Worship, wonder, and why God’s throne doesn’t mean He’s far away. This episode unpacks the profound truth that God is both exalted and near—our King who reigns in heaven and our Father who draws close. Through Scripture and thoughtful reflection, we explore how understanding God’s transcendence and immanence reshapes how we approach Him in prayer and everyday life.
Audio Coming soon.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He didn’t just tell them to address the Father—He added “Hallowed be Your name.” This phrase is more than an acknowledgment of God’s holiness—it’s a call to action.
At first glance, one might think Jesus was simply stating a fact: “Father, Your name is holy.” But holiness is an adjective—hallowed is a verb. The Greek word hagiazó means to sanctify, set apart, and consecrate. Jesus was teaching us that we have a role in honoring God’s name.
God is not just holy—He is thrice holy. When Isaiah and John both glimpsed the throne room of heaven, they heard the seraphim crying out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” This repetition wasn’t redundant—it was a proclamation that one “holy” isn’t enough to describe God’s fullness. It’s been sung for thousands of years—and if we were face-to-face with Him, we’d be singing it too.
But what name are we setting apart? Philippians 2:9-11 tells us: “God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name—so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow.” This isn’t about language—whether it’s Jesus, Yeshua, Lord, Adonai, Jehovah—it’s about the One who bears the name.
The Bible gives us three primary ways to set His name apart:
Being holy doesn’t mean perfection overnight—it’s a process of maturity. Jesus Himself said: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) The Greek word teleios means complete, mature, unfolding—like a telescope extending stage by stage until it reaches full clarity. The Apostle Paul used the same root word in 2 Corinthians 7:1 when he told us to “perfect holiness out of reverence for God.” Both Jesus and Paul, by using this word, indicate a recognition that we are going through a process of maturity to reach an end goal.
To hallow His name is to live in reverence, worship, and holiness—because His name is worthy.
Dive deeper into this truth through the full message, audio, and notes.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He deliberately included the phrase “Our Father in heaven.” But why? What does this reveal about God’s nature and our relationship with Him?
In this AI-generated podcast episode, the AI hosts explore the depth and significance of God’s exalted position—His transcendence as King and His immanence as our loving Father.
If you’ve ever wished for a quick but meaningful recap of a message or wanted to explore concepts in a conversational format, this is exactly what you’ve been looking for!
I know AI-driven content might seem unusual, but I highly encourage you to give it a listen. You may find yourself surprised by how naturally it presents the truth in a fresh, compelling way.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began with “Our Father in heaven.” Why that phrase? Why not just “Our Father”? The placement of “in heaven” is deliberate—it speaks to God’s exaltation, authority, and holiness, distinguishing Him from everything profane or common.
Scripture consistently defines heaven as God’s throne, emphasizing His position above all creation. Isaiah, David, Jesus, and even Stephen—the first Christian martyr—all affirm that God reigns from heaven. If God has a throne, then He must be King. And not just any king—He is King of Kings, the Most High, the Creator of heaven and earth.
Here’s where things get profound: God is both transcendent and immanent. This means He is high above us yet draws near. He is incomprehensible and ineffable, yet He chooses to reveal Himself. The phrase “Our Father in heaven” captures this paradox perfectly—Father (close) / In Heaven (beyond us).
How do we approach such a God—so grand yet so personal? The Bible guides us:
God, in His grace, has seated us with Christ in heavenly places. We are heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, no longer slaves to sin, but victorious through Him.
And yet, does that diminish our need to worship? Absolutely not. If anything, understanding our honored position should increase our reverence for Him. Even the twenty-four elders, exalted in the heavenly vision of Revelation, cast their crowns and worship. The more we grasp God’s greatness, the more worship becomes our natural response.
At the end of the day, God is King. He is exalted. He is worthy of worship. What does He ask of us? That we love Him and love others—for love fulfills all the commandments.
Dive deeper into this truth through the full message, audio, and notes.
In this episode, AI technology dives into the heart of my message on “Father”—exploring the profound reality of God as our Father and what that means for our identity, security, and relationship with Him.
With AI-generated insights, the conversation unfolds in a way that feels organic and fresh, offering new perspectives while staying true to the core of my original teaching. It’s amazing how AI can capture the essence of what was preached and present it in an engaging, accessible format.
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Welcome back to The Disciples’ Prayer Series! We’ve explored the unity in addressing God as “Our” Father—now, let’s focus on the next word: “Father.”
