WEBVTT

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 Good morning, Watermark.

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 All right.

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 I love you guys.

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 Those are some of the university students.

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 All right.

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 Yeah, if you don't know me, my name is Alfie,

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 and I help out with the university ministry here at Watermark,

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 reaching out to HKU.

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 And today is actually quite an exciting Sunday for me,

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 because I think for the first time in four or five years,

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 my whole family is in a church service together.

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 And that's really exciting.

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 So, please come and say hi and make them feel awkward.

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 You know, if you've heard stories about my dad,

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 you can ask him if they really are true.

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 My dad, my mom, my sister, we all live here in Hong Kong.

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 But I don't see my parents that often.

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 Usually what happens is, after about the third week,

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 my dad will send me a text message and say,

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 you know, your mother misses you.

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 And so I know it's time to muster up the effort to get on the bus

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 and go out into the middle of nowhere to visit them.

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 But thankfully, you know, I get to communicate with my parents in other ways.

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 You know, just with my telephone, you know, I can send text messages.

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 I can call them.

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 I can, you know, WhatsApp them.

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 I can FaceTime them.

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 If I'm really fancy, I can, like, find a website and order some flowers and send it to them.

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 There are many ways in which I can communicate with them.

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 But not all of them are really quite, like, being there face-to-face

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 and seeing them and touching them.

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 You know, I really wish I could do that more often.

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 And I tell them, you know, if they ever move, you know, closer to the island,

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 then maybe I'll consider living with them.

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 That hasn't happened yet.

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 But I think many of us feel like that when it comes to relating with God.

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 Because we know he's there, but he seems a bit far off.

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 It's kind of hard to get to.

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 And we know we're supposed to pray, but we've been taught about prayer,

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 but our experience of it doesn't match up with what we've been taught,

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 what we want to expect.

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 You know, we feel like we're sending an email that never leaves the computer.

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 Or, you know, we're sending a text message,

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 and, you know, we're waiting for a ply that's going to come, you know,

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 floating in a bottle, and we have to be at the beach at the right time to find it.

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 And, you know, I think that even for people who have been Christians for a long time,

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 the idea of what prayer is is a bit of a mystery.

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 And we have lots of questions about prayer,

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 questions that we ask other people,

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 questions that we ask God about prayer.

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 You might ask God, are you there?

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 Do you hear me?

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 Am I good enough?

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 Have I done enough good things for you to answer my prayer?

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 Am I saying the right words?

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 Am I formal enough?

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 Am I kneeling the right way?

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 Do I keep my eyes closed or open?

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 You might ask,

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 God, I'm sorry that I keep falling asleep

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 when I'm trying to pray.

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 You might ask,

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 what's the formula?

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 What's the series of words that I need to say

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 to make sure

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 that God hears me?

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 Sometimes we're angry at God

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 and we don't want to pray.

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 Is it okay to pray to God when we're angry?

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 Can we express what's going on in our hearts to God?

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 Even if it means using a few, you know, naughty words?

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 How can we be expected to pray without ceasing?

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 Why do you tell us to do that?

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 I think there's so many questions about prayer

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 that I don't even know the answers to

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 that many people ask each other,

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 they ask of God about prayer.

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 What is prayer?

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 What does it mean?

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 How does it work?

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 How can we talk to this amazing, huge God?

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 You know, I think I could go on

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 asking different questions about prayer.

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 And, you know, a lot of them are usually along the theme of,

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 you know, what is prayer?

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 What am I doing while I'm praying?

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 How does it work?

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 And the second part is,

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 does God care?

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 Does God love us?

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 Today we're going to be starting a series

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 for the next couple of weeks on prayer.

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 Myself and a couple of other preachers,

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 we're going to be going through the Lord's Prayer

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 one bit at a time.

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 And we're going to try and talk

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 and unwrap this idea of prayer.

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 In fact, this is a focus that we'll be doing

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 across Watermark for the next couple of weeks.

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 You'll see that even the prayer that we do

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 before the service is a little bit different.

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 So I encourage you to come early,

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 come 1010, it starts at 1015,

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 and get involved with that.

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 Also, we're going through other stuff

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 in our community group.

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 So if you're not in a community group,

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 join a community group.

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 You're not going to want to miss

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 this journey that we're taking as a church

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 in unwrapping prayer.

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 Now, as we've been talking about

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 why we want to do this focus,

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 we've kind of come up with different goals

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 of what we hope to achieve

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 through this series in prayer.

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 There are three of them,

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 and the first is that,

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 it's right here,

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 that we want to teach an attitude of prayer,

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 not a form of prayer.

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 We don't want Watermark to end up

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 two months from now

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 with everyone praying the exact same way.

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 But we do want Watermark to be a church

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 where people are coming

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 with the right attitude before God,

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 before their Heavenly Father.

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 We want to, the second goal is

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 we really want to encourage you guys

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 to be praying out of a relationship

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 with a loving Heavenly Father

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 that is based in reality,

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 that we're not, you know,

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 praying into some, you know,

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 unknown spiritual air,

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 but that we have a relationship

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 with a real Heavenly Father.

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 Lastly, we want Watermark to be a church

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 that prays more expansively,

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 not just praying at mealtimes

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 and when we're in trouble,

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 but to pray often,

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 to pray all the time,

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 not just to pray about ourselves,

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 but about our community,

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 to pray about God's kingdom.

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 We want us to be a church

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 that's praying about

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 more than just asking,

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 but also in thanksgiving

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 and praise and a confession.

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 All right, we want Watermark,

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 we want to teach you guys

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 an attitude of prayer,

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 not a form.

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 We want to encourage you to pray

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 because of a relationship

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 with your Heavenly Father.

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 and we want you to pray more

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 and more expansively.

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 And so, even as you're

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 in community groups

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 and in this prayer time,

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 as you're thinking about prayers,

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 you're listening to these sermons,

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 look out for some of these things.

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 How is our relationship

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 with God coming out?

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 How are we encouraged

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 to pray more expansively?

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 Now, before we start,

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 really, we should have

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 a definition for prayer.

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 Now, as many people as you ask,

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 you'll have a definition

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 for prayer.

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 At a community group yesterday,

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 my community group

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 was talking about this,

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 and, you know,

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 everyone has a slightly

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 different idea of what prayer is.

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 And as many books as you read,

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 you'll also find

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 different definitions,

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 except for one book that I read

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 where he quoted another guy.

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 So, two books, same definition.

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 All right.

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 But, I'm glad I get to go first

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 because I get to pick

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 the definition of prayer,

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 and everyone else

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 has to follow that.

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 No, no, no, I'm joking.

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 Oh, really, we sat down as a team

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 and we talked and we prayed

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 and we discussed.

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 And we tried to figure out

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 a good definition

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 that would capture prayer.

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 All right.

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 Even after we settled on this,

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 there was still discussion about,

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 ooh, should we change it?

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 But we're going to go with this.

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 And we hope that,

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 at least for this time,

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 that this definition

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 will help us understand

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 and begin thinking

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 about what prayer is.

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 And so, we'll put it up here.

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 And it says that prayer is

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 a child calling out

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 to their loving,

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 heavenly father

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 in response to him

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 reaching down to them.

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 prayer is a child

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 calling out

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 to their loving,

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 heavenly father

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 in response

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 to them,

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 to him

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 reaching down to them.

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 Today, I'm going to be focusing

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 on our relationship

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 with God

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 as we look at the

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 first couple of lines

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 in the Lord's Prayer.

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 prayer.

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 In Matthew chapter 6,

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 Jesus tells the people

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 to pray like him.

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 And Matthew chapter 6,

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 you'll find is

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 right in the middle

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 of the Sermon on the Mount.

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 In the Sermon on the Mount,

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 Jesus is here

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 and he's gathered

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 his disciples

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 and his followers

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 and he's telling them

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 about how to live their lives.

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 And he makes

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 some pretty big asks of them

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 and he tells them

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 that they need to

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 turn the other cheek,

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 they need to walk

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 the extra mile,

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 that they should

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 love their enemies.

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 He asks difficult

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 things of them

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 and at the end,

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 he gets to the gist of it

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 and he says that

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 all of our lives

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 we're living before God.

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 Everything that we do

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 is before God

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 and he wants us

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 to live our lives

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 in the presence of God.

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 And so when we come

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 to looking at the Lord's Prayer,

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 we're trying to figure out

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 how is it that

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 as God's people

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 in the presence of God

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 do we talk to him?

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 How do we call out

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 to our Heavenly Father

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 if our lives

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 are being lived

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 in his presence?

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 Now,

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 Jesus uses the idea

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 of Father.

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 God is our Heavenly Father

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 to describe

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 the way in which

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 we address God.

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 And, you know,

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 I think everyone

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 has a different idea

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 of what a father is

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 based on our experience

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 with our own earthly fathers

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 and those

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 begin to shape

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 the way that

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 we look at God.

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 Now,

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 some of us

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 have good experiences

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 and some of us

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 have bad experiences.

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 And even in the course

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 of our lives,

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 our relationships

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 with our fathers

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 change.

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 You know,

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 if you're younger,

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 then, you know,

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 your fathers are

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 paying the rent

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 and they're giving you

00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:36.800
 food and clothing

00:10:36.800 --> 00:10:37.720
 and they're paying

00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:38.480
 your school fees

00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:39.240
 even though you'd wish

00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:39.980
 they'd rather not.

00:10:39.980 --> 00:10:41.539
 all right?

00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:42.879
 And maybe if you're

00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:43.639
 a bit older,

00:10:44.300 --> 00:10:44.920
 your parents are

00:10:44.920 --> 00:10:45.960
 dependent on you

00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:47.460
 and you are caring

00:10:47.460 --> 00:10:47.840
 for them

00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:49.019
 and you're providing

00:10:49.019 --> 00:10:50.980
 and taking care

00:10:50.980 --> 00:10:51.500
 of them.

00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:53.379
 You know,

00:10:53.420 --> 00:10:54.039
 I think each of us

00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:54.879
 has such different

00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:55.360
 experiences.

