CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMPHIS

Teach Us To Pray | Deliver Us | Matthew 6:13 | Coleton Segars

In this message, Coleton concludes the Lord's Prayer series by focusing on one of the most overlooked phrases Jesus ever taught us to pray:
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13)

Many Christians are comfortable praying for daily needs, forgiveness, or God's will, but often neglect this final request. Yet Jesus intentionally ends His model prayer by teaching His followers to pray against spiritual evil. Coleton explains that this isn't reserved for unusually spiritual Christians or for a specific period of history—it is meant to become a normal part of every believer's prayer life.

Using Scripture, historical examples, and practical application, Coleton reminds us that while Christians should never seek out spiritual warfare, we are also never called to ignore it. Instead, Jesus gives us a weapon: prayer. Through prayer, we ask God to fight for us, protect us, and advance His kingdom against the kingdom of darkness.

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Jesus Teaches Us that Prayer is Spiritual Warfare

Coleton opens with a story from his father, who taught him never to start a fight—but if one became unavoidable, fight hard enough that the enemy would never forget it.
He uses that illustration to explain Jesus' teaching.
Jesus isn't telling Christians to obsess over demons or look for spiritual battles everywhere. Instead, He is preparing His followers for the reality that they already live in a spiritual war. Prayer is how believers fight.

The Lord's Prayer gradually teaches us how to approach God:
Our Father — Remember who you are talking to.
Hallowed be Your Name — Worship Him and remember His greatness.
Your Kingdom Come — Ask God to display His rule and goodness on earth.
Give Us Daily Bread — Trust Him to provide what you need.
Forgive Us Our Debts — Confess sin and receive His grace.
Deliver Us from the Evil One — Ask God to protect you and defeat the enemy.

Coleton points out that Jesus intentionally ends His model prayer here. That means fighting spiritual evil isn't an optional part of Christianity—it is part of ordinary Christian prayer.

Bible Passage

Matthew 6:9–13

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1. Jesus Knows This Is What Is Really Wrong with the World

Coleton explains that beneath every broken relationship, every injustice, every war, every addiction, every lie, and every act of rebellion lies a deeper spiritual problem.
Jesus did not primarily come to overthrow governments or fix political systems.
He came to destroy the works of Satan.
The greatest enemy of humanity isn't another nation, another political party, another religion, or another group of people. The deepest problem is sin and the spiritual kingdom of darkness that opposes God's purposes.

This explains why so much of Jesus' earthly ministry involved confronting demons, healing people oppressed by evil, and setting captives free.

Rather than teaching His followers to hate people, Jesus commanded them to:
Love their enemies.
Pray for those who persecute them.
Turn the other cheek.
But when it comes to Satan and spiritual evil, Jesus tells believers to fight.

Coleton spends time explaining Daniel 10, where Daniel prayed for understanding for twenty-one days. God immediately heard his prayer, yet an angel was delayed because of conflict with spiritual powers described as the "Prince of Persia."

This passage offers a glimpse behind the curtain of history. Events on earth often reflect a much greater conflict taking place in the unseen spiritual realm.

Paul teaches the same reality in Ephesians: our true struggle is never against flesh and blood.
That changes how Christians view the world.
Instead of seeing people as the enemy, we begin praying against the spiritual forces influencing hearts, cultures, governments, and communities.

Bible Passages

Matthew 6:13
1 John 3:8
Daniel 10
Ephesians 6:12

Quotes

"Spiritual beings are associated with nation-states... Michael fights for God's people, while the prince of Persia is a demonic power." — D.A. Carson
"Daniel was learning that the ultimate power struggle was fought out in a realm of which most people know nothing... the world crises we see are reflections of an older, more ruthless conflict." — Sinclair Ferguson

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2. Jesus Knows Every Believer Will Experience Spiritual Conflict

Coleton reminds us that no one escapes spiritual warfare.
Whether someone believes in Christ or not, the enemy is active.
For unbelievers, Satan blinds people from seeing the beauty of the gospel. This explains why many reject Christ despite God's incredible offer of mercy.
For believers, conversion does not end the battle.
In many ways, it begins a new one.
Peter warns Christians that the devil prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Paul tells believers to put on the armor of God because spiritual conflict is inevitable.

Coleton carefully avoids extremes.
He reminds the church that not every hardship is caused by demons.
Not every sickness...
Not every temptation...
Not every mental illness...
Not every difficult circumstance...

The Bible teaches that sometimes our own sinful desires lead us into temptation. Other times physical problems simply require ordinary wisdom and medical care.

Still, Scripture clearly teaches that Satan actively seeks to:
tempt believers toward sin,
accuse them with guilt,
destroy marriages,
create division,
attack families,
discourage God's people,
oppose God's work,
and steal joy, peace, hope, and confidence in God.

Because Jesus knows His followers will encounter spiritual opposition, He teaches them to pray for God's protection regularly.

Bible Passages

2 Corinthians 4:4
1 Peter 5:8
Ephesians 6:10–13
Matthew 4
Mark 5
Matthew 9
Matthew 12
Luke 13
Matthew 15
Matthew 16
Mark 9
Acts 5
Luke 22
John 10:10

Quotes

"After a man is converted... Satan gathers all his forces... because he cannot bear to lose his subjects." — Charles Spurgeon

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3. Jesus Wants Us to Fight—and Prayer Is One of Our Greatest Weapons

Coleton emphasizes that prayer is much more than bringing requests to God.
Prayer is warfare.
Paul teaches that Christians do not fight with worldly weapons but with weapons empowered by God to destroy spiritual strongholds.

Coleton reminds us of the story where the disciples could not cast a demon out of a boy.
When they asked Jesus why they failed, Jesus answered that this kind only comes out through prayer.
Prayer is not powerless.
Prayer invites the power of God into spiritual battles that human strength can never win.

The Christian does not defeat darkness through cleverness, politics, anger, intimidation, or force.
We fight by depending upon:
the Holy Spirit,
God's Word,
faith,
and prayer.

Bible Passages

2 Corinthians 10:3–4
Matthew 17 (or Mark 9 parallel)

Quotes

"Christians can wage a successful campaign in the spiritual realm only when they abandon human resources and totally rely on spiritual weapons." — D.A. Carson
"We must all practice violence... he who prays is fighting against the devil." — Martin Luther
"While others fight, Christians pray." — Origen

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How Should Christians Respond?

After explaining why Jesus included this prayer, Coleton gives several practical responses.

Live with Awareness, Not Fear

Christians should recognize spiritual warfare without becoming frightened by it.
Jesus has already defeated Satan through His death and resurrection.
Believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, and God's Spirit is infinitely greater than the enemy.
Every time demons encountered Jesus in the Gospels, they were terrified of Him—not the other way around.

Bible Passage

1 John 4:4

Pray for Discernment

Coleton warns against seeing demons behind every inconvenience.
The Bible teaches balance.
Sometimes problems are spiritual.
Sometimes they are physical.
Sometimes they arise from our own sinful desires.
Believers need wisdom to recognize the difference rather than becoming fearful or superstitious.

Bible Passages

James 1
1 Timothy 5:23

Know the Scriptures

When Jesus faced Satan's temptations in the wilderness, He answered every attack with Scripture.
God's Word is called the sword of the Spirit because truth defeats lies.
The better Christians know God's Word, the better prepared they are to resist temptation and deception.

Bible Passages

Matthew 4
Ephesians 6
James 4:7

Make This Prayer Part of Your Daily Life

Coleton challenges the church to actually pray the prayer Jesus taught.
Pray for:
your marriage,
your children,
your workplace,
your church,
your community,
your city,
your government,
and everyone God has entrusted to your care.
The power is not in our words.
The power is in the God to whom we pray.

