Key Elements of Daily Private Prayer

Gary DeLashmutt

Matthew 6:6-13

It is important for all Christians to develop a personal, private spirituality with God, and Jesus models that kind of spirituality through the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer provides a valuable framework for private prayer while also emphasizing three important truths: 1) God is our loving Father and we are his children; 2) God is our rightful King and we are His servants; and 3) God is our Provider and we are dependent on Him daily. We as Christians can pray along these lines daily and as a result develop a deep personal relationship with God.

Meeting Up With God

Dennis McCallum

Psalms 86:1-17

Any relationship has two persons involved and involves interaction to some extent. Our relationship with God is one that we may be neglecting because we don't see him face to face, but it is by far the most intimate and complex one because He is our creator and we are made in His image. Some questions we can ask during our time spent talking and learning with God are: who are you talking to?; what is He like?; what has He done for you currently or in the past?; and what the answers mean for your life.

Waiting on God

Chris Hearty

2 Samuel 23:13-17

In David's psalm he shares his longing to dwell with the Lord forever. David models spiritual confidence in the face of adversity and human opposition. He expresses God's trustworthiness and encourages the assembly to endure in waiting on the Lord.

The Good Shepherd

Dennis McCallum

John 10:11

God provides for those He calls His own. And He demonstrates this in the image of the good shepherd. We all have choices about whether to lean on Gods leadership or to rebel in autonomy. God as our creator: knows our needs, wants to provide for us, and performs needed correction in the lives of people who follow Him even if it goes unnoticed.

Introduction to the Psalms

Dennis McCallum

Numbers 13:25-14:9

This psalm is about the benefits of meditating on the Word of God and applying it in everyday life. Two examples of people having God's viewpoint when others had only a human viewpoint are discussed. David who was immersed in the Word, had a history of faithfulness to God and believed God would empower him to kill Goliath when no one else did. Likewise, Joshua and Caleb believed God that they could enter the Promised Land and defeat the giants when the other ten spies did not.\r\n

Hope through Despair

Gary DeLashmutt

Romans 7:15-8:4

In normal life, hope and despair are antithetical. But the path to true hope in God comes through a process of suffering that causes us to despair in ourselves and to trust in God. This principle of despair leading to hope is operative both in the way we come to Christ and in the way we reach maturity in Him.

Laying the Foundations for Spiritual Renewal

Ryan Lowery

Nehemiah 2:1-18

For many Christians, the balance between using their minds to strategize and depending on God is difficult to find. Nehemiah is a great example of someone who was extremely strategic in reaching his goals, while at the same time remaining diligent in prayer. Ultimately, Christian workers need to learn how to take an honest look at spiritual goals and the barriers to their fulfillment, and be ready to take a step of faith.

The Goal is Love

Jim Leffel

1 Timothy 1:1-7

Throughout his letter to Timothy, Paul exhorts him to make the most of his life. In order to fulfill this, the prime goal of the Christian life is love. This requires a pure heart, should be done in good-conscience, and is a product of a sincere faith.

Remaining in the Center

Conrad Hilario

1 Timothy 1:1-5

On the outside, Timothy appeared to be weak and timid, but God was able to make him into a spiritual leader. In his letter to Timothy, Paul urges him to ensure that the central message of Christ is emphasized. False teachers were trying to emphasize esoteric teachings that have no value. A community that emphasizes the right things is able to be used powerfully by God.