00:10:55.500 --> 00:10:55.879
 I was talking

00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:56.360
 with my brother

00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:57.019
 the other day

00:10:57.019 --> 00:10:58.539
 about an experience

00:10:58.539 --> 00:10:59.060
 that I had had

00:10:59.060 --> 00:10:59.600
 with my dad

00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:00.759
 and he looked at me

00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:01.800
 with this blank expression

00:11:01.800 --> 00:11:02.519
 because even though

00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:03.420
 we lived in the same house,

00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:05.200
 he was completely oblivious

00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:06.879
 to my struggle

00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:07.440
 with my dad

00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:08.800
 at that point in time.

00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.039
 Even in the same household

00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:12.159
 and experiences

00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:13.240
 of fathers are different.

00:11:15.099 --> 00:11:15.339
 You know,

00:11:15.379 --> 00:11:16.159
 I think I had

00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:17.079
 a fairly good relationship

00:11:17.079 --> 00:11:17.599
 with my dad

00:11:17.599 --> 00:11:18.199
 growing up

00:11:18.199 --> 00:11:19.919
 except when I was 11,

00:11:20.199 --> 00:11:20.659
 13,

00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:21.399
 16,

00:11:21.979 --> 00:11:23.019
 and 20.

00:11:23.859 --> 00:11:24.039
 All right?

00:11:24.459 --> 00:11:25.219
 Everything else

00:11:25.219 --> 00:11:26.319
 was great.

00:11:26.699 --> 00:11:27.839
 Those were some

00:11:27.839 --> 00:11:28.539
 rough years.

00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:31.459
 But even as I talk

00:11:31.459 --> 00:11:32.399
 with different people

00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:32.899
 in this congregation,

00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:33.799
 I realize that

00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:36.120
 you guys have had

00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:37.439
 many different experiences.

00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:38.880
 many of you

00:11:38.880 --> 00:11:39.780
 have had difficult

00:11:39.780 --> 00:11:40.960
 experiences

00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:44.020
 with abusive fathers

00:11:44.020 --> 00:11:45.720
 or absent fathers,

00:11:46.560 --> 00:11:49.100
 fathers who didn't love you

00:11:49.100 --> 00:11:49.820
 or didn't know

00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:51.500
 how to love you.

00:11:53.300 --> 00:11:53.460
 You know,

00:11:53.520 --> 00:11:53.780
 I think,

00:11:53.900 --> 00:11:54.800
 as I look out here,

00:11:54.880 --> 00:11:55.360
 I know that,

00:11:55.660 --> 00:11:55.980
 you know,

00:11:56.200 --> 00:11:56.940
 some of you

00:11:56.940 --> 00:11:59.440
 don't love your fathers

00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:01.060
 and you find it hard

00:12:01.060 --> 00:12:03.520
 to think about

00:12:03.520 --> 00:12:04.460
 how do we love

00:12:04.460 --> 00:12:05.540
 our Heavenly Father?

00:12:05.539 --> 00:12:07.539
 How do we love

00:12:07.539 --> 00:12:09.079
 our God

00:12:09.079 --> 00:12:11.059
 when our earthly father

00:12:11.059 --> 00:12:12.919
 has disappointed us

00:12:12.919 --> 00:12:14.079
 and failed us

00:12:14.079 --> 00:12:16.120
 in so many ways?

00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:18.379
 You know,

00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:18.860
 my hope,

00:12:18.939 --> 00:12:19.179
 Watermark,

00:12:19.259 --> 00:12:20.480
 is that as we're looking

00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:21.179
 at these passages

00:12:21.179 --> 00:12:24.399
 that we will get to see

00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:25.259
 and we'll form

00:12:25.259 --> 00:12:26.699
 a different picture

00:12:26.699 --> 00:12:27.360
 of our father,

00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:29.199
 that we will see

00:12:29.199 --> 00:12:30.199
 our Heavenly Father

00:12:30.199 --> 00:12:32.179
 as good

00:12:32.179 --> 00:12:33.000
 and beautiful

00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:34.559
 and amazing

00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:35.279
 and loving

00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:36.139
 and perfect,

00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:39.159
 that even

00:12:39.159 --> 00:12:41.320
 my good relationship

00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:41.980
 with my father

00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:44.179
 doesn't compare

00:12:44.179 --> 00:12:46.519
 to the amazing

00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:47.240
 Heavenly Father

00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:47.980
 that we have

00:12:47.980 --> 00:12:48.960
 in God.

00:12:53.460 --> 00:12:54.139
 So,

00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:57.659
 how do we pray?

00:12:57.659 --> 00:13:01.199
 Right at the beginning,

00:13:01.439 --> 00:13:02.019
 Jesus says,

00:13:02.079 --> 00:13:02.539
 you'll find it

00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:03.419
 in verse 9,

00:13:03.500 --> 00:13:03.740
 he says,

00:13:03.860 --> 00:13:04.879
 pray then like this,

00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:06.279
 our Father

00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:07.179
 in heaven.

00:13:08.079 --> 00:13:08.319
 Now,

00:13:08.740 --> 00:13:09.500
 the Bible doesn't

00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:10.360
 give us the reaction

00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:11.179
 of his disciples,

00:13:11.419 --> 00:13:12.919
 but I think

00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:14.959
 that the disciples

00:13:14.959 --> 00:13:15.799
 would have been surprised,

00:13:16.019 --> 00:13:16.600
 would have been shocked

00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:18.360
 that Jesus was calling

00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:20.039
 God his Father.

00:13:21.199 --> 00:13:21.799
 And it's interesting

00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:23.519
 because so much

00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:24.919
 of Jewish life

00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:25.480
 and culture

00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:26.579
 was about God

00:13:26.579 --> 00:13:27.360
 being with them.

00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:28.579
 You know,

00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:29.500
 when they were wandering

00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:30.019
 in the wilderness,

00:13:30.279 --> 00:13:31.039
 the tabernacle,

00:13:31.539 --> 00:13:32.419
 the tent

00:13:32.419 --> 00:13:33.939
 where God rested

00:13:33.939 --> 00:13:34.879
 was right in the middle

00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:35.439
 of their camp.

00:13:35.539 --> 00:13:36.459
 God was close to them.

00:13:37.379 --> 00:13:38.379
 Even when their temple

00:13:38.379 --> 00:13:39.059
 is in the middle

00:13:39.059 --> 00:13:39.699
 of their city,

00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:41.000
 their entire lives

00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:41.659
 revolved around

00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:42.259
 being close.

00:13:42.379 --> 00:13:43.480
 But the Jewish people

00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:43.959
 were hooked

00:13:43.959 --> 00:13:44.719
 on this idea

00:13:44.719 --> 00:13:46.699
 of a transcendent God,

00:13:46.740 --> 00:13:47.360
 a holy God,

00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:48.480
 a God that is big

00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:49.519
 and marvelous

00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:50.539
 and untouchable.

00:13:51.379 --> 00:13:51.959
 Not that God

00:13:51.959 --> 00:13:52.839
 isn't those things,

00:13:53.939 --> 00:13:55.220
 but God is also

00:13:55.220 --> 00:13:56.839
 a God who is close.

00:13:57.659 --> 00:13:59.179
 A God who is near.

00:14:03.439 --> 00:14:04.879
 And I think for us,

00:14:05.019 --> 00:14:06.339
 even that is a big shift.

00:14:06.959 --> 00:14:08.120
 Trying to think about

00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:10.240
 God who is

00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:11.980
 holy

00:14:11.980 --> 00:14:14.039
 and amazing.

00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:15.459
 A God who is our savior.

00:14:15.779 --> 00:14:16.600
 A God who is the creator.

00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:19.100
 But he is also

00:14:19.100 --> 00:14:20.379
 our Father.

00:14:20.379 --> 00:14:20.460
 Father.

00:14:22.740 --> 00:14:23.340
 You know,

00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:24.320
 I think the Bible

00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.120
 tells us about

00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:27.179
 the kind of father

00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:30.159
 that God is.

00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:31.439
 In Ephesians 3,

00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:32.620
 it says that God

00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:33.299
 is able to do

00:14:33.299 --> 00:14:34.399
 far more

00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.700
 than we ever imagined.

00:14:36.820 --> 00:14:37.320
 In Romans 8,

00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:37.860
 it tells us that

00:14:37.860 --> 00:14:39.120
 he adopts us

00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:40.360
 as his children.

00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:41.860
 And he gives us

00:14:41.860 --> 00:14:43.080
 a spirit to remind us

00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:43.539
 of that.

00:14:44.340 --> 00:14:45.440
 In Matthew chapter 7,

00:14:45.720 --> 00:14:46.440
 we have this interesting,

00:14:46.580 --> 00:14:47.340
 it's right after

00:14:47.340 --> 00:14:49.159
 the Lord's Prayer,

00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:49.839
 he says that,

00:14:50.259 --> 00:14:50.399
 you know,

00:14:50.459 --> 00:14:51.039
 which of you,

00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:52.059
 as a father,

00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:53.120
 as an earthly father,

00:14:53.719 --> 00:14:54.740
 gives your child a stone

00:14:54.740 --> 00:14:55.819
 when he asks for bread

00:14:55.819 --> 00:14:57.199
 or a snake

00:14:57.199 --> 00:14:58.179
 when he asks for fish?

00:14:58.860 --> 00:14:59.519
 He says,

00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:01.559
 if it's earthly fathers,

00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:02.939
 you know what is a good gift

00:15:02.939 --> 00:15:03.899
 and what is a bad gift.

00:15:04.299 --> 00:15:05.240
 How much more

00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:06.559
 does our heavenly father know

00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:08.879
 what is a good gift

00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:09.539
 to give us?

00:15:10.119 --> 00:15:11.219
 If you look through the Bible,

00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:12.599
 this is a story

00:15:12.599 --> 00:15:15.000
 of God's amazing love.

00:15:15.459 --> 00:15:16.179
 In its pages,

00:15:16.319 --> 00:15:18.379
 you'll see the love

00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:19.399
 of a father

00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:20.539
 for his children.

00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:24.259
 You'll see how God

00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:25.959
 loves Joseph

00:15:25.959 --> 00:15:28.019
 in his prison cell

00:15:28.019 --> 00:15:29.919
 and uses him

00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:31.159
 not only to save Egypt,

00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:32.639
 but to save his family.

00:15:33.299 --> 00:15:34.179
 We see how God,

00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:34.779
 as a father,

00:15:34.959 --> 00:15:37.159
 loves his firstborn son,

00:15:37.239 --> 00:15:37.620
 Israel,

00:15:38.359 --> 00:15:39.859
 and calls him out of Egypt

00:15:39.859 --> 00:15:40.779
 and out of slavery.