Quote

"Satan dreads nothing but prayer... He laughs at our toil... but he trembles when we pray." — Samuel Chadwick

Persevere in the Battle

Coleton closes with an illustration from the final days of World War II.
After realizing Germany had lost, Hitler issued the Nero Decree, ordering the destruction of his own nation's infrastructure so the Allies could not benefit from it. Though defeated, he sought to cause as much destruction as possible before the end.
Coleton compares this to Satan.
The cross and resurrection settled the outcome.
Jesus has already won.
Satan knows his defeat is certain.
Until Christ returns, however, he seeks to steal, kill, destroy, and create as much devastation as possible.
That is why Christians must not become discouraged when they experience spiritual opposition.
Spiritual conflict is not necessarily evidence that you are outside God's will.
Often, it is evidence that God's kingdom is advancing through your life—and the enemy wants to stop it.
Jesus has already won the victory.
Now He invites His followers to participate in that victory through faithful, persistent prayer.

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Discipleship Group Questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to end the Lord's Prayer with, "Deliver us from the evil one"? What does that reveal about the Christian life?
How does understanding that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood" change the way we view difficult people, cultural conflicts, or personal hardships?
Coleton emphasized that not every difficulty is spiritual warfare, but some certainly is. How can Christians grow in discernment without becoming fearful or overly focused on the demonic?
Which of the practical responses challenged you the most: living without fear, praying for discernment, knowing Scripture, praying regularly against spiritual evil, or persevering? Why?
What specific people, places, or situations in your life need to become part of your regular prayer for God's protection and deliverance from the evil one?

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Culture of Gospel

Share this with someone in your life who doesn't know Jesus

Every one of us senses that something is deeply broken in the world—and often within ourselves. Jesus teaches that the answer isn't simply trying harder, but trusting the One who has already defeated the deepest source of evil and invites us to live in His victory, freedom, and peace.

Teach Us to Pray | Forgive Us Our Debts | Matthew 6:12 | Coleton Segars

Forgive Us Our Debts

Matthew 6:9–12

Culture of Gospel

Share this with someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus.

Most people spend their lives trying to prove they're good enough or trying to hide the parts of themselves they're ashamed of. Jesus offers something radically different: a God who already knows your worst, still loves you completely, and invites you to stop pretending and simply come home.

Sermon Summary

In this message, Coleton continues through the Lord's Prayer by focusing on one of the most uncomfortable—and most freeing—requests Jesus teaches us to pray:

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Matthew 6:12)

Many people assume confession is something spiritually immature Christians do. Once you've followed Jesus long enough, you shouldn't need to confess very often. Coleton challenges that assumption by showing that Jesus teaches the exact opposite.

The mark of spiritual maturity is not pretending you've stopped sinning. The mark of maturity is becoming increasingly honest about your sin because you've become increasingly confident in the Father's love.

Coleton begins with a simple story about a child being told to own up to a mistake. Owning our failures is difficult, but it is one of the clearest signs of maturity. The same is true spiritually. Jesus invites His followers into a regular rhythm of confession—not because God is angry with them, but because He wants them to experience His grace again and again.

Tyler Staton captures this beautifully:

"One of the biggest mistakes we've made in the modern church is to reimagine spiritual maturity as the need to confess less... A maturing community is a confessing community—not a church without sin, but a church without secrets."

Before explaining why confession matters, Coleton highlights three important observations from Jesus' prayer.

Three Things Jesus Wants Us to Notice About This Prayer

1. Confession is not the first thing Jesus tells us to pray.

Jesus does not begin the Lord's Prayer with confession.

He first teaches us to call God Father, to worship Him, seek His Kingdom, and ask Him for our daily needs.

That order matters.

God isn't waiting for us to clean ourselves up before He listens to us. He isn't withholding His love until we've confessed every failure.

Coleton illustrates this with his son Teddy. He would never refuse Teddy breakfast or a hug until Teddy apologized for everything he did wrong the day before. Healthy relationships don't work that way, and neither does God's relationship with His children.

Confession is something we practice within the security of being loved—not something we do to earn God's love.

2. Jesus assumes we will sin.

Jesus doesn't say:

"If you've sinned..."

He simply teaches us to pray:

"Forgive us our debts."

Jesus assumes every disciple will continue battling sin.

If we struggle to keep diets, New Year's resolutions, or promises to ourselves, how much more do we struggle to meet God's perfect holiness?

The prayer keeps us humble by reminding us that every believer continually depends upon God's grace.

3. This prayer comes with a warning label.

Perhaps the most sobering part of the prayer is this phrase:

"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Coleton describes this as the "fine print" of the prayer.

Every time we pray these words, we're asking God:

"Forgive me the same way I've forgiven others."

That should cause every Christian to examine their heart.

If we refuse to forgive those who have hurt us, we're asking God to respond to us with that same unwillingness.

Jesus is exposing whether His grace has truly transformed us. Grace received always becomes grace extended.

1. Jesus Wants Us to Confess So We Experience the Father's Love

Many people think confession is primarily about focusing on their failures.

Jesus says it's actually about experiencing God's kindness.

Coleton points to one of Jesus' greatest stories—the Prodigal Son.

The Father runs first.

Before the son ever finishes confessing...

The father runs.

He hugs him.

He kisses him.

The embrace comes before the confession.

Luke 15:20–24

"While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion... he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him..."

The son's confession lasts only a few words.

The father doesn't interrogate him.

He doesn't demand every detail.

He doesn't shame him.

Instead he interrupts him with celebration.

The robe.

The ring.

The feast.

The party.

The father's joy completely overshadows the son's failure.

Coleton explains that this is exactly how Jesus wants us to picture confession.

Confession isn't crawling toward an angry God.

It is stepping into the embrace of a Father who already loves His children.

He summarizes confession in three movements:

1. Step into the Father's affection.
2. Acknowledge your sin.
3. Receive the Father's joyful forgiveness and move forward.

The Father never brings the son's past back up. Even when the older brother tries to, the father defends him.

That is the heart of God.

Bible Passage

• Luke 15:20–24

2. Jesus Wants Us to Run Toward God Instead of Away From Him

Sin naturally produces hiding.

Adam and Eve sinned, and their first instinct was to hide.

We still do the same thing today.

We hide behind excuses.

We curate better versions of ourselves.

We pretend.

Jesus wants to completely reverse that instinct.

Instead of hiding from God, He wants us to run toward Him.

Coleton emphasizes that God is the safest person in the universe to bring your worst mistakes.

There is nothing you can confess that surprises Him.

Nothing that makes Him love you less.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes:

"You are a sinner, a great, desperate sinner; now come... to the God who loves you... He wants you as you are... You can hide nothing from God... with Him, you can dare to be a sinner."

That phrase becomes the heart of this section:

"Dare to be a sinner with God."

Instead of pretending, come honestly.

God promises mercy.

Bible Verse

1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

3. Jesus Wants Confession to Break Sin's Power Over Our Lives

Hidden sin grows stronger.

Confessed sin begins to lose its grip.

Coleton turns to David's words after his own failure.

Psalm 32:3–5

David describes the physical and emotional weight of hidden sin.

His strength dried up.

His bones wasted away.

But everything changed once he confessed.

Coleton summarizes it simply:

Sin in our hands leads to death. Sin placed in God's hands is put to death.

Many believers spend years trying to conquer sin through sheer determination.

Jesus offers a different way.

Bring it into the light.

Ray Ortlund says:

"We don't overcome sin by heroic willpower, but by confessing them to death."

Tyler Staton compares confession to visiting a doctor.

Healing begins when we're honest enough to identify what's actually wrong.

Confession is not humiliation.

It's the pathway to healing.

Bible Passage

• Psalm 32:3–5

4. Jesus Teaches This Prayer Because Our Debt Cannot Be Paid Any Other Way

Jesus deliberately uses the language of debt.

Sin creates a debt we cannot repay.

Many people instinctively believe they can balance the scales.

If they simply become nicer...

Serve more...

Give more...

Work harder...

Surely God will overlook the bad.

Jesus completely rejects that way of thinking.

He doesn't teach us to pray:

"Help me work off my sins."

