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This week, we’re in Practice #3: Grow in Prayer. Today, let’s spend ten minutes in the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11:1-4 from the New English Translation:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

Sunday’s sermon reminded us of the things we can absolutely expect from God if and when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s focus on the final two:

7. I can expect...to become a grace-giver.

One of our goals at DBC is to become a community marked by grace, committed to leaving the confines of comfort to love a world that’s grown skeptical of religion but still longs for the grace of Jesus Christ. The only way this goal becomes reality is if each of us daily soaks in the grace we have received and are receiving from God through His Son and His Spirit. Simply put, we can only give what we have first received.

Spend a few minutes in evaluation and confession. When people encounter you, do they experience grace? Are you eager to show mercy, kindness, grace, and forgiveness? Or are judgment and self-seeking more typically your response? Ask God to make you more like Jesus in the way He willingly and freely extends grace.

8. I can expect...to be better prepared for temptation.

In our humanness, sin will continue to look enticing. God makes provision for this by placing His Spirit in us to help us choose holiness. Jesus tells his followers that they can daily ask God to protect them from the temptation of the world and the evil one. Let’s read from Romans 6:12-15 (NET):

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, 13 and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.

Spend some time repeating these verses to yourself. Thank God for the gift of life. Ask Him to make you an instrument of righteousness. Claim victory by reminding yourself that sin is no longer a master to be blindly followed. Rather, rejoice that you are “alive from the dead”!

Now, let’s pray the Lord’s prayer one more time with FAITH and EXPECTANCY:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

Amen.

This week, we’re in Practice #3: Grow in Prayer. Today, let’s spend ten minutes in the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11:1-4 from the New English Translation:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

Sunday’s sermon reminded us of the things we can absolutely expect from God if and when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s focus on two of them:

5. I can expect...provision.

For most of the people who have ever lived, gathering food and water has been a daily task. Each morning is a fresh day to look for sustenance. In the first century world, Jesus would have been speaking with Jewish men and women who understood this reality deep in their bones. They were focused on surviving today. 

What would it look like for you to think only about today, having a firm trust that God would provide all that you need? Spend some time talking with God about it. 

6. I can expect...grace and forgiveness.

Besides daily physical provision, each of us has a need for daily spiritual provision. John 1:5-10 (NET) reveals this:

5 Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

Because of our fleshly nature, we still bear the guilt of sin. Yes, Jesus has taken away its ultimate penalty (death). But the hardness and alienation it causes between us and God is very real. This is why we are invited to repent daily, confessing what we’ve done, and being cleansed from it. This opens the channel to intimate communion with our triune God. 

Do you make confession a regular part of your daily life? Why or why not? Spend some time talking with God about it.

The Christian act of confession is not only a releasing of sin. It is also a receiving of fresh forgiveness and grace. What a gift! Each day, you can know that God is eager to provide spiritual provision. Spend some time asking God for his forgiveness and grace to sustain you today.

Now, let’s pray the Lord’s prayer one more time with FAITH and EXPECTANCY:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

This week, we’re in Practice #3: Grow in Prayer. Today, let’s spend ten minutes in the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11:1-4 from the New English Translation:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

Sunday’s sermon reminded us of the eight things we can absolutely expect from God if and when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s focus on two of them:

3. I can expect...peace and contentment.

It is often said that the Kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom, meaning that in most ways it is opposite to worldly patterns and operations. In our world, peace and contentment are elusive and grasped only by a fortunate few. Peace is equated to relative ease of life; contentment stems from having what we desire. But peace and contentment, for the Christian, are gifts from God imparted by the Holy Spirit. They are rooted in the goodness and faithfulness of God. If you follow Jesus, you should be characterized by both!

So, how about you? Consider if others would describe you as peaceful and content. Why or why not? Spend some time in confession.

4. I can expect...gratitude over entitlement. 

Prayer is a humbling task. It’s a reminder that I’m dependent, insufficient, lacking. What I need is a God who is All-Sufficient. When you come to God regularly, He will fill you with gratitude because He will help your perspective to change. You’ll be reminded that He is your faithful Provider.

How grateful are you today? Make a list of ten things you would like to thank God for providing.