00:15:41.719 --> 00:15:42.399
 The relationship

00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:43.899
 of God

00:15:43.899 --> 00:15:45.339
 to his children

00:15:45.339 --> 00:15:46.539
 is one

00:15:46.539 --> 00:15:47.659
 that is surrounded

00:15:47.659 --> 00:15:49.179
 by this amazing,

00:15:50.179 --> 00:15:51.259
 holy love.

00:15:53.019 --> 00:15:53.859
 But us,

00:15:53.959 --> 00:15:54.739
 we have this

00:15:54.739 --> 00:15:57.059
 poor,

00:15:58.059 --> 00:15:59.079
 broken image

00:15:59.079 --> 00:16:00.579
 of what a father

00:16:00.579 --> 00:16:01.439
 is like.

00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:03.780
 we have this

00:16:03.780 --> 00:16:05.300
 incomplete picture

00:16:05.300 --> 00:16:06.620
 of what a father

00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:07.280
 ought to be.

00:16:08.520 --> 00:16:09.640
 And even if we try

00:16:09.640 --> 00:16:10.280
 to imagine

00:16:10.280 --> 00:16:11.940
 what our perfect father

00:16:11.940 --> 00:16:12.720
 would be like,

00:16:13.420 --> 00:16:14.760
 it wouldn't come close

00:16:14.760 --> 00:16:17.960
 to what God,

00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:18.600
 our father,

00:16:18.780 --> 00:16:19.580
 is really like.

00:16:20.860 --> 00:16:21.940
 Imagine you're a villager.

00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:23.140
 You're living

00:16:23.140 --> 00:16:23.760
 in this island

00:16:23.760 --> 00:16:25.620
 and there is

00:16:25.620 --> 00:16:26.900
 no one else.

00:16:28.660 --> 00:16:29.980
 There's no other island

00:16:29.980 --> 00:16:31.360
 within a thousand miles.

00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:33.779
 And one day,

00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:35.840
 as you're looking

00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:36.500
 up at the sky,

00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:37.480
 you see the moon.

00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:38.800
 Yeah,

00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:39.180
 there we go.

00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:40.360
 You see the moon

00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:41.259
 and you think,

00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:42.060
 man,

00:16:42.139 --> 00:16:43.039
 the moon is amazing

00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:44.560
 because it's this

00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:45.320
 little plate.

00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:46.879
 It's this plate

00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:47.639
 of ice cream

00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:48.240
 in the sky.

00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:50.519
 You know,

00:16:50.580 --> 00:16:51.460
 how big is that?

00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:51.759
 You know,

00:16:51.800 --> 00:16:53.259
 maybe two feet wide

00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:54.580
 and it's attached

00:16:54.580 --> 00:16:55.319
 to this curtain

00:16:55.319 --> 00:16:56.860
 that moves across

00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:57.500
 the sky

00:16:57.500 --> 00:16:59.259
 day and night.

00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:00.220
 And sometimes

00:17:00.220 --> 00:17:00.799
 we see the moon,

00:17:00.899 --> 00:17:01.580
 sometimes we see the sun,

00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:02.340
 but on this curtain

00:17:02.340 --> 00:17:03.279
 is attached

00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:04.319
 this plate of ice cream.

00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:07.000
 But these strange people

00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:07.920
 come and they have

00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:08.379
 these little,

00:17:08.460 --> 00:17:08.680
 you know,

00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:09.839
 devices with glass

00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:10.180
 and metal

00:17:10.180 --> 00:17:10.720
 and they're playing

00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:11.480
 with them all the time

00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:11.859
 and they come

00:17:11.859 --> 00:17:12.259
 and they tell you,

00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:12.779
 oh no,

00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:13.980
 that's not ice cream

00:17:13.980 --> 00:17:14.400
 up there.

00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:16.240
 But it's actually

00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:18.240
 this huge rock.

00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:20.220
 It's this huge rock

00:17:20.220 --> 00:17:20.720
 in the sky.

00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.759
 The moon isn't

00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:23.660
 what you thought it was.

00:17:24.180 --> 00:17:24.860
 It is something

00:17:24.860 --> 00:17:25.779
 completely different.

00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:27.240
 It's not a two feet

00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:28.660
 wide plate of ice cream.

00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:30.180
 It is a giant

00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:32.180
 million mile wide

00:17:32.180 --> 00:17:32.720
 rock.

00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:33.900
 I don't know

00:17:33.900 --> 00:17:34.799
 if it's a million miles wide.

00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:37.600
 But it's a huge rock.

00:17:38.620 --> 00:17:39.319
 That's the way

00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:40.660
 that I think

00:17:40.660 --> 00:17:41.039
 we,

00:17:42.220 --> 00:17:43.319
 our view of our fathers

00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:44.059
 and our view

00:17:44.059 --> 00:17:46.360
 of our godly father

00:17:46.360 --> 00:17:47.960
 is different like that.

00:17:48.600 --> 00:17:49.380
 It's like comparing

00:17:49.380 --> 00:17:50.380
 a plate of ice cream

00:17:50.380 --> 00:17:51.600
 to the moon.

00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:53.260
 They're not the same

00:17:53.260 --> 00:17:55.080
 in any kind of way.

00:17:57.580 --> 00:17:58.200
 The moon

00:17:58.200 --> 00:17:58.960
 of the big rock

00:17:58.960 --> 00:17:59.820
 is actually

00:17:59.820 --> 00:18:01.380
 far more exciting

00:18:01.380 --> 00:18:02.920
 than a plate

00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:03.440
 of ice cream

00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:04.220
 which is gone

00:18:04.220 --> 00:18:05.060
 in a couple of minutes.

00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:09.580
 And that's what it's like.

00:18:09.620 --> 00:18:10.560
 We have this flawed picture

00:18:10.560 --> 00:18:11.880
 of God,

00:18:12.340 --> 00:18:12.960
 of our father.

00:18:14.760 --> 00:18:15.060
 You know,

00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:16.560
 we have this father

00:18:16.560 --> 00:18:17.860
 who is good,

00:18:18.280 --> 00:18:18.900
 who is perfect,

00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:19.340
 who is loving,

00:18:19.339 --> 00:18:20.019
 who knows

00:18:20.019 --> 00:18:21.119
 his children,

00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:23.299
 who gives good gifts

00:18:23.299 --> 00:18:24.220
 to his children.

00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:26.399
 We have this father

00:18:26.399 --> 00:18:27.179
 that throughout

00:18:27.179 --> 00:18:28.019
 the history of the Bible

00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:29.079
 is calling

00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:30.099
 and bringing his people

00:18:30.099 --> 00:18:30.579
 towards him

00:18:30.579 --> 00:18:31.399
 and inviting him

00:18:31.399 --> 00:18:32.619
 into this relationship

00:18:32.619 --> 00:18:34.559
 of love.

00:18:35.639 --> 00:18:36.019
 And I think

00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:36.799
 the love of a father

00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:37.279
 is something

00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.679
 very special,

00:18:38.779 --> 00:18:39.480
 very unique.

00:18:40.220 --> 00:18:41.099
 I'm not a father,

00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:42.179
 but I have some friends

00:18:42.179 --> 00:18:42.519
 who are.

00:18:42.599 --> 00:18:43.299
 And I was talking

00:18:43.299 --> 00:18:43.759
 to some of them

00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:44.179
 this week.

00:18:44.180 --> 00:18:45.240
 And one of them

00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:45.880
 was telling me

00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:48.259
 that he started

00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:49.060
 to love his child

00:18:49.060 --> 00:18:50.440
 the moment he found

00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:50.900
 out his wife

00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:51.299
 was pregnant.

00:18:53.600 --> 00:18:54.380
 The moment he found

00:18:54.380 --> 00:18:54.720
 out his wife

00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:54.980
 was pregnant,

00:18:55.080 --> 00:18:56.019
 he loved his child.

00:18:56.539 --> 00:18:57.460
 They didn't have a name.

00:18:57.900 --> 00:18:58.740
 They didn't know

00:18:58.740 --> 00:18:59.600
 its gender yet.

00:19:00.100 --> 00:19:00.600
 They didn't know

00:19:00.600 --> 00:19:01.560
 what it would look like.

00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:03.320
 But he loved

00:19:03.320 --> 00:19:03.900
 his child.

00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:05.080
 Right?

00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:07.159
 And as his child

00:19:07.159 --> 00:19:09.079
 grew and became cute,

00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:10.000
 you know,

00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:11.019
 he loved his child.

00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:12.099
 He loved his child's poop.

00:19:12.740 --> 00:19:13.059
 Right?

00:19:13.399 --> 00:19:14.859
 But the child

00:19:14.859 --> 00:19:15.779
 grew older

00:19:15.779 --> 00:19:18.000
 and became whiny

00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:18.960
 and moany

00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.559
 and, you know,

00:19:20.659 --> 00:19:21.119
 complaining.

00:19:21.379 --> 00:19:22.220
 And he still loves

00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:22.619
 his child

00:19:22.619 --> 00:19:22.960
 even though

00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:23.619
 he was frustrated.

00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:25.839
 And, you know,

00:19:25.939 --> 00:19:27.119
 God loves us

00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:28.679
 in that same way.

00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:29.720
 Except, you know,

00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:30.500
 God loves us

00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:31.159
 from before

00:19:31.159 --> 00:19:32.279
 eternity began.

00:19:33.419 --> 00:19:34.119
 The Bible says that

00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:36.459
 he knew us.

00:19:36.619 --> 00:19:38.039
 He knew his children

00:19:38.039 --> 00:19:41.039
 from before creation.

00:19:41.979 --> 00:19:43.079
 And before creation,

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.459
 he loved his children

00:19:45.459 --> 00:19:46.399
 who are yet to be.

00:19:48.199 --> 00:19:49.419
 And I think a lot of us,

00:19:49.419 --> 00:19:51.399
 we spent so much time

00:19:51.399 --> 00:19:52.879
 and effort

00:19:52.879 --> 00:19:56.000
 trying to please

00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:57.819
 our Heavenly Father.

00:19:59.159 --> 00:19:59.339
 You know,

00:19:59.399 --> 00:20:00.939
 we relate to him

00:20:00.939 --> 00:20:01.239
 like we do

00:20:01.239 --> 00:20:01.839
 our earthly fathers.

