Speaker: Gary Cox

In the Pattern Prayer, often mistitled as the “Lord’s Prayer,” we say, “…Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Do we mean that in reference to the world, or do we understand that the answer begins with our own life? And when God’s will is at cross-purposes with our will, where does that leave us? Do we really believe that God’s will is God’s best for us, whether or not it feels that way? Pastor Gary will dig into these difficult questions to see what God’s Word reveals in today’s message, sub-titled, “An All-Consuming Passion for God’s Reign” in our lives.

How often do we inadvertently leave God out of our prayer times? We usually jump into what is most pressing on our mind, or the problem we’re facing right then, or the needs we think we have. But where should we begin and then properly bring our petitions to our God and Savior? Get some answers for these questions and more as Pastor Gary continues a study on prayer, emphasizing this week both the Imminence & Transcendence of God in our prayers.

Today, we begin to dig into the prayer that Jesus gave His disciples in response to their request, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.” We will deal with three foundational issues: (1) why is our “adoption” into God’s family so critical to our relationship to “our Father in heaven? (2) What are some of the doubts that hinder or even drive us away from prayers? And finally, (3) How can God love me, given the things I have done in my past?

It is a self-evident axiom that “as the leadership of a church goes, so goes the church.” That is true for just about anything that requires someone, or someone’s at the helm, taking the ship, or business, or nation, or a local church in one direction or another. It is also true that a fast way to destroy a church is to install the wrong men into the two primary offices of the church, which are her elders and deacons. Some wise sage once said, “All leadership works; good leadership works well, and bad leadership works badly.” The most important factor for church leadership is men who are walking in the Spirit and deeply dependent upon Christ’s power, by His Spirit within, to lead biblically and take the church in the direction that God would have it go. This message on this occasion has to do with that very issue. God’s men leading God’s church for God’s glory.

“What does God think of my prayers?” Have you ever asked that question? How would you know? Well, Jesus helps us in this area of our walk with Him day-by-day. There are some things we should shun and other practices we need to embrace. For instance, do you often repeat certain words or phrases throughout your prayer time using familiar phrases? Even the name of God can be a habitual “filler” that borders on using God’s name in vain. Come find out how Jesus instructs us in our time alone with Him and even in public prayers so that you might pray as Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount.

Prayer is one of the most talked about aspects of the Christian life and one of the least consistently practiced. It is also one of the most difficult spiritual disciplines to pursue with consistency. But Jesus both preached about prayer and rigorously practiced it in his personal life. How amazing that the God-man felt a great need to spend time in prayer with his Father in heaven. Yet, you may wonder, “If God knows it all and will accomplish all his holy will anyway, then why should anyone pray?” Find out some answers in this two-part series entitled “The I-V (a medical term) of Life & Godliness.”

What does it mean when we read Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’S, & all it contains, the world, & those who dwell in it.”  If God really “owns it all,” that must mean that I ultimately own nothing, and what I have in my “temporary possession” is just that – “temporary.”  That also means I must be a “steward” if I’m not really an “owner.”  So, how should that idea play out in my day-to-day life, as well as major financial decisions?  Today’s message will explore not only how God reveals His ownership to His people, Israel, but also the practical implications of the fact that God really does “own it all.”

When the Apostle Paul stepped into Athens, he immediately saw how deeply idolatry permeated the culture. It is no different in our culture today. Materialism seems to envelop every aspect of life in America, which is so evident in the advertising world of the media. Politicians know that the #1 issue for voters is “the economy.” Does God’s Word have anything to say about this pervading issue? Yes, indeed. In fact, Jesus talked more about money than he did about heaven.
In Part 1 of “The Law of Ownership,” Pastor Gary will begin to uncover how the Lord repeatedly taught this spiritual and practical principle for His people that has life-changing implications.

This title, Prince of Peace,” is likely the most familiar of the four titles given to us in Isaiah 9:6. Jesus alone can give us true peace in our souls because He alone can give us purpose and meaning in life. And Christ alone can give peace to the nations of the world that find true peace so elusive. Our Savior was clear in saying that He is the one who is “the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father except through Me.” He alone can give us eternal peace and joy that the peoples of this world seek for but can never find except in the Prince of Peace.