Sermon Audio, Calvary Community Church, Williams Bay, WI

Looking at Psalm 90 gives us a glimpse into a prayer preserved by God and offered by a man who spoke to God "as a man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11). What can we learn about prayer from such a man?

In our busy, complex, noisy lives, there’s a secret to living life to the full… the sacred privilege of personal, private, conversation with Almighty God. For those who discover a genuine friendship, perhaps even intimacy with God, nothing is more powerful or valuable than PRAYER. For those in the deep trauma of life, nothing is more comforting than PRAYER. Let’s discover the secret of God’s invitation to prayer in this 30-day journey to Holy Week 2015

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)Is it actually possible that God — as busy as He is keeping the entire universe in order, making 350,000 new babies every day, and sustaining the lives of 7.3 billion human beings — that He actually has time and cares enough about EACH of us, that He is ready to “direct” the paths of our lives? If that is true, how does it work? Can there be anything more fulfilling than if I lived my life knowing that God Himself is guiding my journey, EVERY DAY!?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV) TRUST… our daily survival depends on our ability to trust. NO trust is more important to life than our trust in God. If lived well this year, this verse will sustain and guide each of us.

In I Samuel 13:14, God refers to King David as a "man after my own heart." Though David wasn't perfect, we see from both this Scripture, as well as Acts 13:22, that what set him apart from others was his obedience to the Father. Jesus places a great deal of importance on our obedience to His Word, yet, at the same time, calls us "friends" instead of "servants" (John 15). Psalm 34 gives us some great insight into David's heart and is a guide for our own hearts, as we seek to love God with all our "heart, soul, mind, and strength."

In a world that sometimes seems to be going mad (Boko Haram / ISIS / Al-Qaeda / terrorism / beheadings, etc.), where do we turn for calm, reason, hope? What difference can Christmas make to day in millions of troubled, fearful people of all ages, in all places... including us?

News headlines proclaim the condition of the human heart world wide... Anger, Despair, Pain, Unforgiveness... Christmas was supposed to bring HOPE, JOY, PEACE, LOVE... did it for you? Is it lasting? Joseph's heart was broken by the news. Could he trust and love again? The Magi followed their hearts, as they traveled months in the desert to find a newborn baby King. Herod's diabolical, paranoid, selfish, angry heart wrecked havoc in too many lives. How are our hearts? Are we willing to let God show us what He sees when He looks deep into our hearts?

Let our stories declare his glory. While many people are searching for and striving for individualism, in reality, we have been designed for community. Our stories are best shared and lived out in transformational community. The church is the place of transformational community. As we live in transformational community, the gospel is made visible.

Lost in the Christmas story is the avalanche of the Holy Spirit of God accomplishing miracles.Jesus’ miraculous life was empowered by the Holy Spirit and He promised that His followers would be empowered by the same Holy Spirit.Is it possible that we can anticipate similar Holy Spirit anointing as those in that first Christmas?What would it be like?How might our lives change?What impact could we have in our world?

Christmas trees clutter street curbs, returns have been completed, school is back in session, collegians have returned, it's the first quarter of a new year in the marketplace... is Christmas forgotten? We anticipated Christmas for many weeks, and now it's history. What difference has Christmas made in our lives or our world?