00:20:01.919 --> 00:20:03.119
 We try to do good things

00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.019
 so that we'll be

00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:04.899
 rewarded for it.

00:20:05.639 --> 00:20:06.639
 We try to avoid

00:20:06.639 --> 00:20:07.359
 bad things

00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:08.299
 so we don't get in trouble.

00:20:09.439 --> 00:20:09.579
 You know,

00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:10.419
 we're always worried

00:20:10.419 --> 00:20:11.239
 about whether

00:20:11.239 --> 00:20:11.819
 our Father

00:20:11.819 --> 00:20:14.539
 really loves us.

00:20:19.179 --> 00:20:20.399
 Imagine the love

00:20:20.399 --> 00:20:21.439
 of our Heavenly Father

00:20:21.439 --> 00:20:24.039
 not just while you're alive,

00:20:24.919 --> 00:20:25.939
 but in all

00:20:25.939 --> 00:20:27.219
 of eternity.

00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:30.460
 we look at the story

00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:31.380
 of the prodigal son

00:20:31.380 --> 00:20:34.100
 where we see

00:20:34.100 --> 00:20:34.980
 this picture

00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:35.839
 of God's love

00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:36.600
 for his children

00:20:36.600 --> 00:20:38.960
 where

00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:40.440
 this son

00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:41.799
 insults his father,

00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:42.779
 wishes him dead,

00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:43.539
 and says,

00:20:43.720 --> 00:20:44.480
 give me my inheritance.

00:20:45.620 --> 00:20:47.140
 And after squandering it back,

00:20:47.360 --> 00:20:47.980
 he comes

00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:48.740
 and he wants to earn

00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:49.620
 his father's love.

00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:51.559
 And he says,

00:20:51.620 --> 00:20:52.680
 let me work as a slave,

00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:53.299
 as a servant.

00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:53.880
 I don't deserve

00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:54.559
 to be your son.

00:20:55.419 --> 00:20:56.259
 But the father says,

00:20:56.379 --> 00:20:56.659
 no.

00:20:57.559 --> 00:20:57.799
 He says,

00:20:57.859 --> 00:20:58.519
 you're my son.

00:20:58.599 --> 00:20:59.399
 I love you.

00:20:59.919 --> 00:21:00.299
 Come.

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:01.079
 We're going to kill

00:21:01.079 --> 00:21:01.740
 the fattened calf.

00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:02.579
 We're going to have a feast.

00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:03.779
 Here's a ring.

00:21:04.519 --> 00:21:05.339
 Here's a cloak.

00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:06.099
 Here are sandals

00:21:06.099 --> 00:21:06.819
 for your feet.

00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:07.960
 I love you.

00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:08.460
 And the watermark,

00:21:09.639 --> 00:21:10.379
 our Heavenly Father

00:21:10.379 --> 00:21:11.179
 loves us.

00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:12.919
 And it doesn't matter

00:21:12.919 --> 00:21:13.919
 where you've been,

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:14.759
 what you've done,

00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:16.720
 how far you've wandered,

00:21:16.879 --> 00:21:19.119
 how deep you find yourself

00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:20.019
 in sin.

00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:23.460
 Our Heavenly Father

00:21:23.460 --> 00:21:23.960
 loves us.

00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:24.620
 He wants to be

00:21:24.620 --> 00:21:25.920
 close to us.

00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:28.200
 So when we come

00:21:28.200 --> 00:21:29.140
 and we see these words,

00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:30.740
 our Father,

00:21:33.120 --> 00:21:35.160
 I think we need to learn

00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:37.440
 how to put aside

00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:38.920
 our pictures

00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:40.500
 of our broken,

00:21:41.059 --> 00:21:41.259
 fallen,

00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:42.039
 earthly fathers

00:21:42.039 --> 00:21:44.180
 and look

00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:45.440
 to this amazing

00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:46.180
 Heavenly Father

00:21:46.180 --> 00:21:47.100
 who loves

00:21:47.100 --> 00:21:48.519
 and is calling

00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:50.259
 and bringing us

00:21:50.259 --> 00:21:51.400
 and inviting us

00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:52.680
 into a relationship

00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:53.180
 with Him.

00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:55.319
 inviting us

00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:56.660
 to call Him Father.

00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:00.420
 You know,

00:22:00.539 --> 00:22:02.400
 our childness,

00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.039
 our sonship,

00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:04.420
 our daughtership

00:22:04.420 --> 00:22:06.240
 isn't something

00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:08.740
 that we can break

00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:10.840
 by sin

00:22:10.840 --> 00:22:12.660
 or insult.

00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:14.299
 It's not something

00:22:14.299 --> 00:22:15.460
 that death

00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:17.079
 can even hurt.

00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:20.659
 our relationship

00:22:20.659 --> 00:22:21.539
 with our Father

00:22:21.539 --> 00:22:23.740
 ought to be one

00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:25.319
 where we know

00:22:25.319 --> 00:22:26.599
 we can rely

00:22:26.599 --> 00:22:27.240
 on Him

00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:29.659
 and trust Him.

00:22:29.660 --> 00:22:32.900
 that we can call

00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:33.600
 on Him

00:22:33.600 --> 00:22:35.660
 because He is a Father

00:22:35.660 --> 00:22:37.779
 who through Scripture

00:22:37.779 --> 00:22:40.060
 and through our lives

00:22:40.060 --> 00:22:42.180
 is calling to us,

00:22:43.180 --> 00:22:44.779
 is reaching out to us

00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:46.500
 and asking us

00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:47.400
 to call Him

00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:49.820
 our Father.

00:22:49.819 --> 00:22:49.960
 Father.

00:22:54.460 --> 00:22:54.639
 Now,

00:22:54.700 --> 00:22:55.419
 I guess the next question

00:22:55.419 --> 00:22:56.000
 is how do we know

00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:56.859
 that He is our Father?

00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:00.220
 And Jesus says

00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:01.159
 our Father in Heaven

00:23:01.159 --> 00:23:02.619
 but Jesus is Jesus.

00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:03.619
 How can we

00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:06.179
 know that God

00:23:06.179 --> 00:23:07.319
 is our Father?

00:23:09.619 --> 00:23:10.980
 In Romans,

00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:12.279
 in Romans chapter 8,

00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:16.019
 we learn about

00:23:16.019 --> 00:23:17.940
 the spirit of adoption

00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:20.380
 which God gives out.

00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:21.759
 The Bible says that

00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:24.059
 when we trust in Jesus

00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:25.519
 to repair our relationship

00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:26.000
 with God,

00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:26.960
 when we trust in Jesus

00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:27.700
 as the sacrifice

00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:29.059
 for our sins,

00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:29.960
 that we receive

00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:30.740
 the Holy Spirit.

00:23:31.299 --> 00:23:31.720
 In Romans 8,

00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:32.059
 He calls it

00:23:32.059 --> 00:23:32.920
 the spirit of adoption

00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:34.079
 that witnesses

00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:34.860
 to our hearts

00:23:34.860 --> 00:23:36.220
 that we are children of God.

00:23:38.140 --> 00:23:39.299
 If you have faith

00:23:39.299 --> 00:23:40.599
 in Jesus,

00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:43.200
 you are a child

00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:44.440
 of God.

00:23:45.140 --> 00:23:45.599
 And sometimes

00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:46.420
 people say that

00:23:46.420 --> 00:23:47.400
 everything and everybody

00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:48.279
 is a child of God

00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:49.599
 but a tree is not

00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:51.099
 a child of God.

00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:52.039
 It is created by God

00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:53.079
 but it's not His child.

00:23:54.860 --> 00:23:55.400
 If you,

00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:57.440
 if you're not

00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:59.220
 a Christian believer

00:23:59.220 --> 00:23:59.720
 then

00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:02.259
 God

00:24:02.259 --> 00:24:03.559
 isn't your Father.

00:24:06.980 --> 00:24:08.259
 But what the Bible says

00:24:08.259 --> 00:24:08.740
 is that

00:24:08.740 --> 00:24:10.720
 to become

00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:12.759
 God's child

00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:14.539
 is to

00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:16.140
 accept

00:24:16.140 --> 00:24:17.500
 Christ

00:24:17.500 --> 00:24:18.339
 and His sacrifice

00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:20.039
 for us.

00:24:20.100 --> 00:24:20.480
 And you know,

00:24:20.519 --> 00:24:21.200
 that's what Franklin

00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:21.740
 was talking about

00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:22.160
 in communion.

00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:23.779
 His body,

00:24:23.880 --> 00:24:24.259
 His blood

00:24:24.259 --> 00:24:25.360
 that repairs

00:24:25.360 --> 00:24:26.480
 our broken relationship

00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:27.559
 with our Heavenly Father

00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:29.160
 and makes us

00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:30.339
 His children.

00:24:31.660 --> 00:24:32.319
 It says that

00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:34.079
 the Spirit of God

00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:35.220
 witnesses in our spirit

00:24:35.220 --> 00:24:35.880
 and calls out

00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:36.720
 Abba, Father.

00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:37.799
 Abba, Father.

00:24:37.799 --> 00:24:38.779
 that's our Father.

00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:42.559
 Now,

00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:43.619
 even

00:24:43.619 --> 00:24:45.200
 our prayers

00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:46.000
 however,

00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:48.599
 as we

00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:50.359
 relate to our Heavenly Father,

00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:51.919
 as we come to Him

00:24:51.919 --> 00:24:52.240
 and we

00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:53.399
 have this picture

00:24:53.399 --> 00:24:53.919
 of Him

00:24:53.919 --> 00:24:54.680
 as our perfect

00:24:54.680 --> 00:24:55.399
 Heavenly Father

00:24:55.399 --> 00:24:56.659
 who is

00:24:56.659 --> 00:24:58.799
 far away

00:24:58.799 --> 00:24:59.899
 in His heavenly throne

00:24:59.899 --> 00:25:00.379
 but is also

00:25:00.379 --> 00:25:01.119
 close

00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:02.579
 and here

00:25:02.579 --> 00:25:03.139
 with us.

