WEBVTT 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:04.240 Thanks for listening to the His Hands Church podcast. 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:12.800 If you're using the His Hands Church mobile app, please turn off the auto lock on your phone's general settings so that you can listen to the message uninterrupted. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:16.079 And thank you for being part of what God is doing at His Hands. 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:20.160 If you have a Bible with you this morning, I want to encourage you to open it up. 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:25.519 If you have your Bible app, I encourage you to open that up to Matthew chapter 6. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:27.839 This is one of my favorite times of the year. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:29.199 One, I love fall. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:30.000 Is anybody else? 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:31.760 Is it their favorite season? 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:40.960 I woke up yesterday and it was cool outside and the humidity was down, and it's just like, oh, I love fall. 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:47.439 That and because uh they play this game called football in the fall, and I love to watch football. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:49.119 I love watching football. 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.679 And um I just I just love everything about it. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:56.399 But there's a story about Vince Lombardi, and if you're a football fan, you know that name. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:58.960 He's one of the icons in professional football. 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:08.400 And the story goes simply that every year when the Green Bay Packers would get together and start practicing, the first several days of that was just fundamentals. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:10.000 That's all they did, is fundamentals. 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:17.920 He would literally stand up at every year at spring training, and he would get the entire team together and he'd hold up a football. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:22.400 And he'd go, gentlemen, this is a football. 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:27.439 And then for several days, all they did was block and tackle and the fundamentals. 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:31.599 Never ran a play, never did a strategy, just the fundamentals. 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:36.079 And I believe with all my heart, that's really where I think we ought to come back to several times. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:46.159 I love the series on parables, but this morning is one of those fundamental pieces that I really want to come to at least once a year and just go, okay, what about this? 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:48.799 And let's take a look at this, and that's what Matthew 6 is. 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:55.359 It's this idea of, okay, what is it all about, and how do we do this from a functional, simple level? 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:56.480 And that's today. 00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:01.280 And in Matthew 6, verses 9 through 13, it's Jesus speaking. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:10.560 But before we get into what we call the Lord's Prayer, I want to just take a peek at the verses before that, because Jesus is basically going, you know what? 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:19.360 If we don't come back to the fundamentals, we get so caught up in religiosity that we miss the simplicity and the foundation of what it really is all about. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:26.400 And he points out, if you look, you can go back and look at it later, but he's sitting there going, hey, when you when you pray, don't do like the Pharisees. 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:28.319 Those guys have become religious. 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:32.560 They think it's about what you wear, how you stand, where you stand, what you say, how you say, and all this. 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:35.120 And he's like, they get all caught up in this. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:48.159 And if I could be so bold as to say, maybe they're not the only ones, maybe out of a goodness intention of our hearts, we can kind of get sucked into that pharisitical thought of maybe it is the right words. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.280 Oh, I can't I can't pray. 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:54.319 I don't I can't pray because I don't, I don't know, I don't know prayers, and I don't know this, and I don't know that. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:58.960 And Jesus is just pulling the rug out from that, going, that's not what it's about. 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:10.639 And if I could be so convicting to say one that sometimes we get, let me give you a couple quick examples of what Jesus is saying here, and I believe He's God is telling us, He's like, when you pray, don't babble on and on. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:11.439 Don't babble. 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:12.479 That really? 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:19.840 And then I know you know some people that do this who pray, oh God, Father, God, Lord, God, we just pray, God, that you, Father, God, God, Lord, Father, God, we just pray. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.759 And I'm just like, I think God's going, hey, hey, hey, hey, I know my name. 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:26.159 You know, you don't you don't have to say it over and over. 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:27.039 Do you talk to people like that? 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:28.960 Hey, Mike, Mike, I just appreciate you, Mike, Mike. 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:30.719 I was just thinking, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:32.560 You just we don't talk like that. 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:34.879 He's like, Don't, don't talk like that to me. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:39.039 And we get into these little pieces that we do today, I don't think they did then. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:44.960 Like if we're praying in a group, I love it when the signature of unity and we grab hands and pray. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:47.840 I love that unity, but we've got little religiosities in there. 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:51.919 It's like, okay, at the end of the prayer, when they say amen, everybody's got to squeeze. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:52.800 Squeeze. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:54.879 That's our little thing. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:56.960 That's literally gonna squeeze, okay? 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:00.000 That's so if somebody's new, it's like, hey, it's over, let go. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:02.639 All right, that's that's it. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:09.919 And then there's those who maybe don't know it that if you're if you're in a group, you don't know everybody, and they do hold hands, never lock fingers. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:11.680 That's just weird, all right? 