In today’s culture, almost everyone agrees that “love” is a good thing. In fact, one

might even find agreement between atheists, agnostics, Christians, Jews, and humanists that love is

the noblest of all virtues. Yet the crucial question involves love’s definition. What is love? Is it

tolerance, acceptance, service, truth-telling, or something else entirely? Today we explore what

Jesus has to say about love, and how it connects with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

As the disciples finish their meal in the Upper Room they’re feeling tremendous anxiety and

stress. Here’s why: 1) Jesus told them that he was going away. 2) He then predicted that Judas would betray him. 3)

He further predicted that Peter would deny him. 4) Not only had the disciples been fighting about who was the

greatest, but 5) they were probably wondering how they would live when Jesus left. 6) And where exactly would he

go? In the midst of their immediate anxiety, Jesus tells them to not let their hearts be troubled. What Jesus told them

applies to us anytime we face intense anxiety.

Today’s message connects the practice of intercessory prayer (in which we pray for others) to the priestly role that Christians have in Christ. As Scripture teaches, all Christ-followers must embrace a priestly calling to intercede on behalf of others.

God loves to manifest himself in different places. Consequently, various places, even seemingly

insignificant places, can become extremely important to us in prayer. Thinking about where you pray is an oft

overlooked part of our overall prayer strategy. This morning I want to show you five places where you might

encounter God as you speak with him.

Sometimes people think that we shouldn’t ask God for things. But here’s a case in which Jesus

specifically tells us that we must make the ask, and he’s wanting us to encounter certain emotions as we do. Two

very vivid illustrations guide us in to asking God even as we sense his love.

The prayer that we typically call, “The Lord’s Prayer,” should actually be called, “The Disciples’

Prayer.” Jesus teaches this as a model prayer or a template prayer that we can use every day (see, “whenever” Luke

11:2). The first section of the prayer moves us into a supernatural worldview. The main idea is this: The most

important prayer we can pray each day is a prayer that expands our view of God and seeks his supernatural

breakthrough.

This week we begin our fall spiritual growth experience which will run for six weeks. This is the

beginning of our ministry year. It’s a time to focus on going deeper with Jesus and encountering his transforming

love. In this series, we’re focusing on prayer. As we begin the series, I want us to think about what a genuine prayer

warrior looks like by examining at the prayer of Nehemiah in chapter one. True prayer warriors generally show four

characteristics.

Whether we like it or not, sin is an issue we must be aware of daily. The Bible teaches that we have victory over the power, presence, and penalty of sin because of Christ’s work on the cross. Even though we have this freedom, one problem exists: we keep sinning! We must know where sin comes from if we are going to properly deal with it.