We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - November 4, 2018
God-Centered Praying
Among the three acts of religious piety, Christ confronts hypocrisy with the greatest force when He confronts it in prayer. It seems to discharge a most intolerable stench to God. The root of hypocritical prayer is a man-centered craving for praise that is devoid of any true God-seeking humility. Hypocritical prayer evidences an impoverished view of God, and therefore its antidote is an intentional esteem of His radiant centrality. This message looks at our Lord’s sermon and His next address of hypocrisy in the next pillar of Judaism, namely hypocritical prayer.
Scripture References: Matthew 6:5-8