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:16.079 That's that's oh, wait a minute, I can't pray because I'm uncomfortable right now. 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:21.040 And just there's these little idiosyncrasies, and Jesus is saying, lose those. 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:25.519 It's not what you wear, it's not how, it's not the place, it's not where you stand. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:28.720 Talk to me, just talk to me. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.079 And that's where he says this wonderful, amazing prayer. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.279 And I want to just read it. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:35.279 This is the New Living Translation. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:39.439 I love this version of it, and just look at what Jesus is saying here. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:42.879 He says in this, in verse 9, pray like this. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:52.720 Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy, may your kingdom come soon, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:59.759 Give us today the food we need and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:04.480 And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from evil. 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:12.079 And this simple prayer, and we can let it go over and over, but I never ever want it to become this rote. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.360 Here's the words we have to say in this way and all that. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:18.399 It really is the way we approach God. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:27.120 And there are three approaches here that we see, and I want to just take a very simple look and break it into three simple words of how we approach God. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:31.360 The first one is in the first verse for our Father in heaven. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:36.240 If we look at that very closely, it's not father the way we would say father. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:47.839 Father used to be kind of a personal term, it's Abba, which in truest terms, if you see children running around here, most kids either call dad or daddy. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.399 They'll just daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:51.839 That's this word. 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:52.879 It's daddy. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:55.759 It's an intimate, personal relationship. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:59.680 And the first approach that God longs for us to have is personal. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:00.560 It's a personal. 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:04.560 When you when we approach God, make it personal, not formal. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:10.959 It's about being personal so that we can come to God and it's not about a religion, it's about a relationship. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:15.360 It's not about doing for God, it's doing with God. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.560 It's that relationship of a father and a child. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:24.000 Truth is, is religion can only cause us to be formal. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:30.480 Where a relationship loses all that formality and it becomes intently personal, God with us. 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:35.279 If we try to approach God religiously or formally, it'll never be enough. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.399 We'll never measure up to the laws, we'll never be perfect enough. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:49.600 But if we approach Him personally, what we find is that there's grace and there is patience and there's hope and there's always enough. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:56.639 If maybe you are one here today and saying, I'm checking this thing out and trying, I've tried religion before and it doesn't work. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:00.480 I would totally 100% agree with you. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:01.759 It doesn't. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:03.519 Because it's never enough. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:08.720 And we can try it and we can try to be good enough, and then we realize I don't measure up. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:10.000 But that's not God. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:15.519 It's the only set of faith in the world where God came down and says, I want to know you personally. 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:17.120 I want to know you personally. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.680 I don't want you to do for me because I did for you. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.759 I want you to do and I want us to be with. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:24.399 There's the creator God who said, I'm gonna create everything. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:28.399 Then there's God in the flesh, Jesus, and then he says, I'm gonna send you my spirit. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:31.519 And when we personally connect, my spirit is with you. 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.959 The best way I can describe this is really through a relationship. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:36.560 And I think God designed it this way. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:42.959 Right before school started this year, my daughter, who Kennedy, she's 10, she's back in the play area right now. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:45.439 She's like, Daddy, can we go to Six Flags? 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:51.040 I'm like, Yeah, I haven't been to Six Flags in forever, but I loved going with her. 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.040 And she was just telling me about all the different pieces. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.040 We're gonna do the log fume. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:56.720 That was one of her favorites. 00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.439 And I'm like, okay, we're gonna go smell some logs. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:00.639 This will be great. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:03.759 But she loves, she goes, Dad, I want to go do the bumper cars. 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.879 I want to do it all myself, and I want to get the bumper cars. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:11.680 So we go to the bumper cars, and we're going on to I said, Can I be in the bumper car with you? 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:14.800 And she goes, I want to have, I want to be, I want to drive, I want to do it all myself. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:16.160 I'm like, You can do it all yourself. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:17.839 I just want to be in the car with you. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:19.040 She's like, Okay. 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:21.519 So we get in there, and sure enough, it happened like I thought. 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:23.519 I'm like, I'm wondering if she can get her foot all the way down. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:24.240 She could. 