Calling God Our Father---Matthew 6: 7-15
- David Cullen
- Apr 6, 2008
~REFLECTION~
"Prayer is one of life's great mysteries. Most people pray at least sometimes; some people, in many very different religious traditions, pray a great deal. At its lowest, prayer is shouting into a void on the off-chance there may be someone out there listening. At its highest, prayer merges into love, as the presence of God becomes so real that we pass beyond words and into a sense of his reality, generosity, delight and grace. For most Christians, most of the time, it takes place somewhere in between those two extremes. To be frank, for many people it is not just a mystery but a puzzle. They know they ought to do it they aren't quite sure how."
~Tom Wright
~COMMITMENT~
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 6: 7-15
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Sermon Calling God Our Father David Cullen
~COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY WORSHIP ASSIGNMENT~
1. What was the high point of your week? What was your low point? Take time to pray with and for each other after everyone has had a chance to share.
Read Matthew 6: 7-15
2. Take a few minutes and share your practice of prayer and your experience, or lack of experience, of God in it. What's your routine? Do you combine prayer with the reading of Scriptures? Do you keep a prayer journal?
3. Share a particular answer to prayer that you've had in your life. How did that answered prayer affect your relationship with God? Or, how did that answered prayer affect your faith in Jesus?
4. Would you be interested in serving on Harbor's prayer team? Contact Russ for more information on this ministry.
5. In the sermon entitled "Calling God Our Father" what one thing particularly gripped you and what do you plan to do about it in way of applying it to your life? Share these things with one another and pray for each other.
6. Remember to "preach the gospel to yourself and to one another." Whenever we have an encounter with God in His church and through His Word there are going to be areas highlighted where we haven't lived according to His plan. "Preaching the gospel to ourselves and to one another" is reminding one another that Christ obeyed (always) where we have failed and that he paid the price for our failure on the cross-so we're forgiven and free! Therefore, end your time with prayers of thanksgiving and praise to Christ for his wonderful gift of salvation!
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