Now, let’s pray the Lord’s prayer one more time with FAITH and EXPECTANCY:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

Amen.

This week, we’re in Practice #3: Grow in Prayer. Today, let’s spend ten minutes in the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11:1-4 from the New English Translation:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

Sunday’s sermon reminded us of the things we can absolutely expect from God if and when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s focus on two of them:

1. I can expect...that God’s intentions toward me are good.

So, is this true of you? Do you know deep down that God is for you and with you and is entirely good in His character? David Jeremiah has compiled 23 verses which highlight God’s goodness here. Pick one to meditate on for a few minutes.

2. I can expect...that His Kingdom will enter more and more into my daily reality.

Our entrance into the Kingdom of God came when we bowed a knee to Jesus as King. And, one day, His Kingdom will burst into full dominion over all of creation. But now, as we live in this in-between space, we have the gift of allowing His Kingdom to take over in our lives through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. 

Colossians 1:9-14 includes this prayer of Paul for the local church:

9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects—bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

As Jesus-followers, we have been qualified to inherit light. What this means is that light (representative of all that is good in God’s creation) is our new dwelling place. We’re increasingly moving out of the darkness of sin and death and toward our ultimate home in the Kingdom of Jesus.

So, let’s pray the Lord’s prayer one more time with FAITH and EXPECTANCY:

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”

Amen.

This week, we’ll be practicing the act of compassion. Dallas Bible Church partners with Compassion International to mobilize our body in helping to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. This mobilization involves encouraging individual monthly sponsorships and organizing annual mission trips to minister to the kids we sponsor

In April 2021, DBC began to partner with Compassion as we took on sponsorships for 100+ kids! Today, let’s consider how passion for God and compassion for others lead to a life of generous giving.

Giving is very near to the heart of God, as it is a sign of our faith in him. We see this call to giving early on in the story of Israel. Join me in Deuteronomy 26:1-11. The people of Israel are entering the land of Canaan, a land “flowing with milk and honey,” a land of great bounty and peace. The land has been given to them as a gift, “an inheritance” from the Lord that was promised all the way back in Genesis when God told Abraham that he would make him into a great nation with a special land (Gen 15:18). Yahweh tells his people how they are to honor him in this new land. They are to gather the first crops of each season, bring them to the priest, and have them presented on the altar of the Lord. 

Yet, most striking in this passage is not what the Israelites are to do but how they are to do it. When they make this presentation to the Lord, they are to recite the story of God’s faithfulness to Israel - how he heard their cries, saw their oppression in Israel, delivered them miraculously, and granted them a fruitful land. And, then they are to rejoice “in all the good things the Lord [their] God has given to [them].” Reciting and rejoicing. That’s the way that the Lord teaches his people to give. They are to give out of a heart that is eager to recite His faithfulness and eager to rejoice in His provision.

Reflect on your own history of giving. Do you have a heart eager to recite your testimony of God’s work in our life? Are you overflowing with gratitude for the abundance He has provided? 

Examine your heart, confess your sins, and draw near to God (James 4:8). And his Spirit will produce in you great generosity, given out of a cheerful heart (2 Cor 9:6-7).

Specifically, how can you give generously toward the work of Christ-centered compassion?

Here are some suggestions:

1. Pray about the opportunity to join the rest of DBC in sponsoring a child. You can find out more here.
2. Keep your eyes open for ways to bless those in need in your community. It may mean serving with For the Nations Refugee Outreach. It may mean joining our DBC Food Pantry team. It may include donating toward DBC local missionaries.
3. Consider a one-month “generosity challenge.” As an individual or family, decide to forego a usual luxury such as dinner at a restaurant or new clothing. Give that money to someone you know who has a financial need (or donate to the DBC benevolence fund to care for someone in your own church body).

When we give, incredible things take place. We find our needs fulfilled, our appetites sated. We find that God himself is enough. We find that a life of generosity is a life of deep joy. Think with me about the woman who poured out her alabaster jar of perfume upon Jesus’ feet (Matt 26:6-13). The disciples were worried about her use of such an expensive item: “Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” And, yet, Jesus saw the gift as “beautiful,” given out of a heart of generosity toward God.