Tag Archives: lord’s prayer

Forgive Us Our Debts

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 8
Forgive Us Our Debts

This small phrase from the Disciples’ Prayer takes us on quite a ride through legal theology.  Now, on the surface that may sound thick and boring, but ultimately it proves to the believer why they should live with absolutely no fear of judgment.

If you are a believer and are worried that when you stand before God that there may be some little something that may tip the scales and send you to the lake of fire, then you need to listen to this lesson.  Why?  Because you are thinking wrong, and you need to understand the truth found in the scripture about believers in the time of judgement.  Knowing the truth sets us free.

In this lesson we will look at several things such as:

  • What debt do we have?  What do we owe it to?
  • How is it forgiven?
  • What does being forgiven of debt have to do with Jesus saying that He had come to declare the acceptable year of the Lord?
  • Are we now lawless?
    • HINT: The answer is No, but we aren’t still tied to the Law of Moses.  The scripture introduces a new law in very plain language, and we can never be free of its demands.  It is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.  Also called the Law of Liberty, the Law of Christ, and the Royal Law in scripture.
    • I’ll discuss how the scripture tells us to keep this new law.
  • Finally, I go into detail about the judgement of believers and explain how we aren’t even judged with those who go to the lake of fire.  That is a separate judgement that those who cannot take part in the second death will not attend.

This is truly an exciting teaching.  I believe that it can serve to set our minds free from the Law of Sin and Death in the same way that our spirits have been set free.  You can listen to the audio and download the notes at the top of this post.  Please feel free to share this blog and comment below for discussion.  God Bless!

Hallowed Be Your Name

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 4

Names of God Artwork

For the longest time I thought that “Hallowed” was an adjective describing God’s name. I mean, honestly, it isn’t a word that we use all that much in everyday conversation, and to me it seemed to describe God’s name–like saying His name is Holy.

However, I have since learned that “hallowed” is actually a verb.  So, this phrase is not describing God’s name as much as it is declaring action on our part toward His name.  It means “to be honored as Holy”.  Yes, His name is holy, but this simple phrase is a challenge to us.  We are to honor His name as holy.

How do we do that?  How does that affect the way we live our lives?  I discuss answers to these questions in this teaching, and go further into explaining what God could have meant when He told us to be holy the way that he is holy.  Is that even possible?  Did He really mean for us to be holy in the same way that the transcendent creator of all that exists is holy?  If so, what happens if we’re not?

The scripture has so much to say about the concept of God’s holiness and His people’s holiness.  This message serves as an encouraging look into the dynamics between the two.

In Heaven

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 3

In Heaven

After Jesus uses the word Father in the disciples’ prayer, a word that expresses great intimacy, affection, and acceptance in God, He immediately uses a phrase that makes God completely untouchable: In Heaven.  Why the great disparity?

On the one hand, we seem invited to accept God as absolutely close and accessible.  On the other hand, he is lifted into the cosmos.  Ineffable.  Unreachable.

How are we supposed to manage such a dichotomy in our daily lives?  How do we wrap our theology around a God who is both so imminent and transcendent?

This teaching attempts to give some biblical clarity around these two ideas about God, and shows how–for the believer–God being “In Heaven” doesn’t put him so far away as we may have thought; although, His worthiness of being highly exalted is not diminished in the least.

We will come to this conclusion by looking at scriptures that answer the following questions:

  • What is Heaven?
  • What does that make God?
  • How do we approach Him?
  • What is our position with the God In Heaven?

I think you’ll enjoy this message.  You can read the attached notes and listen to the audio above.  Feel free to “like” this post below and leave your comments.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Father

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 2

Lion and Cub

The devoted have repeated this word in their prayers for centuries. Jesus modeled the use of this word when teaching us how to pray in scripture. Why? I think it is of utmost importance to understand in-depth what it means for God to be our Father–and us to be His sons–from the rest of scripture.

In the teaching attached to the top of this entry we look into what the scripture explains about God our Father.  We’ll look at why we are sons, and how we are made into sons.  We answer the question, “Are we sons like Jesus is the Son of God?”

The teaching also explains what the benefits are for us to be sons of God, and they are amazing.  Among other things, this teaching also seeks to explain how our relationship with God the Father is defined in His acceptance and discipline, as well as presents an answer to the often-asked question, “If we are sons, then are we still servants?”

As a side note, being a Son of God is a spiritual position, and has nothing to do with physical gender.  Women believers are Sons of God in the same way that men believers are the Bride of Christ.  Both of these terms indicate spiritual truths about our position in God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.

For those of you who like to download or stream the audio of these lessons, unfortunately there were technical difficulties that prevented this lesson from being recorded when I taught it at my church.  I will update audio if I’m able to get it recorded at some point in the future.

Our

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 1

Praying in UnityOur: a simple word.

  • Three letters.
  • One syllable.
  • A world of meaning.

If there is one thing for certain about Jesus’ desire for his church, it is that we would live, work, and love in oneness.

As a matter of fact, Jesus prayed that we would be one in the same way that He and His Father are one.  Wow!

John 17:11, 21 (NIV) 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one…
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

So, what would that look like?  What would it mean for our daily life?  How would it affect our lives individually and as a community of believers?  How does it affect God?

In the attached lesson above I seek to answer these questions, and I discuss what the Bible says about how we achieve this unity.  You can read the notes and listen to the teaching.  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

The Disciples’ Prayer Series Introduction

The Disciples' Prayer SeriesJesus taught his Disciples how to pray in what is commonly referred to as The Lord’s Prayer.  I tend to refer to it as The Disciples’ Prayer–not for the sake of being different, but to emphasize the fact that Jesus was teaching US to pray in that manner.

I taught a series of 12 lessons based on the words and phrases in the Disciples’ prayer to answer the question, “Why would Jesus ask us to pray this way?”.  This series goes into depth on the following topics:

  1. Our
  2. Father
  3. In Heaven
  4. Hallowed be Your name
  5. Your kingdom come
  6. Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven
  7. Give us this day our Daily Bread
  8. Forgive us our debts
  9. As we forgive our debtors
  10. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
  11. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever
  12. Amen

Each of these lessons expands on a thought taken from the words and phrases that Jesus taught us in this prayer as shown above, and focuses on expanding the Christian’s understanding of how each of Jesus’ words is full of life and truth.

From today moving forward I will be posting these lessons here on the blog.  Watch for them, read the notes, listen to the audio (when available), and comment!  I’d love to hear what you think.