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:30.879 But we got in a jam where we're stuck to you or pinned against the side, and she's just pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing. 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:32.879 It won't go, it won't go. 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:34.159 And I said, I know. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.840 I said, hey, why don't you try moving the wheel all the way the other way? 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:39.759 And she's like, but it won't go, it won't go. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:40.799 And I said, Why don't you try it? 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:42.480 She goes, Oh, it's hard, it's hard. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:43.360 I said, Can I help? 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:44.000 She goes, Yeah. 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:49.039 And so I just moved a little bit and she got the momentum and she turned it, and sure enough, whoop, we started going again. 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:54.159 She's like, Oh, that's awesome, and I'm gonna bump this, and we drive around, sure enough, we get pinned again. 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:57.200 And she's just like, I'm trying, I'm trying, I can't get it, it won't go. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:00.480 I said, Well, why don't you turn it the other way this time? 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:02.960 And so she turns it and we loosen up and we go. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:05.200 And I'm like, what an incredible picture. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:05.759 That's it. 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:08.159 Now I could have gotten a bumper car on my own. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:09.759 I've ridden bumper cards before. 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:15.120 I could have bumped her and tried to bump her out of her situation, but I wanted that experience with her. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:16.480 That's what I wanted. 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:17.840 We went from there. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:20.639 Do you remember the Hansen cars, the old cars? 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:21.600 Do you remember those? 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:23.039 That are on the track? 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:23.759 The track? 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:26.240 And she's like, Daddy, I want to drive, I want to do it all myself. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:26.799 I'm like, okay. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.200 She goes, Daddy, I want you to be in the backseat. 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:31.200 I'm like, okay. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:32.960 And I watched the kids drive by. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:34.480 I'm like, okay, she's old enough to do this. 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:37.519 So I'm sitting in the backseat and I had a blast. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:41.200 And I'm sitting back there, I want to make sure I said, now remember, there's no break. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:42.559 You just take your foot off. 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:44.879 If you're about to hit somebody, don't ram somebody. 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:45.919 Let's practice. 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:47.840 And so she goes and we take your foot off. 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:49.279 Okay, okay, you got this. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:58.240 And she's driving, and sure enough, if you've ever been there, I'm sitting in the back, back seat, and it's just like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, oh, oh, oh, oh. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.519 And we pull up, and sure enough, there's a car in front of us. 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:05.840 She stops before she hits it, and we bam, bam, bam the rest of the way in, and I love it. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:09.200 We get out of the cars and we're on the little place walking out. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:11.039 She goes, Dad, can we do that again? 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.960 And I'm like, Yes, why don't we ride some rides? 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:13.519 We'll come back. 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:17.039 She goes, Dad, I am such a good driver. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:20.960 And I was like, Yes, you are. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:22.559 Yes, you are. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:30.799 Now, see, I knew that she was gonna have a blast with that, and I knew the environment was safe because I'm looking out for her. 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:37.039 I have a son who is 15, and and he is now driving without the track. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:39.679 And it's like, wow. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:42.720 And I want him to have a positive experience. 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:45.519 So we're we're he drives, he drives to different places. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:50.080 We're coming out of the Braves game a few weeks ago, and it was bumper to bumper, and it was chaos. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:52.720 And I said, dude, you want to drive home on the interstate? 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:54.720 And he's like, no, no, no. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:57.759 And I said, Good, because you're not gonna. 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:01.519 And uh, because he's not ready. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:04.320 He's not ready, and I know what he's ready for. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:11.759 It's that relationship, it's that relationship to personally go, dude, I'm not gonna put you in a situation that you're gonna fail. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.879 I'm I'm here with you for a reason. 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:18.960 I trust you to this level because I know what you can do and what you can handle. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:26.000 And I'll even push you beyond what you think you can handle because I know you can, because I've been there. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:29.600 That's the relationship that God longs for us to have with Him. 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:33.600 When we say, My daddy, you're I pray that you would be keep holy. 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:35.279 You keep perfect. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:36.960 Your kingdom come. 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:38.879 And I'm gonna take a quick aside on that one. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:40.559 May your kingdom come. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:42.639 I want that kingdom. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.759 I'm thankful we live in a country where we do. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:46.559 I am. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:52.320 But I gotta tell you this ultimately I'm I'm committed to his kingdom. 