Tune in to hear Pastor Josh preach his second sermon from the introductory verses of first letter to the Thessalonians:
“Many who have grown up in the church, like me, have endured prayer meetings where the content of the petitions are expressed only as a “technique for acquiring blessings;” long incantations for the purpose of procuring God’s favor. Or, alternatively, in reaction to such demanding and boisterous prayers of past experience, one can readily fall into the ‘fatalistic’ sort of prayer, where we only ask that ‘God’s will be done’ — which sounds quite pious, but quickly becomes insipid and anemic. I must admit to having lived in both of these ditches described, until I began to learn from the content and framework of the prayers found in Scripture. The prayers of Paul, for instance, are neither fatalistic nor magical, but relational. This means that we pray according to God’s will, in line with his values, and in conformity with his own character and purpose.”