Instead He teaches us to ask for forgiveness because forgiveness is the only solution.

We cannot erase our own debt.

Only Jesus can.

Coleton reminds the church that admitting this requires humility.

Many people cannot admit they need mercy.

But everyone who does finds more grace than they ever imagined.

Pete Greig writes:

"There is more grace in God than there is sin in you... Pray 'forgive us our sins'... and He'll forgive you. Just like that."

This is the gospel.

Our debt isn't reduced.

It's erased.

5. Jesus Wants Us to Ask for Forgiveness Because God Loves Forgiving People

The final point may be the most beautiful.

God doesn't reluctantly forgive.

He delights to forgive.

Forgiveness isn't something we convince Him to do.

It is something He loves to do.

Coleton quotes Dane Ortlund, who reminds us that Christ finds joy when sinners come to Him for mercy.

Jesus endured the cross because He delighted in making sinful people clean.

Coleton uses a helpful illustration.

Imagine asking a bank to forgive every debt you owe.

It would seem impossible.

But imagine someone had already paid every dollar you owed.

Walking into the bank would suddenly become an act of confidence, not desperation.

That is exactly what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Our confidence isn't in ourselves.

It's in the One who already paid our debt.

Ray Ortlund summarizes this beautifully:

"God welcomes people who keep coming back to Him for more and more and more mercy... He isn't tired, and He isn't tired of you."

Because Jesus has already paid the debt, believers can continually come before the Father with confidence, knowing forgiveness is always available.

How Can We Practice This Prayer?

Coleton closes by giving practical ways to make confession a regular rhythm of life.

1. Pray the Lord's Prayer exactly as Jesus taught it.

"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal hidden sin.

One of the Holy Spirit's ministries is conviction—not condemnation.

Ask Him to lovingly reveal areas that need repentance, and respond with humble confession.

3. Pray Psalm 51 regularly.

Allow David's prayer of repentance to become your own.

4. Pray the tax collector's prayer.

"Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Jesus said this humble prayer resulted in the man going home justified before God.

5. Practice the Prayer of Examen.

Spend time each day reflecting on God's presence, reviewing your day, confessing sin, and receiving His grace before ending the day.

Final Challenge

Coleton closes by reminding the church that confession is not weakness.

It is evidence of confidence in the character of God.

Every time believers confess their sins, they discover once again that God is even kinder than they imagined.

Jesus teaches us to pray this prayer not because He wants us to dwell on our failures, but because He wants us to continually experience the riches of the Father's love, the freedom of forgiveness, and the transforming power of His grace.

The Christian life is not about hiding your sin better. It is about bringing your sin into the light where God's mercy is greater than your failures every single time.

Discipleship Group Questions

1. Which of the five reasons Jesus gives us for practicing confession impacted you the most, and why?
2. Coleton said that spiritual maturity is marked by more confession, not less. How does that challenge the way you normally think about spiritual growth?
3. Are you more likely to hide your failures from God or run toward Him with them? What keeps you from being completely honest with Him?
4. Jesus teaches us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Is there someone you need to forgive? How does remembering God's forgiveness toward you help you extend forgiveness to others?
5. Which of the five practical ways to practice confession (the Lord's Prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal sin, Psalm 51, the tax collector's prayer, or the Prayer of Examen) would be most helpful for you to begin practicing this week, and why?

 

A New Command | John 13:34-35 | Tim Johnson

Tim delivers a passionate message focused on John 13:34–35. He begins by introducing the biblical context of the passage, noting that it takes place within the "Upper Room Discourse," where Jesus delivers His farewell address to His closest followers right before finishing His earthly ministry in Jerusalem. Within this critical final charge, Jesus issues what He calls a "new command": “Love one another as I have loved you so you must love one another.”

Tim explains that the command to love is not historically "new" to the disciples, as they were deeply familiar with the Old Testament laws to love God and love their neighbors. What makes it revolutionary is the person giving the command—Jesus—and the fact that He places Himself at the very center as the ultimate definition and source of this love. Tim emphasizes that a person cannot truly understand or define biblical love unless they intimately know Jesus, warning against letting the secular world dictate the definition of love.

To show how biblical love departs from the world’s transactional version, Tim unpacks the profound terminology used across Scripture. In the Old Testament, the primary word is hesed—a complex, multi-dimensional concept combining loyalty, kindness, promise-keeping, and mercy. It represents a covenant commitment where God consistently leans His blessing toward humanity despite their unfaithfulness. In the New Testament, the Greek word is agape, which refers to a sacrificial, deliberate laying down of one's own conveniences for the sake of others. Merging these concepts, Tim defines biblical love as a holy, self-giving commitment that expresses itself in tangible actions to benefit others, remaining entirely independent of feelings or the recipient's behavior.

The challenge of this command becomes evident when looking at the intense diversity of the disciples Jesus gathered. The group included competing brothers, rough fishermen, a corrupt tax collector, a politically radical zealot, and women delivered from evil spirits. Tim notes that the modern church mirrors this exact same messy, diverse family dynamic. Believers are called to love people from vastly different backgrounds, including those whose political or social views might normally frustrate them, and even those who become outright enemies.

Ultimately, Tim declares that this supernatural, unconditional love is intended to be the primary distinguishing mark of a Christian. While human nature relies on transactional relationships—cutting people off when they are no longer beneficial—spirit-filled love sticks with people sacrificially, which acts as the ultimate verification to the world that someone truly belongs to Christ. Grounding the congregation in the reassuring truth that God’s anchor-like love never changes based on our performance, he challenges believers to look at the sacrifice of Christ and be daily compelled to extend that same sacrificial grace to the difficult people in their own lives.

Discussion Questions for Practical Application

1. Defining Love on God's Terms: Tim explicitly noted that we cannot let the world define love for us, defining biblical love instead as a commitment expressed in tangible actions independent of feelings. In what ways does the world's definition of love (e.g., based on emotional connection, compatibility, or transaction) creep into your own relationships? How can you consciously shift your mindset to view love as a deliberate agape commitment this week?

2. Loving the "Diverse Disciples" in Your Circle: The original disciples included people with massive political and social divides, much like the modern church family. Think of someone in your immediate faith community, workplace, or family whose behavior, opinions, or background genuinely test your patience. Based on Jesus' command, what is one practical, tangible action you can take to show them biblical love, regardless of how you feel?

3. The Trap of Transactional Relationships: Tim observed that it is natural human behavior to cut people off the moment they stop benefiting us or making us happy. Is there a relationship in your life right now that you have emotionally "cut off" or distanced yourself from because it became inconvenient or difficult? How does remembering Christ's unwavering hesed toward you alter your perspective on that person?

4. Living as a Visible Replica: According to John 13:35, supernatural love is supposed to be our defining mark that proves to the world we are disciples. If an outside observer looked strictly at how you treat a difficult spouse, a tough neighbor, or a demanding boss, would they see a distinct reflection of Jesus? What is one specific area where you need to pray for the Holy Spirit to implant the power to love sacrificially?

Lifted Up | Luke 3:1-8 | Greg Jackson

Greg begins by highlighting the historic and cultural context of Luke 3. The extensive list of political and religious leaders at the start of the chapter signifies a period of deep corruption and spiritual darkness. In contrast to the urban, powerful center of Jerusalem, God chooses to renew His activity in the desolate wilderness, speaking directly to John, the son of Zechariah. Greg notes that John’s entire life was a journey of learning to seek, listen to, and respond to God. He spent years practicing spiritual disciplines—such as prayer, fasting, solitude, and meditation—not to earn spiritual credentials, but to position himself on the "right channel" to hear from the Lord. John practiced a life rhythm of retreating to seek God and returning to the world to proclaim His word.

When John emerges from the desert, his message after 400 years of divine silence is clear: the Messiah is coming, so prepare your hearts through repentance and mark that readiness with baptism. Using Isaiah’s metaphor of flattening mountains and filling valleys, Greg explains that John was calling people to mend their lives rather than physical roads. This message brought a sweeping promise of ultimate deliverance from sin, death, and hell for all of humanity.

