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Explore recent reflections, teaching articles, and encouragement designed to support spiritual formation, faithful presence, and Kingdom living in everyday life.

• Kingdom Alignment Part 5 with Discussion Guide

  Kingdom Alignment Part 5 Discussion Guide

  Summary

  This sermon continues a series on the Sermon on the Mount, focusing on the second half of the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:11-13. The pastor explores three core petitions: daily bread, forgiveness of debts, and deliverance from temptation and evil. Each petition points back to a central theme: kingdom life is not about self-sufficiency but about daily dependence on God. Just as God provided manna in the wilderness one day at a time, Jesus teaches His followers to trust God for today’s needs rather than stockpiling provision for the future.

  The sermon also unpacks the connection between receiving forgiveness and extending it to others. The pastor emphasizes that forgiveness is not the same as excusing harmful behavior or removing healthy boundaries. Rather, it is releasing a person to God and trusting Him with the outcome. The prayer closes with a plea for guidance and protection, reminding believers that the spiritual battle is real and that our hope rests not in our own strength but in Christ. The entire Lord’s Prayer is framed as a tool for aligning our hearts with God, drawing us into deeper relationship and daily dependence on Him.

  Intro Prayer

  Heavenly Father, we come before You today as a group of people who need You. Just as Jesus taught His disciples to pray, we ask that You align our hearts with Yours right now. Quiet the noise in our minds, set aside our agendas, and open us up to whatever You want to speak to us today. May this time together not just be a discussion but a genuine encounter with Your grace and truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  Ice Breaker

  What is one thing you tend to stockpile or over-prepare for, and why does having a backup supply make you feel better?

  Key Verses

  • Matthew 6:11-13
  • Luke 11:1-4
  • 1 John 1:9
  • Ephesians 4:32
  • Ephesians 6:10-12

  Questions

  • The pastor described kingdom life as ‘learned dependence’ on God rather than self-sufficiency. How does that idea challenge the way you were raised or the values our culture promotes?
  • Jesus teaches us to pray for ‘daily bread’ rather than bread for a year or a decade. What does that kind of daily trust look like practically in your own life right now?
  • The Israelites in the wilderness struggled to trust God with just one day’s worth of manna. In what areas of your life do you find yourself trying to gather more than today’s portion, whether that is security, control, or certainty about the future?
  • The pastor said we never outgrow our need for grace and that forgiveness is not just the entry point into faith but a daily part of the journey. How does that reframe the way you think about your ongoing relationship with God?
  • The word ‘confess’ in the Greek means ‘same word,’ agreeing with God about the direction you have gone. How does that definition change the way you approach confession compared to simply saying you are sorry?
  • The pastor drew a distinction between forgiving someone and allowing them to continue harmful behavior. Has that distinction ever been helpful or confusing for you when you have had to work through forgiving someone?
  • He described unforgiveness as a prison that traps the person holding it rather than the offender. Have you ever experienced that reality personally, and what helped you begin to let go?
  • The prayer ends with a request for guidance and deliverance, pointing to the reality of spiritual struggle. How intentional are you about asking God for daily guidance and protection, and what might change if you made that a consistent habit?

  Life Application

  This week, try praying through the three petitions from the second half of the Lord’s Prayer each morning. First, ask God specifically for what you need just for today and resist the urge to worry about tomorrow. Second, take a moment to confess anything that has pulled you away from His path and receive His forgiveness. Third, identify one person you may be holding unforgiveness toward and ask God to help you release that person to Him. If that feels impossible, simply pray: ‘God, I cannot do this on my own. Help me let this go.’ Close each morning by asking for His guidance and protection throughout the day. Keep a simple journal of what you notice as the week goes on.

  Key Takeaways

  • Kingdom life is built on daily dependence on God, not self-sufficiency. Just as manna was given one day at a time, God often provides what we need for today so that we stay close to Him as the giver.
  • Forgiveness is not just the entry point into faith. It is an ongoing, daily need. We never graduate from grace, and regularly confessing our sins keeps our hearts aligned with God.
  • Forgiving others is connected directly to understanding how much we ourselves have been forgiven. Forgiveness does not mean excusing harmful behavior. It means releasing a person to God and trusting Him with the outcome, while maintaining wise and loving boundaries when necessary.
  • The closing petition for deliverance from temptation and evil is a reminder that we are in a real spiritual battle. Our hope is never in our own strength but always in Christ and His mighty power.
  • The entire Lord’s Prayer is designed to align our hearts with God, drawing us into relationship with Him through dependence, trust, and daily communion rather than performance or achievement.

  Ending Prayer

  Lord, thank You for this time together and for the reminder that You are not asking us to have it all figured out. You are simply asking us to come to You today, to trust You for today’s bread, to receive Your forgiveness, and to extend that same grace to the people around us. Where we have been trying to carry more than we need, help us to set it down. Where we have been holding unforgiveness, give us the courage and the grace to let it go. Lead us away from temptation and deliver us from the schemes of the enemy. May our hearts stay aligned with Yours not just this week but every day. There is nothing like knowing You, Jesus. We love You. Amen.

  Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.

• Kingdom Alignment Part 4 with Discussion Guide

  Kingdom Alignment Part 4 Discussion Guide

  Summary

  This sermon focuses on the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6, exploring how Jesus gave His disciples a beautifully crafted poem-prayer in response to their request to be taught how to pray. The pastor emphasizes that the prayer is not merely a formula to recite but a guide for aligning our hearts with God. Beginning with the words “Our Father,” Jesus invites His followers into an intimate, personal relationship with God, one that is both tender (like a child calling out “Abba” or “Daddy”) and reverent (“hallowed be your name”). The sermon also unpacks the phrase “your kingdom come, your will be done,” connecting it to the ongoing human struggle between dependence on God and self-reliance. Using the imagery of the two trees in the Garden of Eden, the pastor illustrates that life is only found when we choose God’s way over our own. Prayer, then, is not about convincing God to bless our plans but about repeatedly returning to a place of surrender and trust, choosing God’s kingdom and will above our own desires and agendas.

  Intro Prayer

  Heavenly Father, we come before you today as your beloved children. Before we bring our needs, our worries, or our plans, we simply want to acknowledge who you are. You are holy, faithful, and good. As we open your Word together, soften our hearts and open our ears. Let this time not be about confirming what we already think, but about hearing what you want to say to us. Align our hearts with yours, and may everything we discuss today draw us closer to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  Ice Breaker

  What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your relationship with your own Father or a Father figure in your life, and why?

  Key Verses

  • Matthew 6:9-13
  • Romans 8:15
  • Luke 22:42

  Questions

  • Jesus gave the Lord’s Prayer in response to His disciples asking Him to teach them to pray. What do you think prompted them to ask that question, and what does it tell us about the kind of prayer life Jesus modeled?
  • The sermon highlighted that calling God “Our Father” was a remarkable and even shocking idea to people in Jesus’ day. How does thinking of God as a loving Father rather than only a distant ruler or judge change the way you approach prayer?
  • The word “Abba” carries the meaning of “daddy” or “papa,” pointing to a deeply intimate relationship with God. Does that level of intimacy with God come naturally to you, or does it feel uncomfortable? What do you think shapes that feeling?
  • The pastor described a tension between intimacy and reverence in our relationship with God. How do you personally balance approaching God with warmth and closeness while also honoring His holiness?
  • “Hallowed be your name” shifts the focus of prayer away from ourselves and toward God. In what ways do you find it difficult to begin prayer with worship rather than immediately jumping to your needs or concerns?
  • The sermon used the image of the two trees in the Garden of Eden to illustrate the choice between dependence on God and self-reliance. Where in your life right now do you find yourself most tempted to go to the wrong tree?
  • “Your kingdom come, your will be done” is described as a prayer of surrender. Can you share a time when surrendering your own plans to God turned out to be the right decision, even if it was difficult at the time?
  • The pastor said that prayer is not about getting God to agree with us but about aligning ourselves with Him. How does that reframe the way you think about unanswered prayer or times when things did not go the way you asked?

  Life Application

  This week, try restructuring your daily prayer time using the pattern Jesus taught. Before you bring any requests or concerns, spend at least two or three minutes simply worshiping God and acknowledging who He is. Then, before presenting your own plans or needs, honestly ask him: “God, what are you doing today, and can I join you in it?” At the end of the week, reflect on whether starting with worship and surrender changed how you felt about the situations you were praying about.

  Key Takeaways

  • Prayer is not a performance or a formula but a living relationship with God, and the Lord’s Prayer is a guide for aligning our hearts with His rather than a script to be recited.
  • Calling God “Our Father” (Abba) is an invitation into intimate, beloved relationship with Him, not as distant servants or fearful strangers but as His children.
  • Beginning prayer with worship and the phrase “hallowed be your name” reorients us away from self-centeredness and reminds us that God, not us, is at the center of the story.
  • Praying “your kingdom come, your will be done” is an act of surrender that moves us away from self-rule and back toward dependence on God, which is where true life is found.
  • The ongoing choice between God’s way and our own way mirrors the two trees in the Garden of Eden, and prayer is the daily practice of returning to the Tree of Life by choosing trust and dependence over self-reliance.

  Ending Prayer

  Father, thank you for this time together and for the gift of your Word. Thank you that you are not a distant or indifferent God but a loving Father who invites us to come close and call you Abba. As we leave today, help us to carry this posture of worship and surrender into every part of our week. When we are tempted to rely on our own plans and our own understanding, remind us to return to you. May your kingdom come and your will be done in our homes, our relationships, our workplaces, and our hearts. We trust you because you are good, and we love you because you first loved us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.