There is a four word phrase in the Lord's Prayer that not only embodies the mindset for prayer, but also for everything in our life as believers. Humbly and sincerely asking for the Lord's will to be done shows our desire to see the world brought to Christ, while declaring our gratitude to Him for all He has done to transform us. So it is vital that we are willing to fully surrender ourselves to His Lordship, asking Him to make this the greatest hunger of our heart and mind.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7z_kQy1RyU&t=2289s

Living as a disciple necessitates that our faith, conviction and commitment are unwavering, so at times, the Lord needs to test our faith. The disciples learned this in a familiar but out of control situation, and their initial response was to fear, doubt and question the Lord, instead of remembering Who they were with. He challenged their lack of faith by showing His power and calm our the times of crisis.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEdecZhdzpA&t=4333s

There is one word which sums up the heart, nature and purpose Christianity. Jesus said love is the defining mark of His disciples, and described and modelled this love as selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. We're called not only to love the Lord this way, but also everyone else, including our enemies. Holding this heart of sacrifice will alter our mindset, change our relationships and give us an effective ministry that honors Christ.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14oT66qrqxY&t=2205s

 After Jesus called Matthew to follow Him, the former tax collector gathered some of his friends to have dinner with Jesus. The proud, self-righteous religious leaders were shocked and offended that Jesus would associate with sinners, but He was proving that He came to identify with us in order to redeem us. It reminds us how grateful we should be that He hasn't come to just "patch" up our old sinful life, but to give us a new, abundant life. So we have a calling to resist going back to how we were and passionately live in what He has made us to be.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CspP55pEnzc

Studies show that the new cultural epidemic is loneliness. Younger generations especially are feeling overwhelmed and detached, craving authentic community and connection. The author of Hebrews detailed the solution for this: To faithfully be part of the community of believers, encouraging and strengthening each other in our faith, while also using our gifts to serve, which helps us not be self-focused.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1GWIYqH9Aw&t=4242s

Many of us find our minds cluttered by information, e-mails, texts and social media, but all our scrolling often indicates a deeper desire for connection, validation and inspiration. Our greatest hunger is for spiritual meaning, so we have to recognize that the craving of our soul is to know the Lord. That makes it vital to "feast" on what will feeds our mind, will and passions, while clinging to the Lord by constantly being in His presence.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4H6GIE50DQ

The shocking and tragic events of the week remind us that the enemy is attacking the Lord and our confidence and strength. This is designed to diminish God's Word, incite doubt in the Lord, defame HIs character and destroy HIs plans. Part of this strategy is to convince us that a person's values are fully negated by any failure. So the Lord reminds us of how He cared for His servant Moses, Personally burying him not to elevate Moses, but to show that God's Truth stands no matter what.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4z645nGKvw

Who do we do, and what do we learn, when we're in a struggle that we know is both spiritual warfare and a spiritual education from the Lord? The apostle Paul faced this after an amazing supernatural experience, when the Lord allowed a "thorn" to keep him from exalting himself. He recognized that this humbling trial challenged his pride and plans, and increased his confidence and faith in the Lord's provision and plans.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znY-pEl02-M&t=6109s

There is a subtle but pervasive internal attack on our mind and convictions, to pressure us not to outwardly bear fruit in our worldview, words, actions and witness. In this attack, we are enticed to build the foundation of our faith on what is temporary, self-centered, appealing to our senses and has no eternal value, instead of what is firm, strong, deep and eternally secure. This requires us to break every foundation that is not emblematic of God's call to holiness and faithfulness to Him.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vMj8FWsE8

As believers, the Lord calls us to "run with endurance" as we live for Him and deal with spiritual warfare and a world that opposes Him. Thankfully, He has already guaranteed us safety, freedom, a new nature and victory through Jesus Christ. But because there are multiple obstacles trying to hinder us from doing this, we must be undistracted, disciplined, consistent, strong and wise, to be able to fulfill our great calling.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZA91MPMT3M&t=3986s