However, John's message is intentionally jarring to the self-righteous. He famously greets the religious elites as a "brood of vipers," confronting their pride. These leaders relied on their heritage as children of Abraham, but Greg emphasizes that lineage is useless to God if He does not have the heart. True repentance requires crossing a hard line from self-centered pride to humble confession, which manifests in distinct fruit: humility and love. When the convicted crowd asks, "What then shall we do?" John provides highly practical commands tailored to their daily lives: share clothes and food, collect only authorized taxes, and do not extort money. Greg notes that true repentance fundamentally transforms how we treat other people; generosity and contentment serve as an immediate heart test of whether we are abiding in Christ.

Finally, Greg looks at John's deep humility in response to speculation that he might be the Christ. John deflects all personal ambition, stating he is unworthy to even untie the Messiah's sandals. He contrasts his own external baptism of water with Jesus' superior, internal baptism of the Holy Spirit and purifying fire, and warns of Christ’s ultimate judgment separating the wheat from the chaff. Greg challenges the congregation to model their lives after John by acting like the moon—having no light of its own, but existing purely to reflect the glory of the Sun. Citing a story from Pastor E.V. Hill about a church member who constantly urged preachers to "Get Him up!", Greg concludes with a powerful reminder that our primary focus must be to lift up and exalt Jesus above ourselves in everything we do.

Discussion Questions for Practical Application

1. The Walkie-Talkie Principle: Greg compared classic spiritual practices (solitude, silence, prayer, fasting) to tuning a walkie-talkie to the right channel to hear God. Which of these practices do you find most difficult to implement in modern life, and what is one practical shift you can make this week to create space to listen to the Lord?

2. The "Inner Tax Collector": Reflecting on the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Greg stated that "getting in touch with your inner tax collector makes room for God's energy in your life." In what areas of your life are you tempted to "play the Pharisee" by comparing yourself to others or pretending you have it all together? How can practicing greater vulnerability change your relationships?

3. The Heart Test of Generosity: When the crowd asked John how to live out their repentance, his answers focused entirely on content wages, fair treatment of others, and sharing resources. If God were to look at your current financial habits and daily interactions with neighbors or coworkers, what kind of "fruit" would He find? What is one practical act of sacrificial generosity you can do this week?

4. "Get Him Up!": John the Baptist’s ultimate goal was to decrease so that Jesus could increase. In your daily environments (family, workplace, social circles), what does it look like to practically "get Jesus up" and reflect His light rather than building your own personal platform or brand?

Teach Us to Pray | Daily Bread | Matthew 6:11 | Coleton Segars

Give Us Today Our Daily Bread (Matthew 6:9-11)

The Big Idea: Jesus teaches that God isn't just interested in world-changing events; He desires an intimate relationship close enough to walk with you through ordinary, everyday moments.

1. What Is Jesus Telling Us to Pray For?

Every Single Daily Need We Have "Daily bread" represents everything necessary for life—physical, emotional, financial, relational, and practical needs.

“When we pray for bread we are praying at the same time for ‘everything necessary for the preservation of this life, like food, a healthy body, good weather, house, home...’” — Frederick Dale Bruner (quoting Martin Luther)

The Small Things Matter to God We often assume God is too busy for trivial things (traffic, lost keys, stressful meetings). But Jesus transfigured everyday life by inviting us to pray for the small stuff. God welcomes our thousands of trivial matters because He cares about us.

2. What Is Jesus Not Telling Us to Pray For?

Our Greeds Rather Than Our Needs Jesus teaches us to pray for bread, not cake. He promises to meet our needs, not fund our greed, comparison, or poor stewardship.

“The prayer is for our needs, not our greeds.” — D.A. Carson

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” — James 4:2-3

God’s ultimate goal is not merely to make us comfortable, but to make us holy.

3. Six Lessons About Prayer

1. Prayer obtains things for yourself: Asking God for help isn't selfish; it is obedience.

2. Asking is necessary: Not because God is unaware, but because asking develops faith, expresses dependence, and invites God into our lives (James 4:2).

3. God is committed to giving: Jesus doesn't say "if it's not too much trouble." He says, "Give us." We approach a loving Father with audacious confidence, not a reluctant stranger.

4. Pray vaguely or specifically: God doesn't require perfect wording, but specific prayers help us notice specific answers and see His faithfulness.

5. Pray for yourself and others: "Give us" reminds us to carry the community's needs before God.

6. Trust God in unanswered prayer: If God withholds something, we trust His wisdom. As Psalm 23:1 says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing."

4. Practical Ways to Pray for Daily Bread

• Pray the words Jesus gave us: Say "Give us today our daily bread" to place your entire day in His hands.

• Set today's worries before God: Turn daily anxieties (bills, deadlines, appointments) into daily prayers.

• Set today's calendar before God: Invite God into every meeting, conversation, and task before rushing in.

• Be the provision for others: Ask, "God, who needs daily bread from me today?" God often answers someone else's prayer through your ordinary kindness.

Discipleship Group Questions

1. What "small" concerns do you hesitate to pray about, and why?

2. How does viewing God as a loving Father change how you approach daily needs?

3. Where does the distinction between "need" and "greed" become difficult in everyday life?

4. Which of the six lessons about prayer challenged or encouraged you the most?

5. Who in your life needs "daily bread" right now, and how can you help provide it this week?

Forgiveness | 1 Samuel 16:6-7 | Rainey Segars

Rainey’s message centered on the biblical call to forgiveness, respect, and seeing people the way Jesus sees them. Using 1 Samuel 16:7 as her foundation — “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” — she challenged listeners to rethink how they view difficult people, enemies, and those who have caused pain.

She began with a story about her son being stung by a jellyfish at the beach. Even after being hurt, he was willing to go back into the ocean once the warning flag was removed. Rainey used this image to illustrate an important spiritual truth: believers are called to remain humble enough to “look again” at people and situations, even after experiencing hurt. She connected this to the word “respect,” explaining its roots mean “to look again.” Respect, therefore, is not merely politeness, but the willingness to believe someone’s story or future may be more than we first assumed.

Throughout the message, Rainey emphasized that Jesus modeled this perfectly. While others saw Zacchaeus as a corrupt traitor or the woman at the well as immoral and shameful, Jesus saw dignity, value, and possibility. His compassion and willingness to engage people respectfully became transformational. Rainey pointed out that for the woman at the well, “the respect was the miracle.” Jesus did not simply tolerate people — He restored them through compassion.

The core of the message focused on forgiveness. Rainey argued that modern Christianity often reduces faith to “going to heaven,” while the New Testament emphasizes becoming transformed into people who love enemies, forgive deeply, and reflect the character of Christ. She explained that forgiveness is not optional for Christians because forgiveness is part of the culture of God’s kingdom.

She carefully addressed several “falsehoods” about forgiveness. First, she challenged the idea that unforgiveness is simply “protecting your peace.” While boundaries are sometimes necessary, bitterness disguised as self-care is still bitterness. Jesus Himself did not “protect His peace” when He entered human suffering, served difficult people, and continued loving others despite pain.

Second, Rainey clarified that forgiveness does not mean remaining in abusive situations. Jesus taught confrontation, accountability, and involving community when someone is harmful. Forgiveness does not excuse evil or deny wounds, but it does refuse hatred and keeps the heart open to the possibility of healing and reconciliation.

Another major point was that Christians forgive because they themselves have been forgiven. Using Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant, she explained that believers cannot receive God’s mercy while refusing to extend mercy to others. Forgiveness is evidence of belonging to God’s kingdom and becoming like Christ.

Rainey also stressed that forgiveness is often an act of obedience before it becomes a feeling. Like Ananias reluctantly welcoming Saul, believers sometimes must “do as they are told” even when emotions lag behind. Christian maturity means choosing love and mercy even when it feels unnatural.