00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:04.479
 You know,

00:25:04.519 --> 00:25:04.939
 sometimes

00:25:04.939 --> 00:25:06.539
 these prayers

00:25:06.539 --> 00:25:07.819
 get tangled up

00:25:07.819 --> 00:25:08.599
 in sin

00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:09.739
 when we don't

00:25:09.739 --> 00:25:10.439
 approach

00:25:10.439 --> 00:25:11.439
 our Father

00:25:11.439 --> 00:25:12.099
 the right way.

00:25:12.719 --> 00:25:13.199
 And we see that

00:25:13.199 --> 00:25:14.519
 in verses 5-9

00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:15.359
 where God,

00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:15.819
 Jesus,

00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:17.059
 gives two examples

00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:19.199
 of how not to pray.

00:25:20.019 --> 00:25:20.699
 He talks about

00:25:20.699 --> 00:25:21.539
 Pharisees

00:25:21.539 --> 00:25:23.259
 who are so excited

00:25:23.259 --> 00:25:23.859
 about their

00:25:23.859 --> 00:25:25.299
 supreme holiness

00:25:25.299 --> 00:25:26.019
 that they can't wait

00:25:26.019 --> 00:25:26.659
 to get to the synagogue,

00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:27.299
 that they stop

00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:28.039
 in the street corners

00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:29.099
 to pray

00:25:29.099 --> 00:25:29.599
 where everyone

00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:30.299
 can see them.

00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:32.180
 And Jesus says

00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:33.159
 don't pray like that

00:25:33.159 --> 00:25:33.599
 because

00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:35.339
 they're not praying

00:25:35.339 --> 00:25:35.940
 for God,

00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:36.619
 they're praying

00:25:36.619 --> 00:25:38.420
 for themselves.

00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:39.819
 They're praying

00:25:39.819 --> 00:25:41.000
 for their approval

00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:41.779
 from other people.

00:25:42.899 --> 00:25:43.659
 And He talks

00:25:43.659 --> 00:25:44.359
 about the pagans

00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:45.500
 who will repeat

00:25:45.500 --> 00:25:46.259
 the same phrase

00:25:46.259 --> 00:25:46.639
 and mantra

00:25:46.639 --> 00:25:47.240
 over and over

00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:47.819
 and over and over

00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:48.659
 again in hopes

00:25:48.659 --> 00:25:49.879
 that God

00:25:49.879 --> 00:25:51.079
 would hear them.

00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:52.379
 He says

00:25:52.379 --> 00:25:53.200
 don't pray like that

00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:53.559
 because

00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:55.220
 God is your Father.

00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:56.039
 He knows you.

00:25:56.180 --> 00:25:56.940
 He loves you.

00:25:56.940 --> 00:25:58.320
 Even before you ask

00:25:58.320 --> 00:25:59.019
 what you need,

00:26:00.340 --> 00:26:02.400
 He knows it.

00:26:04.580 --> 00:26:05.059
 You know,

00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:06.440
 I read these sometimes

00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:06.980
 and I think,

00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:07.360
 well,

00:26:07.860 --> 00:26:08.500
 this doesn't really

00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:09.100
 apply to me

00:26:09.100 --> 00:26:10.500
 because I'm not

00:26:10.500 --> 00:26:11.720
 really a hypocrite.

00:26:11.799 --> 00:26:12.240
 I'm not really

00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:12.860
 a Pharisee.

00:26:12.900 --> 00:26:13.500
 And then I stop

00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:14.100
 and I think

00:26:14.100 --> 00:26:14.660
 and I realize,

00:26:14.860 --> 00:26:15.120
 oops,

00:26:16.320 --> 00:26:17.880
 I am.

00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:19.660
 Because I know

00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:20.460
 that, you know,

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:21.000
 I think growing up

00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:21.400
 in church,

00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:22.240
 you get to hear

00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:23.660
 some amazing prayers.

00:26:23.820 --> 00:26:24.299
 There's some people

00:26:24.299 --> 00:26:24.820
 who pray

00:26:24.820 --> 00:26:25.299
 and it's almost

00:26:25.299 --> 00:26:25.920
 like poetry.

00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:27.759
 There's one old man

00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:28.460
 that I really love

00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:29.259
 and to this day

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:29.840
 he prays in the

00:26:29.840 --> 00:26:30.519
 King James Version

00:26:30.519 --> 00:26:32.300
 and it's fantastic.

00:26:33.560 --> 00:26:34.220
 But, you know,

00:26:34.820 --> 00:26:35.180
 I like,

00:26:35.400 --> 00:26:36.039
 every now and then

00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:38.180
 I'll hear this phrase

00:26:38.180 --> 00:26:39.820
 or this ending

00:26:39.820 --> 00:26:40.279
 to a prayer

00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:40.640
 and I think,

00:26:40.740 --> 00:26:40.960
 ooh,

00:26:41.100 --> 00:26:42.340
 that sounds really nice.

00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:43.640
 I'm going to start

00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:44.200
 praying that

00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:44.779
 and when people

00:26:44.779 --> 00:26:45.440
 hear me praying

00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:45.880
 they're going to say,

00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:46.880
 oh, Alfie,

00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:47.539
 thank you so much

00:26:47.539 --> 00:26:48.039
 for praying.

00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:49.539
 I was so blessed by it.

00:26:50.060 --> 00:26:50.820
 And here I am thinking,

00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:51.180
 yes,

00:26:51.320 --> 00:26:52.180
 I am a good prayer.

00:26:52.900 --> 00:26:53.360
 But no,

00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:53.740
 I'm not.

00:26:53.800 --> 00:26:54.640
 I'm a terrible prayer

00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:55.280
 because those prayers

00:26:55.280 --> 00:26:56.640
 aren't for God.

00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:57.820
 They're for me.

00:26:57.940 --> 00:26:58.780
 They're for the approval

00:26:58.780 --> 00:26:59.620
 that I want

00:26:59.620 --> 00:27:00.360
 from other people.

00:27:01.820 --> 00:27:02.840
 And then when I go,

00:27:03.140 --> 00:27:03.840
 when I'm alone

00:27:03.840 --> 00:27:04.560
 in my room,

00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:06.860
 my prayers then turn

00:27:06.860 --> 00:27:07.500
 into the prayers

00:27:07.500 --> 00:27:08.000
 of a pagan

00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:10.420
 because there's no one

00:27:10.420 --> 00:27:11.060
 there to listen to me.

00:27:11.120 --> 00:27:11.520
 There's no one there

00:27:11.520 --> 00:27:12.560
 who's going to watch me.

00:27:13.460 --> 00:27:15.100
 And so now all my insecurities

00:27:15.100 --> 00:27:16.200
 I don't have to hide.

00:27:16.780 --> 00:27:17.400
 And you know what?

00:27:17.640 --> 00:27:18.240
 When I'm alone,

00:27:18.340 --> 00:27:18.780
 I'm afraid

00:27:18.780 --> 00:27:20.560
 because I don't trust

00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:22.319
 that God really loves me.

00:27:22.819 --> 00:27:23.399
 I don't trust

00:27:23.399 --> 00:27:23.919
 that God

00:27:23.919 --> 00:27:26.940
 wants to provide for me.

00:27:27.679 --> 00:27:28.500
 I don't trust

00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:29.659
 that God cares for me.

00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:31.399
 And so I'll pray

00:27:31.399 --> 00:27:32.179
 and I'll start,

00:27:32.700 --> 00:27:32.940
 you know,

00:27:32.980 --> 00:27:33.440
 and I'll spend

00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:34.159
 about 10 minutes

00:27:34.159 --> 00:27:34.659
 telling God

00:27:34.659 --> 00:27:35.779
 how amazing He is

00:27:35.779 --> 00:27:37.179
 and how beautiful He is.

00:27:37.460 --> 00:27:38.179
 And then when it comes

00:27:38.179 --> 00:27:39.379
 to asking about

00:27:39.379 --> 00:27:40.339
 what is on my heart,

00:27:40.819 --> 00:27:41.139
 you know,

00:27:41.259 --> 00:27:43.059
 I only ask about 30%

00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:43.720
 because I think

00:27:43.720 --> 00:27:44.599
 if I ask too much,

00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:45.779
 then God just won't

00:27:45.779 --> 00:27:46.419
 give me anything.

00:27:47.679 --> 00:27:47.859
 All right?

00:27:47.899 --> 00:27:48.440
 But I think that's

00:27:48.440 --> 00:27:49.220
 praying like a pagan

00:27:49.220 --> 00:27:52.220
 because I'm not seeing

00:27:52.220 --> 00:27:53.440
 God as my Father.

00:27:54.220 --> 00:27:55.100
 I'm seeing God

00:27:55.100 --> 00:27:57.559
 as this miserly old gentleman

00:27:57.559 --> 00:27:59.480
 who I'm trying to convince

00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:00.980
 that I deserve

00:28:00.980 --> 00:28:02.240
 something from Him.

00:28:02.900 --> 00:28:03.839
 The Bible says,

00:28:03.940 --> 00:28:04.120
 no,

00:28:04.220 --> 00:28:04.700
 the Bible says

00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:06.299
 that He is our Father,

00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:07.480
 that He loves us,

00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:08.980
 that He has great gifts for us,

00:28:09.740 --> 00:28:10.640
 and that when we pray,

00:28:11.259 --> 00:28:11.980
 we don't have to repeat

00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:12.920
 babbling phrases,

00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:15.819
 that we can come to God

00:28:15.819 --> 00:28:19.480
 and simply open our hearts

00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:20.740
 and say,

00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:21.099
 Father,

00:28:21.619 --> 00:28:23.700
 I need help.

00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:26.000
 Father,

00:28:26.099 --> 00:28:26.599
 I need you.

00:28:34.099 --> 00:28:35.480
 I think that one of the most

00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:37.039
 difficult things,

00:28:37.339 --> 00:28:39.839
 and I spent a week praying

00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:40.839
 that I would kind of

00:28:40.839 --> 00:28:42.879
 get this tension right,

00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:44.700
 is that while God

00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:47.600
 is our Heavenly Father,

00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:48.620
 this Creator,

00:28:49.300 --> 00:28:50.440
 this Rule of the Earth,

00:28:51.580 --> 00:28:53.260
 He's also close

00:28:53.260 --> 00:28:55.040
 like a Father.

