The Father's Guidance

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8 September, 2019Pastor Mark SchultzPrayer: From his fullness

Like a stalker, it harasses you and your identity with unwanted and obsessive attention. It never leaves you alone, following you wherever you go - at home, in the schoolyard, at your workplace, in shops, restaurants, even your car. It knows your history, your routines and where you are most vulnerable. Every step you take there is an orchestrated and calculated attempt to deceive you and shift your allegiance, trust, and confidence away from God and toward some substitute that promises a more secure identity. The only way through is to pray for the Father's Guidance, and that's what Jesus invites us to do today.

 #5 in series: Prayer: From his Fullness

THEME VERSE:

Our Father…lead us not into temptation. Matthew 6:13a

 

REMEMBER THIS WEEK:

Satan constantly inserts question marks where God has put a full stop. When doubts arise and questions abound, remember who you are – a beloved child of God. For that final word is the grip of grace that holds you securely and will never let you go.


FAITH TALK

1  What are the times when you are most vulnerable to temptation?

2  What is one thing you are finding hard to trust God with at this time?

Bible Reading

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you carefully;

11 

they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

More from 'Prayer: From his fullness'

The Father's Worthiness

22 September, 2019 Pastor Mat von Stanke

Some words can change your life forever: I do. You’ve got the job. We’re pregnant. Blow into the little tube until I say “stop.” Those test results don’t look good.

The last words of the Lord’s Prayer…while not part of the original prayer in the Bible...are just as life changing. For the kingdom, the power, & the glory are yours now & forever. Amen. This final shout of praise and acclamation takes us back to where it began, the Father in heaven who inspires us for living on this earth. Here we surrender our lives to the God who is in control, who has the power to do what he wants and whose power we need for our living. Here we recognise that we are inheirtors of the highest gifts of heaven and there is only one whose name is worthy of all the applause and glory we can muster. Here we celebrate the Father’s worthiness and make the prayer our own as we say “Amen” – let it all be so.

#7 and final in series: Prayer - From his Fullness

THEME VERSE:

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power

and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;

you are exalted as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

God’s worthiness doesn’t change. It’s eternal. Perfect love, perfect forgiveness, perfect life. All the power of these priceless, ‘one of a kind’ gifts from your Heavenly Father are yours when you yield your life to his calling and plan. All the glory and honour is his, when the fullness of his life is revealed in and through you.

FAITH TALK

1 When you want to praise God what is your favourite 'go to' song that declares who God is?

2. What does "Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory" mean to you?

3. What is one insight/truth that sticks with you from this series that is worth sharing? (ie - what's one thought that has really impacted you or changed the way that you pray the Lord's prayer?)

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The Father's Protection

15 September, 2019 Pastor Mark Schultz

It's the question that Star Wars and the Superhero films deal with every time. Who will win the cosmic battle? Will good or evil prevail? Will darkness or light prove stronger in the end? Who will rescue and protect people from the forces of evil? It’s no movie blockbuster but the Bible affirms that there is a cosmic battle that spans both the heavenly and earthly realms, the effects of which are still present today as God’s Kingdom advances in the world and our lives. In the last petition of the Lord's Prayer, we recognise the presence of evil in the world and we find strength in the one who alone has definitively won the battle over evil to give us a victory and future that no-one can snatch away. So today we pray for and find comfort in the Father’s Protection.

#6 in series: Prayer- From his Fullness

THEME VERSE:

Our Father…devil us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13b

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

It’s true. The devil is a powerful enemy. Every time we live in our identity as God’s children and seek to live out his purpose for our lives – to advance God’s kingdom of grace and forgiveness in this world - we will be involved in a dangerous battle. But in the midst of that battle know this truth: The devil is a defeated enemy. Christ has overcome and given you the final victory.

FAITH TALK

1 When you pray, “Deliver us from evil,” what do you have in mind?

2. What's the most 'evil' thing you have witnessed in your life or where do you see the evil one at work today?

3. In what ways has life been a battle against the evil one for you?

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The Father's forgiveness

1 September, 2019 Pastor Mark Schultz

You owe me! They will pay for that! Ever heard those words? Ever uttered those words? Ever wished that someone would pay for the hurt, the pain, the suffering that you have experienced? Jesus knows how exceptionally difficult forgiving those whose words or deeds have marked you deeply and painfully can be. That's why he invites us to ask the Father to forgive us; to give us freedom, freedom from the past, freedom for the future, a freedom that reconciles, builds community and brings life to all relationships. The Father specialises in removing any indebtedness so that we can truly embrace others with love. That's what we'll explore today as we experience the Father's forgiveness.