She concluded by reminding listeners that forgiveness does not minimize suffering. God fully sees injustice and pain. Yet unforgiveness ultimately poisons the heart and prevents spiritual transformation. Followers of Jesus are called to participate in the life of heaven now by becoming people marked by mercy, humility, and hope. Rainey challenged the church to become a place where respect and forgiveness are normal, and where even small acts of compassion might become miracles in someone’s life.

Discussion Questions

1. Who in your life do you struggle to “look at again” with dignity or hope?

2. What is the difference between healthy boundaries and unforgiveness?

3. Why do you think forgiveness is so difficult, even for Christians?

4. How does remembering God’s forgiveness toward you affect your ability to forgive others?

5. Are there relationships in your life where God may be calling you to take a step toward reconciliation?

6. What does it practically look like to “love your enemies” in everyday life?

7. Rainey said, “Respect was the miracle.” When has someone’s compassion or respect changed your life?

Teach Us to Pray | On Earth as it is in Heaven | Matthew 6:10 | Coleton Segars

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

Introduction

In this message, Coleton walks through one of the most important lines in the Lord’s Prayer:

“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” — Matthew 6:10

Jesus is not giving His followers empty religious words to repeat. He is teaching them how to partner with God in the renewal of the world. This prayer is not passive resignation. It is an invitation into participation with God.

Coleton structures the sermon around three major questions:

1. What is Jesus telling us to ask for?
2. Why doesn’t God just do it without our prayers?
3. What does this mean for our prayers practically?

Throughout the message, Coleton emphasizes a central truth: prayer matters because God has chosen to work through the prayers of His people.

1. What Is Jesus Telling Us to Ask For?

We Are Asking for God’s Kingdom and God’s Will

Coleton explains that Jesus teaches us to pray for two connected realities:

• God’s Kingdom to come
• God’s will to be done

These cannot be separated. God’s Kingdom is the place where God’s will is actually happening.

Coleton uses a quote from Dallas Willard to explain this idea clearly:

“God’s own ‘kingdom,’ or ‘rule,’ is the range of His effective will, where what He wants done is done.” — Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

The sermon explains that every person has a small “kingdom” — a sphere where their choices shape reality. God’s Kingdom is the sphere where His desires, purposes, goodness, and authority reign completely.

So when Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom come,” He is teaching us to pray:

• Let more of what God wants happen here.
• Let more of heaven invade earth.
• Let the qualities of God’s reign spread into places where they are absent.

Coleton says we see the qualities of God’s Kingdom most clearly in Jesus.

When Jesus walked the earth, He announced:

“The Kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Then He demonstrated what that Kingdom looked like.

Coleton walks through example after example from the Gospels:

Abundance Where There Was Scarcity

• John 2
• Mark 6

Jesus multiplies provision and turns lack into overflowing abundance.

Truth Where There Was Hypocrisy

• John 3
• Matthew 23

Jesus exposes false religion and reveals truth that leads to life.

Freedom Where There Was Bondage

• Mark 5

Jesus delivers people oppressed by evil and restores them to wholeness.

Healing Where There Was Disease

• Matthew 8
• Mark 5

The Kingdom of God pushes back sickness and brokenness.

Restoration Where There Was Alienation

• John 4

Jesus restores dignity and relationship to the Samaritan woman.

Hospitality Where There Was Hatred

• Luke 19

Jesus welcomes Zacchaeus when everyone else rejected him.

Life Where There Was Death

• John 11

Jesus raises Lazarus and reveals that death does not get the final word.

Hope Where There Was Despair

• Mark 5

Jesus enters impossible situations and brings hope again.

Love Where There Was Hatred

• Acts 9

The Gospel transforms persecutors into followers of Jesus.

Justice Where There Was Oppression

• Acts 16

God breaks chains and overturns systems of darkness.

Coleton repeatedly reminds the church:

When Jesus extended the Kingdom, He extended these qualities into people’s lives.

So praying “Your Kingdom come” means praying:

• Bring freedom here.
• Bring healing here.
• Bring justice here.
• Bring peace here.
• Bring restoration here.
• Bring hope here.

This prayer is asking for the realities of heaven to invade earth.

2. Why Doesn’t God Just Do It Without Our Prayers?

This becomes the heart of the sermon.

Coleton addresses a question many people quietly wrestle with:

“If God is sovereign, why does prayer matter at all?”

His answer is simple and profound:

Because God has sovereignly chosen to work through people.

God Has Always Worked Through Human Partnership

Coleton goes back to Genesis.

God did not need Adam and Eve to tend the garden. He could have done everything Himself. Yet He intentionally gave humanity responsibility, authority, and participation.

God chose partnership.

Coleton quotes Dallas Willard again:

“We are meant to exercise our ‘rule’ only in union with God, as He acts with us.”

Human beings were designed to work alongside God in stewarding creation.

Prayer is part of that design.

Prayer Is Not an Afterthought — It Is Part of the Way God Ordered the World

Coleton strongly emphasizes:

God does not need intercessors.
He chooses intercessors.

He quotes Tyler Staton:

“Prayer is the means by which we push back the curse that’s infected the world and infected us.”

This is one of the central ideas of the sermon:

Prayer is how God has chosen for His Kingdom to advance.

Coleton gives practical analogies:

• God could have nourished us without food — but He chose food.
• God could have sustained life without oxygen and blood — but He chose those means.
• God could have worked without prayer — but He chose prayer.

Prayer is not magic.
Prayer is partnership.

Your Prayers Actually Matter

Coleton passionately confronts the idea that prayer changes nothing.

He says believing prayer does not matter fundamentally misunderstands how God designed the world.

He points to passages showing the consequences of prayerlessness:

We Miss Things When We Don’t Pray

• 2 Chronicles 16:9

We Make Bad Decisions Without Seeking God

• Joshua 9:14

Some Things Do Not Happen Apart From Prayer

• Mark 9:29

Coleton makes an important clarification:

This is not because God is angry or withholding.
It is because this is the structure God established.

He quotes Charles Spurgeon:

“If you may have everything by asking, and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how absolutely vital prayer is.”

Even Jesus intercedes now for believers.

If prayer did not matter, Jesus would not still be praying.

3. What This Means for Our Prayers

There Is Power in Your Praying

Coleton wants believers to leave with confidence.

Not confidence in themselves.
Not confidence in perfect wording.

Confidence that God has chosen to work through prayer.

He says:

Prayer works powerfully because God has set it up that way.

Coleton quotes Skye Jethani:

“We are active participants with God in the writing, directing, design, and action that unfolds.”

Prayer is participation in God’s work in the world.

Because of that, believers should actually expect God to move when they pray.

Leonard Ravenhill’s quote drives this home:

“You cannot estimate the power of prayer… because He has committed Himself to answer it.”

4. Practical Ways to Pray “Your Kingdom Come”

Coleton closes the sermon with deeply practical guidance.

Pray for Kingdom Qualities Where They Are Missing

He encourages believers to look for brokenness and pray specifically for God’s Kingdom to invade those places.

Tyler Staton’s quote summarizes this beautifully:

“Ask for Jesus to come anywhere and everywhere you know God’s kingdom of love and peace is lacking.”

Examples:

• Pray for friends who do not know Jesus.
• Pray for healing.
• Pray for Memphis.
• Pray for injustice.
• Pray for broken families.
• Pray for mental and emotional struggles.

Coleton encourages practices like:

• Prayer walks
• Prayer drives
• People watching and praying
• Using reminders like a “Pray for Memphis” hat

Prayer becomes a lifestyle of seeing the world through the eyes of God’s Kingdom.

Pray the Promises of God

Coleton teaches believers to pray Scripture because God is faithful to His promises.

He quotes John Wesley:

“The best we can say to God in prayer is, what he hath said to us.”

