Maryville Church of Christ

Sermon Series: Connecting with God

Sermon Title: (Part 5) Keep Banging on the Door

Summary: When it comes to prayer, Jesus knows our frustrations.  Perhaps our biggest struggle is when prayers seem unanswered.  Jesus teaches us to keep banging on the door of heaven.  When we pray persistently, God will always do something.

Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1-10

Sermon Series: Connecting with God

Sermon Title: (Part 4) Pray Like This

Summary: Prayer is a divinely given mechanism for us to pursue deep relationship with God.  Rather than being primarily a means of getting things from God, prayer is the way we align our wills to the will of God. 

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-13

Sermon Series: Connecting with God

Sermon Title: (Part 3) How to Connect

Summary: Connection with God occurs when we make specific and deliberate time to meet with him in prayer.  The deep reward of prayer is intimacy and connection with God.  Prayer is not so about the quality or quantity of the words we use but time and location are very important.  When we go into our room and shut the door, we experience the reward of intimate relationship with God.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-8

Sermon Series: Connecting with God

Sermon Title: (Part 2) Before You Pray

Summary: Connection with God is something we must seek and desire.  Before we are ready to connect with him in prayer we must prepare our hearts.  Meditation is the “pre-prayer work” that we must do to cultivate our inner selves.  Psalm 1 is a meditation on meditation and its promises and benefits.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 1

Sermon Series: Connecting with God

Sermon Title: (Part 1) Above It All: Resting in God's Presence

Summary: In our hyperactive culture, our lives are filled with noise and distraction. To rise above the noise and find rest, we must dedicate ourselves to the discipline of daily meeting God in solitude, reflection, meditation and prayer.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 46

Sermon Title: The Church and National Culture

Summary: Members of the church, whether first century or twenty-first century, must be intentionally engaged with the Lord to withstand conforming to the culture's negative values. The greatest weapon that we have to withstand conforming to the negative values of our culture is to have a Spirit-filled life and be very diligent in working to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:1-3

Youth Focus Service: Simple Faith 

Summary: Have you ever asked yourself, What does God really want from me? Can God's call to us be boiled down to a very simplistic statement? I believe it can! We will look at the call of the prophets and the call of Christ to focus our hearts on simple commands which bring forth a truly complex faith.

Scripture Reading: Micah 6:8