#4 in series: Prayer - from his Fullness

THEME VERSE:

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Forgiveness is the ultimate miracle of God's grace and a gift that rehumanises us. It opens doors that we thought were closed forever, transforming relationships and making the kingdom of God visible for others to see. It builds community enabling us to offer comfort, tenderness, love, forgiveness and joy to each other.

FAITH TALK

1. What are you most thankful to God for when you think of your Father?

2. How has your dad shown you what forgiveness is all about?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how forgiving are you in your life (1 = “one strike and you’re out” and 10 = “forgiving is as easy as breathing for me”)?

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The Father's Provision

25 August, 2019 Pastor Mark Schultz

'The Hungry Mile' was a colloquial name that workers gave to a docklands stretch of road in Darling Harbour during the Great Depression. Maritime workers would walk from wharf to wharf in search of casual, low-paid day work. Success in gaining work meant money for food and shelter, failure meant going hungry. For 85% of Australians, food insecurity is not something we think about but for 15% it is a daily reality where praying 'Give us this day our daily bread' is a prayer for survival. Globally,1 in 9 people live in hunger; 60% of those are women. A child dies from hunger related diseases every 10 seconds and 22,000 children die each day due to conditions of poverty. But what does it mean to pray this prayer for the majority of Australians who live in relative affluence? Today in the third part of this series 'Prayer - from His fullness' we come face to face with "The Father's provision" and discover the promise, faith, invitation and challenge that praying these six little words brings to our lives.

#3 in series on the Lord's Prayer: 'Prayer: From his Fullness'

THEME VERSE:

Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

REMEMBER THIS WEEK:

Living and believing the truth of this prayer will bring a gratitude, contentment, confidence and generosity that will transform your own life and impact the lives of others in amazing ways.

FAITH TALK

- If a genie in a bottle, gave you three wishes, what three things would you ask for?

- Share three things from the last week that you are thankful for.

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The Father's Kingdom

18 August, 2019 Pastor Mark Schultz

It rolls off the tongue so easily: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.” It’s something we want as disciples of Jesus. To desire the will of God, to applaud the will of God, to do the will of God is not difficult until it is at odds with our own will or agenda for our lives. That’s when truly praying this prayer becomes a struggle for like Adam and Eve we want to pray: “Not as you will, but as I will.” Today in the second week of our series, we explore ‘The Father’s Kingdom’ as Jesus shows us that for God's agenda and priority to come first, we need to surrender our own agenda. In doing so, however, we discover that we are the answer to God’s prayer for this city, this nation and the world. That brings a joy that is felt in heaven and on earth.

#2 in series: Prayer: From his Fullness

THEME VERSE

Our Father…your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Some pray to see the will of God

Some pray to be the will of God.

Which will you pray today?

FAITH TALK:

1. What does the phrase “Your Kingdom come…” mean to you?

2. How easy or difficult is it for you to pray: “Not my will but yours be done”? Explain.

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The Father's Character

11 August, 2019 Pastor Mat von Stanke

How do you refer to God? Is he the big guy or the man upstairs? The Good Lord? Or Father? Names are important. They express relationship. They reflect worth. They give identity. That's what makes the prayer that Jesus gives his disciples and us so radical. For up until the 10th Century, there is no reference in any Jewish writings where God is referred to as Father - Lord, Master, The Almighty, the God of hosts but never Father. Yet in the Gospels, Jesus refers to God as his Father 165 times…a name he invites us to pray with him. A name that expresses the relationship God desires to have with us. A name that reflects his heart for us. A name that gives purpose and direction to our prayers and our lives for it unveils the fullness of who God is and what he makes available to us. Today in the first part of the Lord's prayer we explore the Father's character.

#1 in series: "PRAYER: From his Fullness"

THEME VERSE:

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Matthew 6:9

REMEMBER THIS WEEK

Who God is reorients everything in your life. Prayer to the Father is a springboard that helps us leap with trust into the arms of our holy God who wants us to experience fullness of life with him. Our Father in heaven loves us, accepts us, treasures us and delights in us. Not only does he want to be involved in our life, he wants to involve us in the fullness of his life and all that his name means for us.

FAITH TALK

- How do you address God or think of God when you pray?

- How would your prayer life change if you recognised fully who it is that you are praying to?

BLESSING:

Name, your Father in heaven always has time for you. Amen.

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