He then walks through promises believers can pray confidently:

Comfort

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” — Matthew 5:4

Freedom and New Life

“If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Peace

Philippians 4:6–7

Greater Works

John 14:12

Rest

Matthew 11:28–29

Provision

Matthew 6:33
Philippians 4:19
Malachi 3:10

Wisdom

James 1:5

Restoration

Joel 2:25–26
Isaiah 61:3–4

Strength

2 Corinthians 12:9
Isaiah 40:31

Coleton encourages believers to pray these promises boldly because they reveal God’s heart and His Kingdom.

Pray for the Things Jesus Did

Coleton says the Gospels reveal what the Kingdom of God looks like.

So believers should read about Jesus:

• healing,
• restoring,
• forgiving,
• freeing,
• reconciling,

and pray for those same Kingdom realities to happen around them today.

Trust God When Prayers Aren’t Answered the Way You Want

Coleton ends with honesty and pastoral wisdom.

Not every prayer is answered the way we expect.

Paul prayed for the “thorn in the flesh” to leave, but God said:

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

Sometimes God’s Kingdom advances through weakness rather than the removal of suffering.

Coleton reminds the church:

• The apostles experienced miracles.
• The apostles also experienced tragedy.
• Yet they never stopped believing in prayer.

The call of the believer is not to understand everything perfectly, but to trust God in the mystery.

Final Challenge

Coleton closes by bringing everything back to one foundational truth:

Prayer has power because this is how God designed the world to function.

Just as:

• food satisfies hunger,
• water quenches thirst,
• oxygen sustains life,

God has chosen prayer as one of the primary ways His Kingdom advances in the earth.

Jesus teaches His followers to pray because prayer truly matters.

Discipleship Group Questions

1. When you hear the phrase “Your Kingdom come,” what do you naturally think about, and how did this message expand your understanding of it?
2. Which “Kingdom quality” from Jesus’ ministry (healing, restoration, justice, freedom, hope, etc.) do you most long to see break into your own life or your community right now?
3. Why do you think God chose to work through human partnership and prayer instead of simply doing everything Himself?
4. What keeps you from believing your prayers truly matter, and how did this sermon challenge that mindset?
5. What is one practical way you can begin intentionally praying for God’s Kingdom to come in Memphis, your family, your workplace, or your neighborhood this week?

Culture of Gospel

Share this with someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus

What if prayer is not about escaping the world, but partnering with God to heal it? Jesus taught that God’s Kingdom brings hope where there is despair, healing where there is brokenness, and love where there is hatred—and He invites ordinary people to become part of that renewal.

 

Teach Us to Pray | Hallowed be Your Name | Matthew 6:9 | Coleton Segars

Hallowed Be Your Name

Learning to Pray with Wonder, Confidence, and Peace

Jesus does something deeply intentional in the Lord’s Prayer. Before He teaches His followers to ask God for anything, He teaches them to remember who God is. Prayer is not meant to begin with panic, requests, or anxiety—it begins with worship. Coleton explains that when Jesus says, “Hallowed be Your name,” He is teaching us to fill our minds and hearts with the greatness, faithfulness, and power of God before we ever bring Him our needs.

This message is an invitation to become people who truly pray—not mechanically, not cautiously, but with boldness, awe, confidence, and trust.

“Our Father in Heaven” — Remember Who You’re Talking To

Matthew 6:9–13

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…’”

Coleton begins by reminding the church why this prayer series matters so much to him personally. About ten years ago, he began pursuing a deeper prayer life because he wanted prayer to become more than a religious duty—he wanted to love it. During that journey, one quote changed the way he viewed prayer forever.

Quote

“Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” — Samuel Chadwick

That quote helped Coleton realize why prayer often feels difficult. The enemy is not intimidated by human strength, intelligence, or activity. He trembles at the power of God accessed through prayer. Prayer matters because God moves through it.

Last week’s focus in the series was the phrase “Our Father in heaven.” Jesus first teaches us that prayer begins by remembering who we are talking to: not a distant force, but a loving Father who welcomes His children.

Now Jesus takes us one step further.

“Hallowed Be Your Name” — Prayer Begins with Worship

Coleton explains that “hallowed” means to treat God’s name as holy, weighty, glorious, and worthy of worship.

Quote

“‘Hallowed be your name’ means ‘let [your name] be regarded as holy.’ It is not so much a petition as an act of worship; the speaker, by his words, exalts the holiness of God.” — Tremper Longman III

Quote

“Hallowing is an active kind of praying—honoring, adoring, and naming the greatness of God. While ‘Our Father’ is a reminder of God’s intimacy; ‘hallowed’ is a reminder of His incomprehensible greatness.” — Tyler Staton

Coleton explains that hallowing God’s name looks like:

• Saying what is true about God
• Remembering what He has done
• Repeating what He has promised
• Declaring what is possible with Him

This kind of prayer fills the heart with worship before requests are ever made.

The Psalms Show Us What Hallowing Looks Like

Psalm 44 — Remembering God’s Power

Scripture

“With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors… it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face…” — Psalm 44:2–3

The psalmist spends enormous time recounting God’s past faithfulness. He talks about victories God gave, enemies God defeated, and promises God fulfilled.

Coleton points out something fascinating: much of this prayer is telling God things He already knows.

Why?

Not because God needs reminding—but because we do.

We forget who He is. We forget what He has done. We forget His power, His promises, and His faithfulness. Hallowing God’s name recenters the soul.

1. Hallowing His Name Expands Our Vision of What Is Possible

One of the main effects of worshipful prayer is that it stretches our faith.

Quote

“The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something and enter into God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible.” — Corrie ten Boom

Coleton says many Christians pray extremely safe prayers:

• “Keep them safe.”
• “Help them have a good day.”
• “Bless this meal.”

Those prayers are not wrong—but if we truly believe we are speaking to the God of the impossible, why do we so rarely ask Him for impossible things?

Hallowing His name enlarges our imagination for what God can do.

Hezekiah’s Prayer — Worship Before Deliverance

Scripture

2 Kings 19:14–19

King Hezekiah is surrounded by an enormous Assyrian army. Humanly speaking, defeat seems certain.

But notice how he prays:

“Lord, the God of Israel… you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth…”

Before asking for rescue, Hezekiah hallows God’s name. He reminds himself that Assyria may be powerful, but God rules every kingdom on earth.

Only after worship does he ask for deliverance.

Coleton explains that worship gave Hezekiah courage to pray boldly in an impossible situation.

The Apostles in Acts 4 — Worship Produces Boldness

Scripture

Acts 4:24–30

After Peter and John are arrested and threatened, the disciples gather to pray.

What is shocking is what they don’t pray for.

They do not pray for safety.
They do not pray for persecution to stop.

Instead they pray:

“Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders…”

Why?

Because they began by hallowing God’s name. They remembered that God is sovereign, powerful, and able to use evil for good. Worship gave them courage.

Even Jesus Prayed This Way

Scripture

Mark 14:36

“Abba, Father… everything is possible for you.”

In Gethsemane, Jesus Himself begins by declaring what is true about the Father: everything is possible for Him.

Coleton emphasizes that hallowing God’s name even led Jesus to pray honestly and boldly.

Hallowing Changes the Way We Pray

Coleton gives vivid examples of what this can look like in everyday life.

Instead of praying weak, hopeless prayers, we pray with remembrance:

• “You are the God who split the Red Sea—make a way for me.”
• “You heard Hannah’s prayer after years of waiting—hear mine too.”
• “You turned Saul into Paul—change this person’s heart.”
• “You used evil for Joseph’s good—redeem this painful situation.”

Hallowing God’s name teaches us to pray according to God’s character and history.

Asking Big Things Honors God

Quote

“Our God is so good, gracious, and powerful that we can never ask or assume too much of him. We don’t offend Him with large requests; we offend Him with small ones!” — J.D. Greear

Coleton shares the story of Alexander the Great generously granting a soldier’s extravagant request because the request honored both his wealth and generosity.

In the same way, bold prayer honors God because it assumes He is both powerful and good.

2. Hallowing His Name Produces Peace, Rest, and Confidence

Hallowing God’s name does not only increase boldness—it also calms fear.

