Generous Life

::10 ::  “Pray like this...” (Matthew 6:9a)

Our reading today is from Matthew 6. Open a Bible and find the passage. Jesus says, “Pray like this,” and then provides us with what we have come to know as the Lord’s Prayer. If you know it by heart, then you have obtained a very helpful guide for learning how to pray, not only in repeating Jesus’s words but in adopting the themes for other concerns

Jesus tells his disciples to petition our heavenly Parent, asking that we become aware of and work for God's Kingdom to be present among us, because that is what honor's God and tells the world God is

:: 8::  Do not be anxious about anything; rather bring up all of your requests to God in prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. (Philippians 4:6)

What are you most anxious about? Do you juggle to make ends meet? Is your marriage not the best? Are you unhappy with your career? Do you have relationships that are under strain?

Life is not easy. We are burdened by the concerns of the commonplace, the small yet continuous concerns that come with being in relationship to other people, with having responsibilities in the workplace or school, with keeping our commitments.

:: 6 ::  Jesus said to everyone, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Following after Jesus is costly, and the grace we freely recieve, was obtained at a price. This paradox stands at the heart of the Christian faith. You must deny yourself and follow Jesus

What keeps you from following Christ? Do you have an attachment to money? Is your identity so intertwined with a social group or class of people that you fear following Christ might transform your understanding of yourself?

:: 5 ::  The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. (Acts 2:42)

In Acts chapter 2, we find an amazing story. We are told that on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter and other disciples were given the gift of the Holy Spirit and began to announce the good news of Jesus Christ to all those gathered in Jerusalem. The result was overwhelming: three thousand were added to the number of disciples that very day.

:: 3 :: “So now, revere the Lord. Serve him honestly and faithfully. Put aside the gods that your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt and serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14)

We were created for God, to be used for God’s purposes, if we would only listen. But often we give in to enticements, other voices, and we serve other gods - things the world thinks are important, things that promises false security, things that give us short term pleasure. When we do this, we often tread a path of destruction, leaving in our wake broken hearts, broken lives, disappointments, and failures.