00:11:52.639 --> 00:12:03.360 I'm committed to a kingdom not where we have a few people making thousands of laws to impose on millions of people, and which they exempt themselves. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:11.759 I want the kingdom where there are a few laws that are proven perfect, and that the king himself has fulfilled all of them. 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:13.600 That's the kingdom I want. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:14.799 That's my aside. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:19.200 So, anyway, so that person, that's the personal one I want that connection with. 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:24.159 The second approach, and and it says this when we're talking about pray, pray like this. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.559 There's another verse that says, pray without ceasing. 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:27.840 Pray without ceasing. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:31.120 Well, if it's a religion, that's impossible. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:37.679 We can't just walk around in this, oh, oh, we that that doesn't make sense. 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:40.960 Pray without ceasing doesn't make sense if it's a religion. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:44.559 It makes perfect sense if it's a relationship. 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:48.399 If I'm approaching God personally, it makes perfect sense. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:51.919 It'd be like saying, be married always. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.080 Now, I don't know how many, how many of you are married? 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:55.840 Quick show of hands, married, okay. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:04.799 Now, what would it be like if you're married and you're at the altar getting married and going, hey, I'm so excited about being married, but can't be married all the time. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:08.480 Um what do you mean? 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:13.440 Well, you know, you know, most of the time, yeah, but right, you know, I travel, I do some stuff, can't be married then. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:15.919 Uh just not gonna work for me. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:20.159 If you're not married all the time, you're not married any of the time. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:22.559 Okay, that's the way that works. 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:25.600 And in the truth be told, that's what he's saying here. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:26.960 He said, it's about a relationship. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:28.159 I want to be with you always. 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:33.600 Now, I can't physically be with my wife all the time, but I'm always married. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:39.759 This isn't just a reminder to me, it's a comfort to me that we had we were talking about this at dinner the other night. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.039 Just how too often I think we take it for granted. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.080 We we have trust, we have commitment. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:14:00.159 I said, I can't remember the last time I saw a TV program or a movie where that was portrayed in a marriage, in a family, that there's trust and there's love and there's commitment and the peace and the joy and the fulfillment that comes with that. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:02.320 I I can't remember one. 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:05.759 And I think I think we take that for granted from that. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:13.279 So that personal sense of literally pray without ceasing, be in the real realization that God is always with me. 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:14.159 Always. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.440 And I guess technologically we can think about it this way. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:27.039 I don't know if you have a cell phone, but how many of you have ever had your phone and you get in your car, you go somewhere, and you literally go, Oh, where's my phone? 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:28.639 Where's my where's my phone? 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:30.159 I don't have my phone. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:32.639 I cannot function without my phone. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:35.759 I'm not sure I can live without my phone. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:39.919 And and my wife is really, she's like, Oh, I'm so glad you got a newer. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:42.080 This isn't even a new one, it's like newer. 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:47.200 I had the 1G, the rotary dial phone, uh forever. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:49.360 And now I have this one. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:56.559 It's got the S where I can go, tell me how to get to this, and it tells you how to get there, and and it has the FaceTime, so she can call me and go, Oh, look at you. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:57.360 Uh here I am. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:04.720 Hey, you know, I just we're we're always with, with emotionally, if not physically. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:06.080 And that is what it's talking about. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:10.799 God is saying, okay, where that is technological, I am spiritual, I am always with you. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:18.320 I want to be in everything that you're doing because I have your best at heart, and I want to personally be with you in everything. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:21.200 When you're worried, I'm right here. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:23.279 When you're excited, I want to be there. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.840 I want you to realize I am there with you. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:31.360 So that first approach, God longs for us fundamentally to be personally approach him. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:35.919 Secondly, if you look in verses 11 and 12, let's look there for just a second. 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:41.679 Give us today the food we need and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us. 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:45.919 God longs us for us to approach him honestly. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:49.039 Honestly, with our real needs. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:54.000 And and really, he breaks it down into very simply I know you need food. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:56.000 He knows we have physical needs. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.720 He also knows that we have emotional needs. 00:15:58.879 --> 00:15:59.840 We have them both. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:08.879 And he longs to meet both of those, which is probably one of the greatest examples in life of the fact that God is real. 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:10.960 We have honest needs. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:13.200 I've shared this acronym before. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:16.000 I want to encourage you to write it down if you've never heard it. