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

15    It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

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The Gifts of Easter
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Today’s Message

On Easter God gives us 5 life-giving gifts that will change our lives forever. These gifts are tangible, relevant, loving, and strong — and they are available to everyone who is willing to receive…

Today’s Scriptures | John 20.19-29

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24  One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

29. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

This morning’s video: How fast are you moving through space?

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The Easter Gift of Faith
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Today’s Message

I don’t know why we get into the gift-giving mood at Christmas. I think we ought to be getting into it at Easter, because as soon as Jesus Christ shows up— risen from the dead— He gives two gifts. The first kind is essential to receiving the second kind. The first is the gift of faith in Him. The second is a cluster of gifts: the gift of His presence, the gift of His peace, the gift of His power, and the gift of purpose. This week we will look at the first kind and next week the second…

The first and most important gift the risen Lord can give you is faith that welcomes Him. The reason this faith is possible is because Jesus is not a dead teacher the way any great religious leader or philosopher is. When he rises from the dead He comes to His first followers so that He can draw them (and us) to Himself. He says to Doubting Thomas: “Stop doubting and believe. What He says to Thomas He says to us… We believe Easter faith is just as possible today as it was these first followers of Jesus…

Today’s Scriptures | John 20.19-29

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24  One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

29. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

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Triumphant Humility
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Today’s Message

Only Jesus could - in a moment we describe as the triumphant entry - be the purest example of compassion and humility.  

Everyone around Him is shouting: ‘hosanna!’  and they’re comparing Him to one of their greatest leaders in all of their history.  Yet, on the day that the spotlight is on Jesus, when crowds surround Him and garments are laid before Him... Matthew lays a foundation of what Jesus’ focus is:

“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden’ ”

Today’s Scriptures | Matthew 21:1-14

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,

humble, and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

12 And Jesus entered the temple[b] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

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Follow Jesus to the Other Side
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Today’s Message

Adversity, anxiety and uncertainty create the storms that rock us. Where is God when this happens? How do we live? How do we make decisions that will not make our situations worse? Why believe if God is not going to come through for us? Guest teacher, Fernando Castillo, presents a way for us to walk through our darkness with hope, trust, and expectation.

Today’s Scriptures | Mark 4.35-41

35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

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Pray Like This: The praise we give
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Today’s Message

A common problem we all have is that we find it difficult to stop working. Fear that things will fall apart, worry that our efforts will not be enough, fear that we will be found useless. By turning to the Lord in praise we are made to deal with the issue inside of us that causes us feel like our worth is found in what we can do and accomplish.

Today we wrap up our series in the Lord’s Prayer by reflecting on the doxology of praise used by the church at the end of the prayer.

Today’s Scriptures | Matthew 6.7-13

Matt. 6:7   “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Matt. 6:9   “Pray, then, in this way: 
‘Our Father who is in heaven, 
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come. 
Your will be done, 
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

Click here for resources for this series.

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Pray Like This: The deliverance we are desperate for
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Today’s Message

We pray ‘deliver us from evil’ as a prayer of ongoing trust and re-commitment to the Lord.  We’ll see this prayer as a statement of discipleship.  It is this desire of on-going deliverance to take place within me. Constantly desiring for the Lord to re-engage our trust in Him and to teach us not trust in anything else. 

We also believe that God is a deliverer. One of the most beautiful things that reoccurs in the pages of the Bible is God’s faithfulness to His people and Him meeting them in the most hopeless of places to bring deliverance.

Today’s Scriptures | Matthew 6.7-13

Matt. 6:7   “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Matt. 6:9   “Pray, then, in this way: 
‘Our Father who is in heaven, 
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come. 
Your will be done, 
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

Click here for resources for this series.

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Pray Like This: The insight we need
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Today’s Message

There are at least three things common to everyone alive: birth, death, and, in between those two, prayer… I have never met a person who has not prayed. It may be a spiritual prayer born of deep faith or the desperate cry in hopes that Someone might be listening after all. Everyone, everywhere, and of any age has prayed. It unites ancients, moderns, and post-moderns.

At times it is as natural as breathing while at other times it is difficult and painful. Prayer can be both easy and challenging; inspiring and disappointing; gratifying and exasperating; comforting and distressing. At times our longings are abundantly fulfilled and at other times we can feel ignored and our affections betrayed.

The One who prayed, “My God, My God, why have you forsakened me?” taught His followers how to pray and what to pray for. This series is a reflection on the prayer Jesus taught us.

Jesus teaches us to pray for something that is not going to happen! Every follower of Jesus will face tests and temptations. So what are we praying for here since Scripture clearly tells us: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” So what are we praying for and what are the areas that every follower is vulnerable to?

Today’s Scriptures | Matthew 6.7-13

Matt. 6:7   “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Matt. 6:9   “Pray, then, in this way: 
‘Our Father who is in heaven, 
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come. 
Your will be done, 
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

Click here for resources for this series.

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