00:28:56.100 --> 00:28:56.280
 You know,

00:28:56.300 --> 00:28:56.780
 as humans,

00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:58.180
 we're very good

00:28:58.180 --> 00:28:58.820
 at extremes,

00:28:59.580 --> 00:29:00.580
 and I think we can think

00:29:00.580 --> 00:29:02.300
 of God as our

00:29:02.300 --> 00:29:03.280
 earthly Father

00:29:03.280 --> 00:29:05.260
 who is close by,

00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:07.460
 and we can come to Him

00:29:07.460 --> 00:29:08.160
 at any time,

00:29:08.280 --> 00:29:08.620
 and it's like,

00:29:08.620 --> 00:29:08.900
 hey,

00:29:09.520 --> 00:29:09.980
 what's up?

00:29:09.980 --> 00:29:10.700
 I need this,

00:29:10.900 --> 00:29:11.319
 thanks,

00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:12.839
 and get on with our life.

00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:14.480
 Or,

00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:15.900
 we see God

00:29:15.900 --> 00:29:17.559
 as this faraway,

00:29:17.900 --> 00:29:19.620
 holy God

00:29:19.620 --> 00:29:20.960
 who we can't reach

00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:22.700
 and who we are afraid

00:29:22.700 --> 00:29:24.000
 to come before.

00:29:24.779 --> 00:29:25.559
 The Bible says

00:29:25.559 --> 00:29:26.599
 that God

00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:28.519
 is both of these things.

00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:29.460
 That's why

00:29:29.460 --> 00:29:30.099
 when you're seeing

00:29:30.099 --> 00:29:31.319
 the first two lines

00:29:31.319 --> 00:29:32.099
 in the Lord's Prayer,

00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:34.180
 it's our Father

00:29:34.180 --> 00:29:35.140
 in Heaven,

00:29:36.339 --> 00:29:37.000
 our Father

00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:37.900
 who is close

00:29:37.900 --> 00:29:38.980
 and loving.

00:29:40.120 --> 00:29:40.620
 Hallowed

00:29:40.620 --> 00:29:41.500
 be your name.

00:29:42.120 --> 00:29:42.940
 Let your name

00:29:42.940 --> 00:29:44.000
 be made holy.

00:29:44.700 --> 00:29:45.660
 Let me honor

00:29:45.660 --> 00:29:47.200
 your name

00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:49.040
 because you are

00:29:49.040 --> 00:29:49.600
 a great

00:29:49.600 --> 00:29:51.480
 and amazing God.

00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:53.500
 How is it

00:29:53.500 --> 00:29:54.360
 that we keep

00:29:54.360 --> 00:29:54.960
 this tension?

00:29:55.640 --> 00:29:56.200
 This Father

00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:56.759
 that loves us

00:29:56.759 --> 00:29:57.220
 and calls us

00:29:57.220 --> 00:29:57.660
 His children

00:29:57.660 --> 00:29:58.820
 is the same Father

00:29:58.820 --> 00:29:59.720
 that tore down

00:29:59.720 --> 00:30:00.560
 the walls of Jericho.

00:30:01.940 --> 00:30:02.640
 The Father

00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:04.480
 that tells us

00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:05.680
 to call Him

00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:06.100
 Child,

00:30:06.360 --> 00:30:06.880
 to call Him

00:30:06.880 --> 00:30:07.380
 Abba.

00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:10.560
 is the same

00:30:10.560 --> 00:30:10.980
 Father

00:30:10.980 --> 00:30:12.320
 that flooded

00:30:12.320 --> 00:30:12.860
 the earth

00:30:12.860 --> 00:30:14.440
 when Noah

00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:15.160
 built the ark.

00:30:18.320 --> 00:30:19.220
 I think that

00:30:19.220 --> 00:30:19.860
 one of the most

00:30:19.860 --> 00:30:20.540
 difficult things

00:30:20.540 --> 00:30:20.860
 and something

00:30:20.860 --> 00:30:21.780
 that I'm trying

00:30:21.780 --> 00:30:23.040
 to learn

00:30:23.040 --> 00:30:23.440
 is

00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:25.240
 how do I pray

00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.560
 keeping

00:30:26.560 --> 00:30:27.840
 both of God's

00:30:27.840 --> 00:30:28.380
 characteristics

00:30:28.380 --> 00:30:29.000
 in mind?

00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:30.440
 This

00:30:30.440 --> 00:30:31.440
 holy,

00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:33.040
 amazing,

00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:33.740
 huge God

00:30:33.740 --> 00:30:34.240
 and this

00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:35.780
 close

00:30:35.780 --> 00:30:37.480
 Father.

00:30:37.900 --> 00:30:42.860
 how do we

00:30:42.860 --> 00:30:43.620
 hallow God's

00:30:43.620 --> 00:30:43.740
 name?

00:30:43.800 --> 00:30:44.140
 How do we

00:30:44.140 --> 00:30:44.840
 make God's

00:30:44.840 --> 00:30:45.460
 name holy?

00:30:45.980 --> 00:30:46.440
 How do we

00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:47.060
 honor God's

00:30:47.060 --> 00:30:47.259
 name?

00:30:48.360 --> 00:30:48.880
 And I think

00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:49.759
 when Jesus

00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:50.360
 teaches His

00:30:50.360 --> 00:30:50.880
 disciples to

00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:51.240
 pray,

00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:54.360
 that He

00:30:54.360 --> 00:30:54.759
 teaches them

00:30:54.759 --> 00:30:55.460
 to honor God's

00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:55.900
 name in the

00:30:55.900 --> 00:30:56.880
 way that they

00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:57.240
 pray

00:30:57.240 --> 00:30:59.300
 and in the

00:30:59.300 --> 00:31:00.019
 way that

00:31:00.019 --> 00:31:00.780
 reflects in our

00:31:00.780 --> 00:31:01.400
 lives lived

00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:01.680
 out.

00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:02.680
 God's

00:31:02.680 --> 00:31:03.680
 God's

00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:04.680
 name

00:31:04.680 --> 00:31:06.240
 when we're

00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:06.920
 concerned about

00:31:06.920 --> 00:31:07.360
 His kingdom.

00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:09.299
 When we say

00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:09.700
 Your kingdom

00:31:09.700 --> 00:31:10.039
 come,

00:31:10.100 --> 00:31:10.480
 we're not just

00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:11.120
 saying it,

00:31:11.560 --> 00:31:12.360
 that our lives

00:31:12.360 --> 00:31:13.220
 reflect that in

00:31:13.220 --> 00:31:13.660
 the things that

00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:14.060
 we do.

00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:17.120
 That when we

00:31:17.120 --> 00:31:17.539
 pray,

00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:19.140
 we honor God's

00:31:19.140 --> 00:31:19.960
 name when we

00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:20.620
 confess our

00:31:20.620 --> 00:31:22.539
 sins by

00:31:22.539 --> 00:31:23.320
 striving to

00:31:23.320 --> 00:31:24.460
 live holy,

00:31:24.600 --> 00:31:25.420
 righteous lives.

00:31:26.140 --> 00:31:26.980
 We honor

00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:28.180
 our Father

00:31:28.180 --> 00:31:29.860
 when we pray

00:31:29.860 --> 00:31:30.960
 that we

00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:31.680
 forgive the

00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:32.120
 debts of

00:31:32.120 --> 00:31:33.180
 others when

00:31:33.180 --> 00:31:33.840
 we go out

00:31:33.840 --> 00:31:34.519
 and we do

00:31:34.519 --> 00:31:36.100
 forgive and

00:31:36.100 --> 00:31:37.200
 love the

00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:37.779
 people around

00:31:37.779 --> 00:31:38.160
 us.

00:31:40.080 --> 00:31:40.440
 You know,

00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:41.640
 I grew up

00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:42.279
 with an

00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:43.080
 African father

00:31:43.080 --> 00:31:44.120
 and I think

00:31:44.120 --> 00:31:44.740
 that taught me

00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:45.060
 something a

00:31:45.060 --> 00:31:45.440
 little bit about

00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:46.200
 reverence because

00:31:46.200 --> 00:31:47.640
 as a child,

00:31:48.340 --> 00:31:49.620
 when we were

00:31:49.620 --> 00:31:50.960
 playing, if my

00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:51.940
 dad called for

00:31:51.940 --> 00:31:53.400
 us, we

00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:53.740
 turned up

00:31:53.740 --> 00:31:54.140
 immediately.

00:31:55.299 --> 00:31:56.100
 None of this

00:31:56.100 --> 00:31:56.700
 like, oh, I'll

00:31:56.700 --> 00:31:57.140
 be there in a

00:31:57.140 --> 00:31:57.360
 minute.

00:31:57.899 --> 00:31:58.119
 You know, if

00:31:58.119 --> 00:31:58.839
 dad called, you

00:31:58.839 --> 00:31:59.179
 were there.

00:31:59.859 --> 00:32:00.279
 It doesn't

00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:00.859
 matter what

00:32:00.859 --> 00:32:01.299
 level in the

00:32:01.299 --> 00:32:01.899
 video game you

00:32:01.899 --> 00:32:02.679
 were, it

00:32:02.679 --> 00:32:03.240
 doesn't matter if

00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:03.599
 you were texting

00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:03.959
 your girlfriend,

00:32:04.059 --> 00:32:04.319
 whatever.

00:32:05.299 --> 00:32:06.219
 You were there.

00:32:06.339 --> 00:32:06.939
 And I think, you

00:32:06.939 --> 00:32:07.459
 know, even today

00:32:07.459 --> 00:32:08.259
 that still happens.

00:32:09.079 --> 00:32:09.839
 Dad called, yes,

00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:10.379
 I'm there.

00:32:13.559 --> 00:32:14.619
 But that's the

00:32:14.619 --> 00:32:15.719
 way we show

00:32:15.719 --> 00:32:16.559
 reverence to our

00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:18.859
 Father, that we

00:32:18.859 --> 00:32:19.779
 do the things that

00:32:19.779 --> 00:32:21.259
 he tells us, that

00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:24.459
 we are loving to

00:32:24.459 --> 00:32:26.199
 people as he

00:32:26.199 --> 00:32:26.939
 asks us to be.

00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:28.759
 That we honor

00:32:28.759 --> 00:32:30.240
 him when we

00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:31.199
 follow through on

00:32:31.199 --> 00:32:33.099
 the prayers that

00:32:33.099 --> 00:32:33.839
 we're praying.

