Sermons at Brush Praire Church - Vancouver, WA USA

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Matthew 6:5-15

Do you pray? I expect you would probably answer yes to that question. But as J.C. Ryle says, "It is one thing to say your prayers, and another thing entirely to pray." Is prayer simply something you do before meals or before going to bed at night? Do you pray out of habit, or to check it off your list and be a "good Christian?" There is nothing wrong with praying at those times. In fact, these can be great rhythms to establish. But real prayer is more than a routine. Real prayer is about your heart before God, not just the words you say. Join us this Sunday as we dig into the pattern of prayer Jesus gave us to better understand what real prayer is all about.

Pastor Ryan

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The old adage says that we tend to want justice when we have been wronged and mercy when we are wrong. To put it another way, we want justice upon others and mercy upon ourselves. The prophet Obadiah confronts Edom for not being merciful, even when they might have had a good case for justice. If God expected Edom to be agents of mercy in the day of Israel's trouble, what does He expect of us when others are in trouble around us? Let's see what God has said this Sunday.

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It's easy to get discouraged in the midst of serving. Things are harder than expected, and you've encountered opposition and obstacles along the way. You wonder if what you do can amount to much or make any real difference. That's how it seems when we consider ourselves, and what we can do. But how does the view change when we instead look to God and what He has promised? This Sunday we will hear, from Haggai, what God says to those who are discouraged by setbacks in the midst of serving.

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Imagine you have been discipling someone for a few years, but now either you or they are moving. You know that you won't be in close contact with them anymore, but you are concerned for their future in the faith, that they continue to grow in Christ. What are some essentials you would urge them to continue in? We gave out a book at the Men's Retreat, Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual Disciplines. In a series of short devotionals, the author walks through three foundational practices every Christian should continue to devote themselves to. If your family didn't get a copy, we will have more at church this Sunday. Take a slip of paper and jot down what you think those three essential and foundational practices would be (without referring to the book). Stick that slip of paper in your Bible and find out this Sunday if you have the same three that I do.

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Next weekend is the Jewish Day of Atonement. If you were in Israel you would wonder, "What is going on?" Every store and office will be closed, there will be no cars or buses on the roads, some people will be enjoying a holiday while others are fasting and mourning. But there is an even more significant day coming, when all the world will be wondering, "What is going on?!" In Dickens' words, that day will truly be the best of times and the worst of times. Zechariah 12-14 has a lot to say about "that day." This Sunday we'll see how the Day of the Lord intersects with the Day of Atonement and discuss what difference any of this makes to you. Zechariah puts a couple of questions out there that every one of us needs to answer.

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Imagine learning your child has died. (God how could you let this happen?!) Imagine learning the cancer, which you had praised God for removing, is back. (God where are you???) Imagine hearing that the one responsible for a loved one's severe injury will not be charged, or that the one who stole thousands from your grandmother only got a slap on the wrist. (I thought you were a God of justice?!) When things like this happen, they either press us closer to God, or push us away from Him. The prophet Habakkuk records his own wrestling with God, through a range of emotions. He cycles through frustration, disbelief, even anger, yet concludes in peace. He shares his journey for our benefit. This Sunday, we'll talk about how what we know about God anchors us in the midst of what we cannot understand.

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Last week, we considered the Apostle's call, "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace." God's Word will build us up and equip us for God's future. This week we are going to look a a little more closely at what is included in entrusting ourselves to God's Word. In Psalm 119:97-104 we will hear what God says about how His Word makes the difference in our lives.