Jesus taught us to pray this way for two powerful reasons: To reveal the Father in a way never understood before. To declare that we are sons of God.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus unveiled the mystery of God’s nature. He declared, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” and emphasized, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Though fully God, Jesus chose not to operate in certain divine attributes (such as omnipresence or omniscience) during His earthly ministry. Instead, everything He did, He did as a man in obedience to the Father—showing us that we, too, can walk in obedience.
While Jesus is the only begotten Son, we become sons through adoption, empowered to cry, “Abba, Father!” This isn’t about physical gender but spiritual identity—both men and women inherit the promises of Christ.
As co-heirs with Him, we share in His inheritance: “God appointed Him heir of all things.” That means all things belong to us in Him, and we are raised up to reign with Christ!
Being sons means we are not slaves to the law. Christ redeemed us so that we could live by faith, rather than striving under the law’s impossible demands.
Yet, as free people, we choose to serve—not out of obligation, but out of love. Unlike servants who work for acceptance, we serve because we already belong.
The Prodigal Son parable illustrates God’s heart: He doesn’t accept us as mere servants but embraces us fully as sons. The Father restored his son with a robe (honor), a ring (identity), sandals (freedom), and a feast (celebration)—a picture of our complete redemption.
If you pay close attention to the parable, you’ll see that when the younger son asked for his inheritance, the Father gave both of his sons their inheritance: the one who left and the one who stayed, but neither of them saw the Father rightly.
The younger brother wanted what was his without a relationship with the Father (until he repented). The older brother misunderstood his Father, working for what was already his (“I’ve slaved away for you.“). Jesus reminds us: “I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends.”
Understanding our sonship is key: we don’t serve to earn God’s love—we serve because we already have it. The Father disciplines us as His beloved children, shaping us into His image.
One day, when Christ appears, we will be like Him!
Dive deeper into this truth through the full message, audio, and notes. Let’s embrace our identity and live in the freedom of sonship!
Welcome to Episode 1 of the Experiencing Grace AI Podcast. This episode was AI generated based off the notes and teaching audio from The Disciples Prayer Series: Our. For a better explanation of what these podcasts are, feel free to check out the explanation on Episode 0.
I hope you enjoy Episode 1 of the Experiencing Grace AI Podcast.
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When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he intentionally used the word “Our” in the opening line – “Our Father in heaven…” This wasn’t an accident.
By using “Our” instead of “My”, Jesus was encouraging a spirit of unity and community among his followers. In John 17, he prayed for his disciples to be one, just as he and the Father are one.
The message is clear – Jesus wants his followers to approach God together, with a shared sense of purpose, rather than as isolated individuals. Unity is at the heart of the Christian life.
As the body of Christ, we’re called to a profound oneness. When we achieve this oneness, it brings glory to God and empowers us to boldly further the gospel without fear.
The benefits of unity are immense. It allows us to better declare the second coming of Christ, just as John the Baptist did for the first. It brings corporate blessings like God’s anointing. And on an individual level, it fosters love and humility.
By maintaining one mind and one voice, we can more effectively glorify God and advance His kingdom. Unity is essential for experiencing the fullness of what God has for us – we can’t attain it alone, but must do so together, through humility and submission.
So let’s hold fast to the unity of the Spirit. When we do, we’ll never be alone. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always with us, and so is the family of believers.
Agree? Share your thoughts below.
I hope you enjoy the notes and audio of the message available on this post.
Exciting news about The Disciples’ Prayer Series!
If you’re familiar with this blog or attend my local church, where I serve as a teaching pastor, you may recall my teachings on The Disciples’ Prayer Series in 2014-2015. Although I taught the entire series, much of the audio was lost, and I couldn’t update the site beyond the ‘Forgive Us Our Debts’ message.
I’ve started teaching through the series again at my local church, and all new notes and audio will be archived here under the “New Disciples’ Prayer Series” category.
We are working very hard this time to ensure that none of the audio gets corrupted or lost, but of course there is no guarantee that there will be no technical difficulties.
Either way, I invite you to Subscribe to My Newsletter for updates to stay in the loop about all of this information. When you confirm your subscription, you will immediately be given download links for the Notes and Audio for the first lesson “Our” that I have not published yet on my site.
I have been updating the lessons in the series and working on turning them into a book. Though there’s no set publication date, I’ll occasionally update this site as I work on the manuscript. You may even see some sample chapters here. So, stick around.
Every part of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples unveils profound truths about God’s character and our relationship with Him. These teachings are not just for information—they’re for transformation, helping us become more like Christ in our daily walk.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on these teachings. What insights have you gained from studying The Disciples’ Prayer?
The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 8
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:
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!