00:32:35.459 --> 00:32:36.179
 Irreverence is

00:32:36.179 --> 00:32:37.039
 not to do

00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:37.339
 that.

00:32:37.899 --> 00:32:39.119
 It's to come to

00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:39.979
 God and expect

00:32:39.979 --> 00:32:42.059
 him to give us

00:32:42.059 --> 00:32:42.779
 things left, right,

00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:44.459
 and center while

00:32:44.459 --> 00:32:45.079
 we spend the rest

00:32:45.079 --> 00:32:45.559
 of our lives

00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:47.219
 ignoring his

00:32:47.219 --> 00:32:47.740
 commands.

00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:49.279
 You know,

00:32:49.399 --> 00:32:50.740
 irreverence is

00:32:50.740 --> 00:32:51.899
 throwing his name

00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:52.580
 and reputation

00:32:52.580 --> 00:32:53.680
 in the mud.

00:32:56.460 --> 00:32:57.019
 Irreverence is

00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:57.640
 treating God like

00:32:57.640 --> 00:32:59.880
 a genie who is

00:32:59.880 --> 00:33:00.400
 there at our

00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:01.280
 beck and call to

00:33:01.280 --> 00:33:02.640
 give us the things

00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:03.240
 that we need.

00:33:06.320 --> 00:33:07.320
 Irreverence is

00:33:07.320 --> 00:33:10.500
 having our holy

00:33:10.500 --> 00:33:11.340
 time with God

00:33:11.340 --> 00:33:14.680
 and living the rest

00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:16.400
 of our lives in an

00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:17.180
 unholy manner.

00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:17.220
 prayer.

00:33:19.120 --> 00:33:20.000
 The Sermon on the

00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:22.060
 Mount, the Lord's

00:33:22.060 --> 00:33:24.120
 Prayer, is not

00:33:24.120 --> 00:33:26.080
 just about the

00:33:26.080 --> 00:33:27.820
 holy moments in

00:33:27.820 --> 00:33:28.380
 our lives.

00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:30.340
 We don't just come

00:33:30.340 --> 00:33:30.900
 to God as our

00:33:30.900 --> 00:33:31.799
 Father in community

00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:32.440
 group and at

00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:32.840
 church.

00:33:35.180 --> 00:33:36.200
 But we come to

00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:37.360
 him in all of our

00:33:37.360 --> 00:33:38.279
 life, in our work,

00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:40.160
 in our relationships,

00:33:41.100 --> 00:33:42.799
 in our relaxation,

00:33:43.180 --> 00:33:43.700
 with our money,

00:33:43.860 --> 00:33:44.420
 in our faith,

00:33:44.500 --> 00:33:45.120
 with our forgiveness.

00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:46.459
 all of these

00:33:46.459 --> 00:33:47.019
 things.

00:33:48.539 --> 00:33:49.539
 These are things

00:33:49.539 --> 00:33:50.919
 that we honor

00:33:50.919 --> 00:33:52.459
 our God with.

00:33:54.779 --> 00:33:56.739
 We show our

00:33:56.739 --> 00:33:57.500
 Heavenly Father

00:33:57.500 --> 00:33:59.619
 that he is holy

00:33:59.619 --> 00:34:00.599
 when we honor him

00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:02.859
 in all of our

00:34:02.859 --> 00:34:03.299
 lives.

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:06.119
 When we say,

00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:07.919
 hallowed be your

00:34:07.919 --> 00:34:08.199
 name,

00:34:09.900 --> 00:34:12.199
 does that show up

00:34:12.199 --> 00:34:12.859
 in our lives?

00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:16.279
 When we say,

00:34:16.460 --> 00:34:17.079
 our Father in

00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:17.380
 Heaven,

00:34:19.219 --> 00:34:20.159
 is that reflected

00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:21.380
 in our prayers?

00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:24.279
 You know,

00:34:24.359 --> 00:34:25.279
 this Lord's Prayer

00:34:25.279 --> 00:34:26.319
 is more than just

00:34:26.319 --> 00:34:27.599
 a script,

00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:28.639
 something to say

00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:30.719
 that will let us

00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:31.599
 know this is the

00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:32.079
 way to pray.

00:34:32.279 --> 00:34:32.679
 Pray it and

00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:33.339
 everything is great.

00:34:36.460 --> 00:34:37.779
 But it's a call

00:34:37.779 --> 00:34:40.079
 for us to live

00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:41.000
 lives, to pray

00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:43.739
 prayers that are

00:34:43.739 --> 00:34:45.119
 different because

00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:46.079
 of our relationship

00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:46.739
 with God.

00:34:48.839 --> 00:34:49.099
 You know,

00:34:49.139 --> 00:34:49.939
 for some of us

00:34:49.939 --> 00:34:50.259
 today,

00:34:51.239 --> 00:34:53.500
 we don't like to

00:34:53.500 --> 00:34:54.159
 come before God.

00:34:54.199 --> 00:34:54.659
 We don't like to

00:34:54.659 --> 00:34:55.239
 call him Father

00:34:55.239 --> 00:34:57.479
 because of the

00:34:57.479 --> 00:34:57.979
 hurt we've

00:34:57.979 --> 00:34:58.579
 experienced from

00:34:58.579 --> 00:34:59.239
 our own fathers.

00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:04.079
 Look to God.

00:35:05.959 --> 00:35:07.799
 See the kind

00:35:07.799 --> 00:35:08.459
 of Father that

00:35:08.459 --> 00:35:08.919
 he is.

00:35:09.559 --> 00:35:10.919
 See the perfect,

00:35:11.579 --> 00:35:12.979
 loving Father.

00:35:13.739 --> 00:35:14.799
 that he is.

00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:18.899
 The great

00:35:18.899 --> 00:35:19.899
 Father who

00:35:19.899 --> 00:35:22.199
 brings his

00:35:22.199 --> 00:35:23.539
 children close

00:35:23.539 --> 00:35:25.879
 and says,

00:35:26.879 --> 00:35:29.579
 you're my child.

00:35:30.119 --> 00:35:30.619
 It doesn't matter

00:35:30.619 --> 00:35:31.319
 how you are.

00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:32.739
 I love you.

00:35:32.739 --> 00:35:35.559
 I think for some

00:35:35.559 --> 00:35:36.039
 of us today,

00:35:36.179 --> 00:35:37.419
 we're not sure

00:35:37.419 --> 00:35:39.019
 that God is

00:35:39.019 --> 00:35:39.500
 our Father.

00:35:40.259 --> 00:35:40.899
 And let me

00:35:40.899 --> 00:35:41.659
 invite you to

00:35:41.659 --> 00:35:43.139
 come and step

00:35:43.139 --> 00:35:43.719
 into this journey

00:35:43.719 --> 00:35:44.500
 and this family

00:35:44.500 --> 00:35:45.919
 and this relationship

00:35:45.919 --> 00:35:46.899
 with your

00:35:46.899 --> 00:35:47.559
 Heavenly Father.

00:35:48.979 --> 00:35:50.659
 To call on

00:35:50.659 --> 00:35:51.419
 him as a

00:35:51.419 --> 00:35:51.819
 child.

00:35:53.019 --> 00:35:54.599
 To trust in

00:35:54.599 --> 00:35:56.000
 Jesus and

00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:57.919
 become his

00:35:57.919 --> 00:35:59.299
 heir, the

00:35:59.299 --> 00:35:59.919
 heir to his

00:35:59.919 --> 00:36:00.459
 kingdom with

00:36:00.459 --> 00:36:00.739
 Jesus.

00:36:00.739 --> 00:36:04.779
 others of

00:36:04.779 --> 00:36:05.659
 us, I

00:36:05.659 --> 00:36:06.239
 think we

00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:08.679
 know we're

00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:09.299
 God's child

00:36:09.299 --> 00:36:09.799
 and we

00:36:09.799 --> 00:36:12.079
 don't have

00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:13.199
 that relational

00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:14.259
 struggle.

00:36:15.959 --> 00:36:16.779
 But when we

00:36:16.779 --> 00:36:17.419
 live our lives,

00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:18.659
 we don't honor

00:36:18.659 --> 00:36:19.259
 the God we

00:36:19.259 --> 00:36:20.079
 claim to be

00:36:20.079 --> 00:36:21.819
 praying to

00:36:21.819 --> 00:36:22.539
 when we pray

00:36:22.539 --> 00:36:23.539
 our Father in

00:36:23.539 --> 00:36:23.739
 heaven.

00:36:23.739 --> 00:36:23.839
 Amen.

00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:29.340
 I want you

00:36:29.340 --> 00:36:29.980
 guys, I

00:36:29.980 --> 00:36:30.400
 want all of

00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:30.640
 us, it

00:36:30.640 --> 00:36:30.860
 doesn't matter

00:36:30.860 --> 00:36:31.220
 where you

00:36:31.220 --> 00:36:31.480
 are, to

00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:32.079
 come and

00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:33.480
 marvel at

00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:33.900
 this.

00:36:34.360 --> 00:36:34.740
 That the

00:36:34.740 --> 00:36:35.220
 God that

00:36:35.220 --> 00:36:35.980
 created the

00:36:35.980 --> 00:36:36.519
 heavens and

00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:36.860
 the earth,

00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:37.320
 the God

00:36:37.320 --> 00:36:39.440
 that sent

00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:40.140
 his own

00:36:40.140 --> 00:36:40.780
 son to

00:36:40.780 --> 00:36:41.180
 die for

00:36:41.180 --> 00:36:43.600
 us, would

00:36:43.600 --> 00:36:44.039
 call us

00:36:44.039 --> 00:36:44.740
 his child

00:36:44.740 --> 00:36:47.320
 and call

00:36:47.320 --> 00:36:48.460
 us to

00:36:48.460 --> 00:36:49.059
 call him

00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:50.100
 Father.

00:36:50.099 --> 00:36:52.099
 God

00:36:52.099 --> 00:36:53.259
 I've

00:36:53.259 --> 00:36:53.519
 gone on

00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:53.739
 for a

00:36:53.739 --> 00:36:54.059
 while and

00:36:54.059 --> 00:36:54.659
 I think I

00:36:54.659 --> 00:36:55.039
 could go

00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:55.639
 for much

00:36:55.639 --> 00:36:56.019
 longer.

00:36:57.139 --> 00:36:57.900
 But there

00:36:57.900 --> 00:36:58.659
 is so much

00:36:58.659 --> 00:37:00.239
 in prayer.

