Today’s sermon, Model Prayer (3) on Matthew 6:11 is now online. This sermon sought to flesh out what a dependent, trusting heart looks like towards a God who can “give us this day our daily bread.” Hopefully the sermon was helpful in making your heart more dependent on the God who gave you life.
No service this evening. Hope you have a blessed week full of trusting the Lord for the basics.
Recapping yesterday, we had a great AM Celebrating the Gospel, observing baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I don’t know about you, but hearing testimony of God’s Work to save some was very encouraging. And then, capping that off by coming together to the Lord’s table was a great blessing.
Then, in the evening, we had a great time of Corporate Prayer, specifically using Psalm 30 in our prayers for mission trips/teams, college students, and pregnancies.
I hope as we move into this week that you are encouraged because of the amazing message of the Gospel.
Well, we had another great Lord’s Day yesterday. In the AM, we looked at Matthew 6:10 in a sermon entitled Model Prayer (2). (There was a problem with the audio, but a manuscript will be available on Crestview’s Sermon Page.) Specifically, we looked at praying God-centered prayers for the Father’s reign and the Father’s will.
In the evening, my small group finished Thabiti’s book by seeing a healthy church member is a prayer warrior. In the course of discussing that, I mentioned some tools:
Valley of Vision
Andrew Case has the Scripture based prayer books for husbands
Operation World will email you an unreached people group each day.
Donald Whitney spoke of using the Psalms to pray each day.
Matthew Henry also has a Scriptural way to pray the Model Prayer.
Grab these tools and be helped by them.
Today’s sermons are now online.
In the AM, we started looking at the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9. The sermon, Model Prayer (1), discussed 2 instructions for prayer based on “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…”. What most people (including myself) were amazed at was how Jesus always called God His Father in prayer, except on the cross (my God). This seems to inform our intimate approach to Him as our Father because of what Jesus has done.
In the PM, we started a series entitled the Gospel Centered Family with a sermon on Prayer and the Family. I tried to highlight how, for families, we must pray, teach prayer and model prayer. I also tried to bring Gospel-centered insights to this.
Hopefully God uses these words to continue to form us into a people of prayer.
Yesterday AM’s sermon, Wordy Prayer, from Jesus’ words on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:7-8) is now online. Basically, I understand Jesus encouraging us to not get too hung up on the content or linguistical make-up of the prayers. Many were encouraged that I formed a new word during the sermon “cakeness”. At any rate, hopefully the sermon helps people to go hard after the Father Himself in prayer.
In the evening, we continued our work through Thabiti’s What Is a Healthy Church Member? (IX Marks)
Finally, our weekend at Crestview included a visit from missionaries we support in Brazil. The Bacheller Family visited us and updated on their current ministry. We enjoyed good fellowship with them for the entire weekend and many in our church had the privilege of hosting them for a meal. Thanks to all in the church who made this a possibility.
Yesterday’s sermon, Hypocritical Prayer, from Matthew 6:5-6 is now online. This sermon helped kick off our Week of Prayer. As a church, our elders have devoted a week to turn and look to God, expressing our dependence on Him. This sermon also started a series of about 7 sermons on Jesus’ words on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, so it was a great day.
The sermon showed the rewards of hypocritical prayer and the rewards of secret prayer. What was staggering to me is that God promises that when we go to Him in secret prayer He will be there. He will reward. I hope you can listen to this and find the confidence to go to Him in prayer.
Yesterday’s sermon, Losing Jesus from Luke 2:41-52, is now online. In this sermon, I draw applications from Jesus’ parents losing Jesus to how we so easily lose the Gospel and drift from the core foundational realities that are to define our life. I think it was C.J. Mahaney who urged his listeners (in sermons on the Cross-Centered life from New Attitude 2001) to “tighten our grip on the Gospel — no days off allowed.” Too often we relax and subtly drift from the message of first importance. This was the heart of my sermon: for you to not drift from the Gospel but to hold fast to it.
I know we had a lot of people out visiting family, as well. I hope you had a great weekend and continue to delight in your Savior through these days.
Today’s in the books and to recap the Lord’s day, had a fine AM, looking at Peace from Luke 2:13-14. Our world’s definition of peace and the peace that comes from God are two different things. Jesus came so that we might have open access to God Himself. It is only through Jesus, who came to save His people from their sins, that the unrighteous are made righteous. It was an amazing morning.
Tonight, our church gathered and we worshipped using Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God music. Our people always walk awed by God and His descending to earth for us through this musical. At any rate, we’re full. Looking forward to a great week celebrating these foundational truths.
This weekend’s sermon from Sunday AM is now online. It is entitled Joy from Luke 2:8-12. The sermon sought to reason how the Gospel is good news of great joy.
After the AM service, we had our Annual Member’s meeting, affirming one lay elder and 4 men as deacons. We also approved the 2011 Budget.
In the PM, the joy continued as Ben Cornish shared with us of the Gospel’s advance in Australia. We are rejoicing in his partnership with us in the Gospel. Awesome day.
Today, the second week of Advent featured some great singing and reveling in God’s love for us through a very familiar place. The sermon, Love, from John 3:16 is now online. During one part of the sermon, I was pressing how many times our appreciation for the Gospel is much like our appreciation for “black socks”. We really do need them, but it really isn’t what we want. Similarly, most Christians know they need the Gospel but what they really want is for God to make them healthy, wealthy and blessed. Being passionate for those things over and against the Gospel is treating the amazing gift of love in Jesus like “black socks.”
It was a great morning. Just got out of Missions Committee meeting, much to be excited about there with potential opportunities for ministry soon. Anticipate rich fellowship tonight in small group as well. Hope you had a great Lord’s Day.