The Gifts of the Kingdom (Matthew 7:7-12)

Do you know anyone that is satisfied with their own prayer life? I certainly don't. I can also safely say that I have never been content with my own prayer life. All of us long for a life of consistent, vibrant prayer and yet it seems to be so elusive.
Jesus talks to us about prayer in the passage this week. Not only does he charge us to nurture a life characterized by prayer, but he also provides insight regarding the root of our prayerlessness and the motivation to spur us to take our petitions to our heavenly Father more often.

Then Jesus is going to talk to us about an area in which we all need prayer... loving others as we love ourselves. His "Golden Rule" seems so simple on the surface, but it is incredibly difficult to live out because it forces us to deal with our own selfishness and self-centeredness. And who wants to do that? We all want to be the beneficiaries of others loving us as themselves, but being the one doing the loving is a whole other story!

Come this Sunday and hear how the grace of the Gospel speaks to these things and how our hope (once again) is found in the Father's greatest gift, Jesus Christ. See you then!

- Pastor Tom