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Who Am I?

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

“Whatever you ask in my name, my Father will give you.” Some scholars attempt to explain it (away)... But James offers balance: two dangers in prayer Not Asking Asking Selfishly Back to Jesus’ promise - “Ask whatever you wish” (Why didn’t Jesus bring balance to this statement?) Praying in Jesus’ Name

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To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

We have heard God wants us to ask Him freely in prayer. And ask away we do. But what if we feel God is not answering us, or answering in a way we don’t like. We get frustrated, discouraged, and even angry with God. So what’s up with unanswered prayer? Sure feels like we are alone, like being in the desert. Helpful to know that: 1. More important than asking is to listen. John 13:21-25 (ESV), v. 25 “Lying on Jesus’ breast.” (KJV) 2. Unanswered prayer is a myth. Often we just don’t recognize God’s voice. (“Yes, No, Not Yet”) John 10:27-28 (ESV) The sheep know their shepherd’s voice. 3. Unanswered prayer often makes us feel like we are in the “desert”, but it is in the desert (desolate places, wilderness) we will meet God. (Paradox of suffering.) Matthew 4:1-2 (ESV) Spent time in the wilderness.&#

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

This Milestone, Preparing for Adolescence, prepares your children to walk through the remaining milestones of the teenage years. How you guide your child through this stage will determine the depth of challenge through this season. Your children are about to enter the journey to adulthood. It may or may not have been smooth up to now but it’s going to get exceedingly more difficult, for you and them. Your child is about to begin climbing the mountain of adolescence. Guiding him/her through this process becomes essential to avoid pitfalls. The decisions you and your child will make through this time period can be life altering, positively or negatively.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

To make disciples who love God, love people, and serve the world.

The Problem: All Christians know that prayer is important and something they are supposed to do. Yet many feel praying is hard, boring, or worse, a waste of time? Sadly they see prayer more as a spiritual discipline rather than a relationship with their Heavenly Father. Are you like that? Do you want to revive your prayer life? The Solution: Turn back the clock, and pray like a child. Why be like a child? 1. Because Jesus says so. (Matthew 18:1-5) a. Key to entering the kingdom of heaven (v.3) b. Humble like a child makes you the greatest (v.4) 2. Have unhindered access to Jesus. (Matthew 19:13-15) a. Jesus makes sure nothing blocks you from meeting him. (v.14) b. Jesus loves to bless you in prayer. (v.15) How to pray like a child? (A Praying Life, Paul E. Miller) 1. Ask like a child. 2. Believe like a child. 3. Play like a child (Babble). “Fo

Dedication of Jack & Matthew Lew and Miriam and Colin Liao

The Problem: we only ask when we are in desperate need In contrast, Jesus teaches that we children of a Great Father and the basic natural relationship that we have with God as Father is one of ASKING. Luke 11:1-11 Review from last week (Luke 11:1-8) v. 9 Why not just say “ask” why does Jesus use the threefold progression of: ask, seek, and knock?  v. 10-11 What is the nature of “sonship” that is being revealed in these few verses? And what is the nature of the Father that is also being revealed? So why are we not asking?? Either your vision of God and his mission is too small, or your confidence in yourself and your ability is too big. What A Praying Life Looks Like Start with 5 minutes a day… Start with simple prayer Prayer simply dies from efforts to pray about “good things” that honestly do not matter to us. The way to get to meaningful prayer for tho

How would you rate the quality of your prayer life? From 1—10 Is this something you would like to change? Why or why not? Why do you think up until this moment Jesus hadn’t prayed together with his disciples? The first teaching Jesus gave was to address God directly as Father. What did that mean? “Hallowed be your name” - Is it a praise or petition? Lead us not into temptation—what does that mean? How does the illustration in v. 5-8 connect with the “Lords Prayer” in v. 2-4? What is your main take-away from this passage on prayer?

Spiritual Gifts defined: supernatural power given to individuals, at the sole discretion of the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of fulfilling the mission of the Church and for the good of others. 1. Discover Your Gift, because that is part of your identity in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:1-3) 3 Categories: a. Motivational Gifts (1 Cor 12:4) (Romans 12:3-8) b. Ministry Gifts ((1 Cor 12:5) (Eph 4:11-13, 1 Cor 27-31) c. Manifestation Gifts (1 Cor 12:6) (1 Cor 12:7-11) Example: Discernment of Spirits (1 Cor 12:10) 2. Desire Your Gift, to love like Jesus. (1 Cor 14:1) 3. Develop Your Gift, to fulfill God’s mission. (1 Cor 12:7) Next steps: Study the Scriptures. Take spiritual gifts surveys. Read books on topic. Ask trusted friends for affirmation of gift(s). “Practice, practice, practice!” Imagine what the church can be and do if we all tapped into t