Psalm 46 — Worship Leads to Fearlessness

Scripture

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1

Then comes the result:

“Therefore we will not fear…” — Psalm 46:2

The psalmist’s peace flows from remembering who God is.

Coleton explains that worship anchors the soul in unstable moments.

Psalm 23 — David’s Confidence Came from God’s Character

Scripture

“The Lord is my shepherd…”

Outcome:

“I lack nothing.”

Scripture

“You are with me…”

Outcome:

“I will fear no evil.”

David’s peace was connected to his remembrance of God’s presence and care.

Coleton and Rainey’s Story of Fear and Faith

Coleton shares a deeply personal moment when someone falsely accused him and tried to get him fired.

Sitting in the car devastated, he and Rainey began hallowing God’s name together. They remembered:

• God sustaining their long-distance relationship
• God healing their relationship during difficult seasons
• God opening ministry doors unexpectedly
• God never once failing them

As they remembered God’s faithfulness, peace slowly replaced fear.

Their conclusion became:
“If God has been faithful before, He will be faithful again.”

And God ultimately took care of them.

Hallowing God’s Name in Real Life

Coleton gives practical examples of how worship reshapes fear:

When Facing Enemies

God used Saul’s attacks to prepare David for kingship. No enemy can stop God’s plan.

When Struggling with Sin

God promises grace greater than our failures.

Scripture

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

When Worried About Provision

Jesus said the Father cares for birds and flowers—and values His children far more.

When Life Feels Chaotic

God still reigns over nations and history.

When Facing Death

Jesus transformed death from ultimate loss into the doorway to eternal life.

Hallowing His name teaches believers to trust God in every circumstance.

Jesus Prepares Us Before We Ask

Coleton points out something powerful in the Lord’s Prayer:

Jesus has not told us to ask for anything yet.

Before requests come:

• We remember He is Father.
• We remember He is holy.
• We remember His power.
• We remember His faithfulness.

Only then are we prepared to pray boldly and trustingly.

Practical Ways to Practice Hallowing His Name

1. Begin Prayer with Worship

Coleton encourages using worship music to shape the heart before praying.

Songs mentioned:

• “Good Plans” — Red Rocks Worship
• “Same God” — Elevation Worship
• “Won’t Stop Now” — Elevation Worship
• “Do It Again” — Elevation Worship
• “I Believe” — Charity Gayle
• “The Truth” — Megan Woods
• “Don’t Fight Alone” — Jon Reddick

2. Remember God’s Promises in Scripture

The Bible teaches us what God has done before so we can trust what He will do again.

Coleton emphasizes that Scripture fuels confident prayer.

3. Remember God’s Faithfulness in Your Own Life

Reflect on:

• Ways God provided
• Times He protected
• Seasons He healed
• Moments He restored

Remembering past faithfulness strengthens present trust.

4. Practice Gratitude

Coleton references One Thousand Gifts and how gratitude journals helped cultivate trust in God’s faithfulness.

The more we notice God’s goodness, the easier it becomes to trust Him for impossible things.

Closing Challenge

Quote

“Powerful prayer begins with adoration.” — Tyler Staton

The heart of this sermon is simple but transformative:

Jesus wants His people to pray with power.

And powerful prayer begins by hallowing the name of God—remembering who He is, what He has done, and what is still possible with Him.

Discipleship Group Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus teaches us to worship before asking for things in prayer? How could that reshape your prayer life?
2. What are some “safe prayers” you tend to pray? What impossible or faith-filled prayers might God be inviting you to begin praying?
3. Which story or example from this sermon encouraged you the most personally, and why?
4. Where have you seen God’s faithfulness in your own past? How can remembering those moments strengthen your trust in your current season?
5. What practical step can you take this week to begin “hallowing His name” more intentionally in prayer?

Culture of Gospel

Share this with someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus

Christianity is not about pretending to be strong—it’s about discovering that there is a God so loving, powerful, and faithful that you can bring Him your impossible situations and your deepest fears. Jesus teaches us that prayer is not talking into the dark, but speaking to a Father who hears, cares, and still changes lives today.

 

Teach Us to Pray | Father In Heaven | Matthew 6:9-13 | Coleton Segars

Teach Us To Pray — “Father In Heaven”

Introduction: Why We Need to Learn to Pray

Coleton begins with a simple but relatable picture: his son Teddy not enjoying golf because he doesn’t know how to play. “I’d enjoy it more if I knew how to hit it.” That insight becomes the doorway into the entire series—many people don’t enjoy prayer because they don’t know how to do it.

The goal of this teaching is not just to inform people about prayer, but to help them experience joy in it. Coleton introduces the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) as the foundation—a short, 31-word prayer in its original language, yet deep enough to shape a lifetime of communion with God.

Key Quote:

• “The Lord’s prayer is simple enough to be memorized by small children and yet profound enough to sustain a whole lifetime of prayer.” — Justin Welby

Coleton explains that this prayer is both:

• A pattern (Matthew: “pray like this”)
• A prayer to be repeated (Luke 11:2: “when you pray, say…”)

Key Quote:

• “We can either use each phrase as a handrail… or pray exactly these words thoughtfully.” — Frederick Dale Bruner

This series will walk through the prayer line by line, beginning with the first phrase: “Our Father in heaven.”

1. Remember Who You’re Talking To (Matthew 6:9)

Coleton emphasizes that Jesus begins prayer by reshaping our understanding of God. Before anything else, we must remember: we are speaking to a Father.

A Radical Shift in Prayer

Jesus adapts a traditional Jewish prayer (the Kaddish), which begins by magnifying God’s name—but instead of starting there, Jesus begins with relationship: Father.

This is intentional. Jesus is not removing God’s holiness—He is making Him personally accessible.

Key Quote:

• “Pray to God more intimately than you think you’re allowed.” — Tyler Staton

The word Abba reflects deep closeness—not childish, but deeply personal. Coleton illustrates this with his son calling him “pop-pop”—a name that reflects relationship, not just title.

Why This Matters

How we perceive God determines how we pray:

• If we think He’s angry → we become guarded
• If we think He’s disappointed → we withdraw
• If we think He’s distant → we disengage

Key Quote:

• “Most people’s biggest problem with prayer is God Himself… scowling, perpetually disapproving…” — Pete Greig

Jesus corrects this: you are approaching the safest, most loving presence you’ve ever known.

If we don’t start here, we won’t pray freely, consistently, or joyfully.

2. Because He is Father — It Shapes How We Talk to God

Coleton addresses a common barrier: “I don’t know what to say.”

Through a deeply personal story about his son’s speech delay, he reveals a powerful truth: a father doesn’t care how polished the words are—he just wants to hear his child’s voice.

That becomes the central image Jesus wants us to carry into prayer.

Freedom Over Formula

While tools like A.C.T.S. or P.R.A.Y. can help, Coleton warns against turning prayer into a rigid system.

We don’t talk to people we love using formulas—so why would we do that with God?

Prayer is meant to be:

• Natural
• Relational
• Honest
• Free

You can:

• Talk about your day
• Share your highs and lows
• Express frustration or confusion
• Sit in silence

Even biblical examples support this:

• The Psalms are full of raw emotion
• Job questions and wrestles with God

Coleton makes a key distinction:

• Complaining to God is prayer
• Complaining about God is grumbling

God desires the first.

3. Because He is Father — It Shapes What We Expect from God

Coleton then shifts from how we speak to what we expect.

Expectation #1: We Should Expect More

Scripture:

• “How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” — Matthew 7:9–11

Jesus teaches that God’s generosity surpasses even the best human parents.

Coleton challenges a common hesitation: feeling guilty for asking God for things. Many people hold back because they think their needs are too small or too selfish.

But a loving father doesn’t shame his child for asking.

He shares a powerful story of rock climbing with his dad—choosing independence over accepting help. Instead of pride, it brought hurt. Why? Because relationship invites dependence.