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:17.919 It's called the WE acronym, W E. 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:20.080 And I don't know which way to do that. 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:24.320 But the letters stand for simply this worried, excited. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:26.879 Today, what are you worried about? 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:28.320 What's on your mind? 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:32.000 When you're driving around town, what comes to your mind that you're worried about? 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:33.519 And God laid that on my heart. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:34.879 What am I worried about? 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:36.000 And be honest. 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:38.320 And then, secondly, what am I excited about? 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.200 What's coming up that I am excited that's happening? 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.279 Because if it's on our mind, it's on his heart. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:50.480 And to be honest with him, going, God, it doesn't sound very spiritual, but I'm worried about this. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:53.600 We've got these bills coming up, or I've got this situation coming up. 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:54.720 I don't know what to do. 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:58.320 And to be honest with him on the level of real needs. 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:06.960 Last time I was here, I shared about a retreat that I had the privilege of serving on called Blue Skies, about families with kids with cancer. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:09.680 What I didn't share was one of the group times. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.559 One of the group times I got to be with the dads. 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:20.319 And for those of you who don't know my past, my daughter is a cancer survivor, and I'm uniquely in tune with where these guys were. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:22.160 I saw their faces. 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:27.680 The relief of being away from those circumstances for a short time. 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:28.720 I saw it. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:34.960 But I also saw this look of just pain, emotional pain. 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:46.319 And as we began to talk with those guys, I shared with them one of the greatest frustrations of that time of my daughter having cancer, is that I couldn't fix it. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:56.079 And it just tore at the very core of my being as a man because our DNA, ladies, for those of you who don't know, is to fix it. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:57.359 That's it. 00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:07.279 And so, and I'm not gonna go too deep in this, but ladies, a lot of times you go, Oh my goodness, the light bulb's broken, and we go, I can fix that, and we go get the light bulb, and the ladies like, I just want you to listen. 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:09.759 Well, I can't listen, I have to fix it. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:11.599 That's that's who I am. 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:13.039 I wish you would just listen. 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:15.359 Well, then stop telling me things that need fixing. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:18.559 That's that's the way we work. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:25.039 And I remember vividly that feeling of just being paralyzed and not being able to fix it. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.680 My daughter has cancer and I can't fix it. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:38.559 And as I shared that frustration and some specific examples, I saw three of the three of the 12 guys literally just I could see this burden just melt off of them. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:45.519 And three gentlemen who had not shared much at all during the first couple days were like, I stay at work. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:50.960 I stay at work longer than normal because that's where I know I can accomplish something. 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:53.599 When I go home, I don't know what to do. 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:55.200 I I I don't know what to do. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:19:00.160 And I hired another one and another one share the same feelings, and then I heard one of the other gentlemen go, you know what? 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:05.920 What I discovered was is they don't need me to fix it, they need me to be there. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:13.519 And he said, I find that I just go home and I invest time and I just spend time with them, and I find that that's what they really need. 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:16.880 And once I got that in my mind, it started making everything better. 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:21.920 And they there was this synergism of these guys going, Yeah, I can do that. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:28.880 And I saw the weight lift off of them, and I saw the focus draw in them, and going, I can't wait to do that because I can do that. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:33.200 I can be with them, I can hang out, I can relieve some of the pressure my wife's under. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:34.319 I can do that. 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:36.079 See, because that's where we long. 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.480 That's God's way of saying, Hey, I want you to be honest because I have the answer. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:46.640 I might share it through other believers, I might share it with your heart individually, but I have the answer. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:51.680 But we have to approach him honestly to open our hearts up for him to move. 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:54.160 I'll be very candid with you right now. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:58.160 I have had one of the most roller coaster years of my life. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:02.559 Work-wise, I this is what I do, this is like my therapy. 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:04.079 I love doing this. 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:06.720 My my work has been like this, though. 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:12.480 Literally, had one of the best, literally the best second quarter ever in my world. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:16.480 Third quarter, the worst third quarter in 15 years. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:17.759 It's like gone. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:19.119 It's like a desert. 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:23.119 And now it looks like the fourth quarter is gonna start picking up a little bit, but it's unknown. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:27.279 And I'm just like, God, it's I don't know what to do. 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:28.480 God, will you help? 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:30.880 If I'm honest, God, I'm unsure. 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:32.400 What's going on? 