Isaiah 36:4 “…on what are you basing this confidence of yours?” The Assyrian empire spread from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. With their eyes set on Jerusalem, the Assyrian general told King Hezekiah to lay down his arms and surrender. Hezekiah was...

Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” The word temptation in our text has a dual meaning.  It can refer to an inward solicitation to sin, or a testing through external circumstances.  Since the source of the temptation is...

  Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Forgiving the person who offended us is a big deal.  It also is a big challenge.  I suspect one reason we struggle forgiving is because we do not want the person who offended us to be...

Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.” There is something comforting in this verse; it speaks of daily provision.  Conversely there is something strangely disconcerting, for it speaks of daily need.  I suspect we all prefer provision over need.  David...

Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The word Kingdom refers to the territory subject to the rule of a king. So what would it look like for our community to be subject to the rule of God? First, consider God’s kingdom is...

Matthew 6:9 “Our Father in heaven… This phrase is the introduction to what is often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer.   Jesus offered this prayer in response to His disciples’ request to teach them to pray (see Luke 11:1).  Many excellent books have been written on...