00:37:01.079 --> 00:37:01.500
 There's so

00:37:01.500 --> 00:37:02.079
 much in the

00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:02.659
 Lord's prayer

00:37:02.659 --> 00:37:03.199
 for us to

00:37:03.199 --> 00:37:03.440
 learn.

00:37:04.779 --> 00:37:05.500
 And we're

00:37:05.500 --> 00:37:06.259
 not all going

00:37:06.259 --> 00:37:06.539
 to do it

00:37:06.539 --> 00:37:07.139
 today, but

00:37:07.139 --> 00:37:08.199
 really let me

00:37:08.199 --> 00:37:08.659
 encourage you

00:37:08.659 --> 00:37:09.179
 one more time

00:37:09.179 --> 00:37:11.119
 to join a

00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:11.599
 community group

00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:12.559
 this week and

00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:13.559
 join the study

00:37:13.559 --> 00:37:14.039
 in prayer.

00:37:15.219 --> 00:37:15.779
 Come to

00:37:15.779 --> 00:37:16.219
 Watermark for

00:37:16.219 --> 00:37:16.679
 the next couple

00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:17.259
 of weeks and

00:37:17.259 --> 00:37:19.139
 hear how prayer

00:37:19.139 --> 00:37:19.679
 changes our

00:37:19.679 --> 00:37:20.000
 lives.

00:37:20.099 --> 00:37:20.440
 What does it

00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:21.359
 mean for

00:37:21.359 --> 00:37:22.099
 Christ's kingdom

00:37:22.099 --> 00:37:22.579
 to come?

00:37:22.659 --> 00:37:22.980
 What does it

00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:24.219
 mean for us

00:37:24.219 --> 00:37:24.719
 to have our

00:37:24.719 --> 00:37:25.279
 daily bread?

00:37:26.440 --> 00:37:26.900
 What does it

00:37:26.900 --> 00:37:27.619
 mean for God

00:37:27.619 --> 00:37:28.259
 to lead us

00:37:28.259 --> 00:37:29.059
 out of

00:37:29.059 --> 00:37:29.480
 temptation?

00:37:32.379 --> 00:37:32.699
 Watermark,

00:37:32.759 --> 00:37:33.400
 when we see

00:37:33.400 --> 00:37:35.639
 our Father

00:37:35.639 --> 00:37:37.859
 as heavenly

00:37:37.859 --> 00:37:38.639
 and holy

00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:41.000
 and also

00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:41.619
 close

00:37:41.619 --> 00:37:43.000
 and loving,

00:37:43.759 --> 00:37:44.440
 when we pray

00:37:44.440 --> 00:37:44.739
 in wanting

00:37:44.739 --> 00:37:45.259
 his kingdom

00:37:45.259 --> 00:37:46.739
 because it's

00:37:46.739 --> 00:37:47.420
 his glory

00:37:47.420 --> 00:37:47.819
 in our

00:37:47.819 --> 00:37:48.259
 inheritance,

00:37:48.260 --> 00:37:49.420
 when we

00:37:49.420 --> 00:37:50.800
 pray trusting

00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:51.540
 him because

00:37:51.540 --> 00:37:52.480
 he is our

00:37:52.480 --> 00:37:52.880
 Father,

00:37:54.480 --> 00:37:55.040
 when we

00:37:55.040 --> 00:37:56.300
 pray trusting

00:37:56.300 --> 00:37:57.000
 his forgiveness,

00:37:57.320 --> 00:37:57.580
 when we

00:37:57.580 --> 00:37:59.880
 pray relying

00:37:59.880 --> 00:38:00.200
 on his

00:38:00.200 --> 00:38:01.080
 protection from

00:38:01.080 --> 00:38:01.460
 evil,

00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:03.960
 when we pray

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:04.300
 to our

00:38:04.300 --> 00:38:04.760
 Father we

00:38:04.760 --> 00:38:05.340
 can rest

00:38:05.340 --> 00:38:05.800
 and be

00:38:05.800 --> 00:38:06.220
 secure

00:38:06.220 --> 00:38:08.620
 because nothing

00:38:08.620 --> 00:38:09.180
 can separate

00:38:09.180 --> 00:38:09.600
 us from

00:38:09.600 --> 00:38:10.080
 his love.

00:38:12.120 --> 00:38:12.860
 Nothing on

00:38:12.860 --> 00:38:13.400
 earth and in

00:38:13.400 --> 00:38:15.340
 heaven can

00:38:15.340 --> 00:38:15.920
 separate us

00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:16.600
 from the love

00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:17.759
 of our

00:38:17.759 --> 00:38:18.159
 Father

00:38:18.159 --> 00:38:20.059
 who is in

00:38:20.059 --> 00:38:20.279
 heaven.

00:38:22.139 --> 00:38:22.960
 Let's pray

00:38:22.960 --> 00:38:23.279
 together.

00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:29.719
 Dearest

00:38:29.719 --> 00:38:30.519
 heavenly

00:38:30.519 --> 00:38:30.900
 Father,

00:38:31.699 --> 00:38:32.400
 you are

00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:32.940
 amazing.

00:38:34.940 --> 00:38:35.659
 You are

00:38:35.659 --> 00:38:36.440
 amazing and

00:38:36.440 --> 00:38:36.839
 great and

00:38:36.839 --> 00:38:37.559
 holy and

00:38:37.559 --> 00:38:39.779
 I'm amazed

00:38:39.779 --> 00:38:40.299
 that you

00:38:40.299 --> 00:38:41.019
 invite us

00:38:41.019 --> 00:38:41.719
 to call you

00:38:41.719 --> 00:38:42.139
 Father,

00:38:42.139 --> 00:38:44.299
 to be a

00:38:44.299 --> 00:38:44.579
 part of

00:38:44.579 --> 00:38:45.299
 this close

00:38:45.299 --> 00:38:46.139
 relationship

00:38:46.139 --> 00:38:46.739
 with you

00:38:46.739 --> 00:38:46.960
 and I

00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:47.619
 confess that

00:38:47.619 --> 00:38:49.940
 I don't

00:38:49.940 --> 00:38:50.539
 always come

00:38:50.539 --> 00:38:50.859
 with this

00:38:50.859 --> 00:38:51.639
 attitude of

00:38:51.639 --> 00:38:52.279
 awe and

00:38:52.279 --> 00:38:53.059
 reverence and

00:38:53.059 --> 00:38:53.839
 love and

00:38:53.839 --> 00:38:54.400
 security.

00:38:56.799 --> 00:38:57.839
 I confess

00:38:57.839 --> 00:38:58.440
 that I

00:38:58.440 --> 00:38:59.480
 project broken

00:38:59.480 --> 00:39:00.079
 images of

00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:00.639
 my Father

00:39:00.639 --> 00:39:01.299
 onto you.

00:39:03.559 --> 00:39:04.639
 I confess

00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:06.420
 that I

00:39:06.420 --> 00:39:08.139
 ignore you

00:39:08.139 --> 00:39:08.799
 as my

00:39:08.799 --> 00:39:09.099
 perfect

00:39:09.099 --> 00:39:09.359
 heavenly

00:39:09.359 --> 00:39:09.679
 Father.

00:39:09.679 --> 00:39:12.559
 God, I

00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:13.019
 thank you

00:39:13.019 --> 00:39:13.419
 that you

00:39:13.419 --> 00:39:14.379
 are loving

00:39:14.379 --> 00:39:15.139
 and forgiving

00:39:15.139 --> 00:39:15.539
 and I

00:39:15.539 --> 00:39:16.239
 thank you

00:39:16.239 --> 00:39:17.639
 for the

00:39:17.639 --> 00:39:18.039
 comfort of

00:39:18.039 --> 00:39:18.440
 knowing that

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:19.059
 you hear

00:39:19.059 --> 00:39:19.500
 us,

00:39:20.659 --> 00:39:21.460
 that you

00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:22.399
 love us,

00:39:22.699 --> 00:39:22.980
 that you

00:39:22.980 --> 00:39:23.699
 see us,

00:39:23.779 --> 00:39:24.019
 that you

00:39:24.019 --> 00:39:24.399
 give us

00:39:24.399 --> 00:39:25.799
 good and

00:39:25.799 --> 00:39:26.119
 perfect

00:39:26.119 --> 00:39:26.599
 gifts.

00:39:29.419 --> 00:39:30.099
 Help us

00:39:30.099 --> 00:39:30.779
 Father to

00:39:30.779 --> 00:39:31.339
 pray to

00:39:31.339 --> 00:39:31.659
 you,

00:39:32.440 --> 00:39:33.339
 to pray to

00:39:33.339 --> 00:39:33.859
 you often,

00:39:35.299 --> 00:39:35.960
 to pray to

00:39:35.960 --> 00:39:36.960
 you earnestly.

00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:40.059
 to pray

00:39:40.059 --> 00:39:40.940
 plainly and

00:39:40.940 --> 00:39:41.679
 simply because

00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:42.400
 you are our

00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:42.940
 Father in

00:39:42.940 --> 00:39:43.179
 heaven,

00:39:44.199 --> 00:39:47.079
 to pray in

00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:48.820
 reverence and

00:39:48.820 --> 00:39:49.360
 in confidence

00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:51.460
 because your

00:39:51.460 --> 00:39:52.220
 name is

00:39:52.220 --> 00:39:52.500
 holy.

00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:54.360
 In Jesus'

00:39:54.500 --> 00:39:54.659
 name,

00:39:55.440 --> 00:39:55.720
 amen.

00:39:55.720 --> 00:39:55.880
 Amen.

00:39:55.880 --> 00:39:56.559
 Amen.

00:39:56.559 --> 00:39:56.920
 Amen.

00:39:56.920 --> 00:39:57.679
 Amen.

00:39:57.679 --> 00:39:58.139
 Amen.

00:39:58.139 --> 00:39:58.699
 Amen.

00:39:58.699 --> 00:40:00.579
 Amen.

00:40:00.579 --> 00:40:02.079
 Amen.

00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:02.300
 Amen.

00:40:02.300 --> 00:40:04.300
 Amen.

00:40:04.300 --> 00:40:04.659
 Amen.

00:40:04.659 --> 00:40:06.220
 Amen.

00:40:06.220 --> 00:40:06.699
 Amen.