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:34.000 Will you be here with me? 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.160 And for God to go, I got this. 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:42.160 And as I get honest with him, he starts to reveal to me where he's moved. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:46.559 Years ago, God showed me, Ken, don't live on the roller coaster, live here. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:48.880 When you have a good month, put some aside. 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:52.640 When you have a bad month, it's okay to live at this steady level. 00:20:52.799 --> 00:21:04.880 And we got completely out of debt and we put money in savings to where now I see this entire line where God is saying, I've prepared you for this moment. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:09.519 But what if I'm where I was years ago where I'm like, God, I'm in the middle of I got nothing. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:11.359 Help! And God's like, I got this. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:14.400 Come to me, be honest, and I'll show you. 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:18.559 And today, some of you may be right there going, I've I'm overwhelmed. 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:20.799 I'm worried to the point of being sick. 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:25.599 My encouragement is approach God honestly with that and go, God, help. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:27.200 What do I do with this? 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:29.279 I'm worried about this. 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:33.920 For others, things are going well, and I would encourage you, be excited with him. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:39.599 And let me ask you the question a friend of mine asked me over lunch one day that radically changed my life. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:44.319 And there's those few moments in my life, maybe 10 of them at most, but this is one of them. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:46.160 We're at lunch one day and he said, What's going on? 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:47.599 I said, It's going great. 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.119 And and I shared with him what was going great at home and work and everything else. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:53.519 And he's like, Man, can I pray for you? 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:57.359 And I'm like, My first thought was, I just told you everything was going good. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:58.799 And he goes, You know what? 00:21:58.880 --> 00:21:59.839 God's really convicted my heart. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.319 Heart. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:06.000 Am I as excited and eager to thank him as I am to ask him? 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:07.359 Oh. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:09.599 I said, yes, let's pray. 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:11.119 And he goes, God, this is going great. 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:12.240 We just want to thank you for that. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:14.000 Thanks for being with us in the good times and the bad. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:15.359 And we just want to rejoice with you now. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:16.400 This is just awesome. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:17.440 Thanks for doing this. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:18.640 And he asked me the question. 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:20.160 He goes, Ken, are you that way? 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:21.759 Because I'm struggling there. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:25.279 I find that I ask him for a whole lot more than I thank him for. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:28.480 And I'm like, oh, much too convicting. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:29.359 Let's move on. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:34.079 And uh so I want to be that way. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:36.000 I want to be honest with God and the good and the bad. 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:52.319 And then the final one, the final one, and and this is one of the most encouraging ones, and I want to trans transpose, trans, I want to transition with James 1, where it says, He who lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives freely without finding fault. 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:53.519 I need that. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:55.200 God, I don't know what to do. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:00.240 And you said you're gonna give me wisdom, and you're not gonna point out how I've really screwed this whole thing up. 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:01.440 That's what I need. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:09.759 So I can approach him honestly, but then the last in verse 13, it says, Do not let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from evil. 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:14.400 In other words, I've got to come and realize I can't do this on my own. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:19.920 I've got to approach God, yes, personally, yes, honestly, but humbly. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:26.000 Approach God humbly and go, God, I need you to help me in the midst of temptation. 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:28.000 I need you to deliver me from evil. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:29.279 Help me here. 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:37.759 I can tell you in the last six months, I have experienced more emotional attack than at any other time in my life. 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:39.440 And I can't explain it. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:46.000 Other than maybe, just maybe the Bible's true that we don't war against flesh and blood, but against principalities and darkness. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:55.680 And I'll have dreams, and I don't know if you've experienced this or not, that are just so radically bad that you wake up and you feel as if they're real. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:57.519 I don't know if you've had those before. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:00.079 And I know I'm not alone because my wife's had them. 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:03.119 She wakes up and she's mad at me for something I did in a dream. 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:05.039 Have you no, okay. 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:10.480 I mean, she was like, okay, and this, you did this, and I was not happy with you, and I'm just mad at you right now. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.480 And I'm like, okay, it was a dream. 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:14.400 Didn't actually do that. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:16.000 She goes, I know, but I need a minute. 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:18.400 And I'm like, okay, all right. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:21.119 But I'm telling you, we get attacked like that. 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:24.720 And I've had these on a regular basis over the past several months. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:27.599