Key Quote:

• “Jesus is trying to bring us… to the Father with hands out.” — C.H. Dodd

Not asking isn’t humility—it can actually be distance.

Expectation #2: We Should Expect “No”

A good Father doesn’t give everything His children ask for.

God’s “no” is not rejection—it is protection and love.

• He sees what we don’t
• He knows what will harm or shape us
• He gives both yes and no as gifts

Coleton reminds us: don’t let unanswered prayers convince you God doesn’t care. Sometimes His refusal is His deeper kindness.

4. Practicing Prayer as Children of the Father

Coleton ends with practical application: What does it actually look like to pray this way?

You can:

• Pray the Lord’s Prayer word-for-word
• Or use it as a starting point

But most importantly, relate to God as a Father.

Practical Ways to Pray

• Talk to Him about your day (even though He already knows)
• Share what you’re thinking and feeling
• Bring your worries and desires
• Celebrate what’s good and process what’s hard
• Sit quietly with Him
• Even fall asleep while talking to Him

Coleton uses the image of his son talking as he falls asleep—what some might feel is “bad prayer,” a father sees as a gift.

That’s how God sees you.

Key Quote:

• “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” — A.W. Tozer

If we see Him as Father, we will move toward Him—not away.

Conclusion

Coleton brings the message full circle: prayer begins not with technique, but with identity and relationship.

When Jesus teaches us to pray “Our Father,” He is inviting us into:

• Freedom instead of fear
• Relationship instead of ritual
• Trust instead of hesitation

God is not waiting for perfect prayers—He is waiting for His children.

Discipleship Group Questions

1. When you think about God, what is your immediate emotional response—and how does that affect your prayer life?
2. Why do you think Jesus chose to begin prayer with “Father” instead of focusing first on God’s holiness or power?
3. What tends to hold you back from praying honestly and freely with God?
4. Which is harder for you to accept: that God wants to give you more, or that He lovingly says “no”? Why?
5. What is one practical way you can begin relating to God more like a Father this week?

Culture of Gospel

Share this with someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus

What if God isn’t distant or disappointed in you—but actually wants a real relationship with you like a loving Father who enjoys hearing your voice? Jesus teaches that prayer isn’t about getting it right—it’s about coming home to Someone who already wants you.

Teach Us to Pray | Three things to Know about Prayer | Matthew 6:5-8 | Coleton Segars

Learning to Pray

Introduction:

Coleton begins by sharing personally that 10 years ago he didn’t know how to pray—and honestly didn’t think it mattered. But everything shifted when he encountered people who genuinely loved prayer and believed this simple truth:

People who pray will experience more from God and with God than people who don’t.

That statement reframed everything. Coleton points out that prayer is not something we naturally know how to do—it must be learned. But the encouraging truth is: it can be learned.

He highlights something powerful from the Gospels: the disciples never asked Jesus to teach them how to preach, perform miracles, or lead—but they did ask Him to teach them how to pray. Why? Because they saw something in Jesus’ relationship with the Father that they wanted.

Over the past 10 years, Coleton shares that he has experienced more of God than in the previous 29 years of his life—and he attributes that largely to learning to pray.

Quote:

“The greatest undiscovered area in the resources of God is in the place of prayer… you cannot estimate the power of prayer. Prayer is as vast as God because God is behind it.” — Leonard Ravenhill

This sets up the main idea: Jesus wants to teach us how to pray, and in doing so, invite us into a deeper experience with God.

1. God Wants to Actually Meet with You

Coleton’s first point is simple but profound: Prayer is about relationship, not performance.

Main Idea

God is not distant or disinterested—He is eager to meet with you anytime you intentionally turn your attention toward Him.

Bible Passage

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen…” — Matthew 6:6

Coleton explains that Jesus is not giving a rigid rule about location but emphasizing intentionality. The “room” and “closed door” represent focused, personal connection.

Key Insight:

God gives His attention to any place of intention.

Any moment you intentionally turn toward God—whether in a quiet room, your car, during chores, or even a quick pause in a stressful meeting—He meets you there.

Coleton illustrates this with real-life examples, including stepping away during a difficult meeting just to “steal a moment” with God. Even a few seconds becomes sacred when it’s intentional.

He also shares the story of Susanna Wesley, who used her apron over her head as a “prayer closet” while raising 19 children—showing that the “secret place” is less about location and more about focus.

Quote:

“The Father has a special affinity for ‘the secret place’… He is continuously watching there.” — Frederick Dale Bruner

Takeaway

You don’t have to go somewhere special to meet with God.
Any place becomes sacred when you choose to seek Him.

2. Your Prayers Can Be Very Short

The second thing Jesus teaches is deeply freeing: Prayer does not need to be long to be effective.

Bible Passage

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans…” — Matthew 6:7–8

Main Idea

You don’t have to earn God’s attention with long, impressive prayers—you already have it.

Coleton contrasts Jesus’ teaching with pagan beliefs of the time, where people thought they had to “fatigue the gods” with long prayers to be heard.

Quote:

“The pagan rule to get your prayer heard is ‘much.’” — Frederick Dale Bruner

Jesus completely dismantles this idea. God is not reluctant—He is a loving Father who is already attentive.

Key Insight

Because God already hears you, prayer can be as simple as:

• “Help.”
• “Thank you.”
• “I’m sorry.”
• “I need you.”

Coleton shares a relatable analogy: if every phone call with a friend required an hour, you’d hesitate to answer—but if it could be brief, you’d engage more often. Prayer works the same way.

When we realize prayer doesn’t require long stretches of time, we actually pray more.

Quote:

“It is a relief to know that the Father… is not a reluctant listener.” — Frederick Dale Bruner
“Much prayer is not the mediator to God; Jesus is.”

Coleton also addresses persistence in prayer, clarifying:

• Persistence is powerful
• But persistence is not required to be heard

We persist because we are heard—not to be heard.

Takeaway

You always have God’s attention.
Pray anytime, with whatever you have.

3. He Knows How to Help You the Most

The third truth Jesus gives is deeply comforting: God knows exactly what you need.

Bible Passage

“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” — Matthew 6:8

Main Idea

God’s knowledge of your needs is not a reason to stop praying—it’s the reason you should run to Him.

Coleton explains that we are drawn to people who understand us without needing long explanations. He shares a powerful story about his sister, who struggled to find comfort after losing her husband because people cared—but didn’t truly understand what she needed.

Everything changed when she met others who had experienced the same loss. They understood—and because they understood, they could actually help.

That’s who God is.

He doesn’t just care—He understands.

Key Insight

Because God knows what you need:

• He knows how to help you
• He is the best person to go to
• You can trust Him even when you don’t know what to ask for

This is why Jesus later teaches us to pray for “daily bread”—a simple, even vague request—because God already knows what’s behind the request.

Takeaway

You don’t have to figure everything out before you pray.
Go to the One who already knows—and knows how to help.

Application: How to Respond

Coleton closes with clear, practical steps:

1. Choose intentional moments with God

Set aside time—but also take advantage of small, everyday moments to turn your attention toward Him.

2. Pray what you’ve got

Don’t overthink it. Don’t try to impress God. Just talk.

3. Remind yourself who God is

He is attentive, loving, and fully aware of your needs. Pray with confidence in His character.

Final Encouragement

People who pray will experience more from God and with God than people who don’t.

So start simple:

“Lord, I need You.”

Discipleship Group Questions

1. What has your personal experience with prayer been like, and how has this message challenged or encouraged that?
2. What keeps you from intentionally creating space to meet with God, and how can you overcome that this week?
3. How does knowing that God already has your attention change the way you approach prayer?
4. Why do you think short, simple prayers might actually lead to a more consistent prayer life?
5. In what area of your life do you most need to trust that God already knows what you need and can help you?

Culture of Gospel

Share this with someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus

What if God isn’t distant or waiting for you to prove yourself—but is actually a loving Father who already knows you, hears you, and wants to meet with you anytime you reach out?