Bent Oak Church

There are few themes in the bible more prominent than the kingdom of God. It's not surprising that Jesus includes it, but what does it mean? How does it change the way we pray?

Hallowed isn't a term we use too often—Licoln once used it to hallow the ground at Gettysburg. But be honest, we aren't entirely sure what it means to begin our prayer with it. In this sermon, we work out a definition of this first request and consider how it changes our approach to prayer.

Jesus begins his prayer, not with a request but with a grounding reality—God is our father. Everything that comes after will be shaped by this truth. By Christ, we are made brothers and Sisters.

Before Jesus takes up the task of teaching his disciples how to pray, he first lays out some warnings.

The ending of the book of judges is boring—hard to get through. For several chapters, we felt the tension and sin of Israel building. But no one had expected the story to fizzle out in this kind of mundane complexity. The author of Judges is teaching us an important point about sin.

Samson and Delilah's story is one of the most well known in the book of Judges. But the story might actually surprise you. Samson is a complex character by this point. Tired of his calling. Frustrated with God's relentless pursuit.

Samson can't help but be pulled into more violence. Polarization, abuse, self-centeredness, Samson teaches us about our own world and the challenges of recognizing what God is doing.

A lion's carcass full of honey bees is a strange sight. For Samson it is a test. All of his senses pulled into a moment, a sign, of what God is about to do. Samson misses it.

The prophecy of Samson's birth is a miracle. But it isn't easy for everyone to see. Monoah, Samson's father, isn't involved the way he feels he deserves.

Jephthah's story is a major turning point in the story of Judges. God, for the first time in the story of Judges, tells Israel that He will no longer deliver them. Their idolatry has spread too far and worked itself too deep. Israel turns to Jephthah. His story helps us better understand God's own relationship with Israel and gives us a better understanding of true repentance.

Things continue to get worse for Israel. It is becoming more difficult to recognize the good guys from the bad. Abimelech is the first in all of scripture to claim the title of king. The story lays bare the rocky path of ambition.

Gideon's story begins in hiding. By the end, Gideon can't keep himself out of the center of the story. Pride, we soon discover often finds its most fertile ground in those who have risen the furthest.

Abimelech's story is a story about leadership and getting things done. Abimelech is a man of action. A man who our culture would applaud for initiative. But judges forces us to take a closer look and has more difficult questions about who we are following and how we measure true leadership.

Gideon is an unlikely Judge. Hiding, trying to scrape out a living, he sure doesn't seem like a mighty warrior. But that's exactly how the angel of God sees it.

War has broken out in Israel. Leaders are hard to find. Reluctant and fearful, Israel finds strength in an unlikely leader.

They don't get any more strange than this. Ehud and Eglon are one of the most remarkable and weird stories in the whole bible. But more is going on than first catches our attention.

Chapter 1-2 of Judges introduces us to the narrative form that will give shape to the stories of Judges. We are also introduced to the first judge.