Transforming Lives Through Christ's Love and Grace

Psalm 103 reminds us to praise the Lord and not forget all his benefits, and today we gather to remember and celebrate the transforming love and grace of Jesus. We began by reflecting on how Jesus changes lives—he wipes away tears, redeems brokenness, and offers forgiveness freely. This is not just a story from the past, but a living reality for each of us. We are called to let Jesus change our lives, to let his love and grace shape who we are and how we live.

As we worship, we remember those who have gone before us and the ways our community has shown compassion and hospitality in times of loss. We confess our sins, acknowledging that we often choose conflict over harmony, death over life, and our own way over God’s. Yet, God’s mercy is greater than our failures, and in Christ, we are made alive and forgiven. This forgiveness is not just for us to receive, but to share with others, embodying kindness, compassion, and love in our daily lives.

The readings from Psalm 138 and Colossians 2 remind us that God’s steadfast love endures forever and that we are to continue walking in Christ, rooted and built up in faith. We are warned not to be taken captive by empty philosophies, but to remember that in Christ, we have fullness and freedom. Our baptism unites us with Christ’s death and resurrection, erasing the record of our sins and triumphing over all that would hold us captive.

We explored the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer, especially the petition, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This is a dangerous prayer, for it asks God to overturn the broken systems of our world and to replace them with his kingdom of grace, mercy, and justice. It is a prayer that challenges us to recognize that things are not as they should be, both in the world and in our own hearts. Praying for God’s will to be done means surrendering our desires and trusting that God’s way, though sometimes uncomfortable or costly, is ultimately good.

We are invited to be living witnesses of God’s kingdom, showing the world what it means to follow Jesus through acts of kindness, compassion, and sacrificial love. As we gather at the table, we are reminded of Christ’s sacrifice and the vision of God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. We go forth filled with bread and wine, body and blood, grace and goodness, to serve the Lord and our neighbors, trusting that God’s kingdom is coming and his will is being done, even now.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Transforming Power of Jesus’ Love Jesus does not simply offer us comfort or advice; he offers transformation. He wipes away the tears of our broken dreams and wasted years, and he invites us to let him change our lives from the inside out. This transformation is not a one-time event but an ongoing process as we open ourselves to his love and grace each day. The invitation is always present: let Jesus change your life, and you will find hope and healing beyond what you could imagine. [03:12]
• 2. Living as Visible Witnesses of Christ The world should be able to recognize followers of Jesus not by outward labels, but by the way we live—through kindness, compassion, and care for others. Our faith is meant to be visible in our actions, especially in places where it is most needed, like schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. When we embody Christ’s love, we become living testimonies to the reality of God’s kingdom breaking into the world. [19:38]
• 3. Praying Dangerous Prayers: “Thy Kingdom Come” To pray for God’s kingdom to come is to ask for a radical reordering of the world’s values and systems. It is a political and spiritual act, challenging the violence, greed, and injustice that persist around us. This prayer is not just about longing for a better world, but about inviting God to use us as agents of his kingdom—people who forgive, serve, and love in ways that subvert the status quo. [28:55]
• 4. Surrendering to God’s Will Over Our Own “Thy will be done” is a prayer of surrender, acknowledging that our desires are often at odds with what is truly good for us and for the world. It is a dangerous prayer because it asks God to crucify our will and raise up his own within us, even when it is uncomfortable or costly. True discipleship means trusting that God’s will, though sometimes mysterious or difficult, leads to life and wholeness. [34:45]
• 5. Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers When we pray for God’s kingdom and will to be realized “on earth as it is in heaven,” we are also asking God to make us participants in that work. Heaven is not just a distant place, but the condition of being with God and God being with us. As we are changed by God’s grace, we are sent to change the world—bit by bit, act by act—until God’s presence and love are known everywhere.
  
  ** [35:26]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:41] - Opening Song: Let Me Tell You About My Jesus
• [04:37] - Community Welcome and Remembrance
• [05:19] - Opening Prayer and Confession
• [07:26] - Song: Oh, How I Love Jesus
• [10:55] - Prayer for Wisdom and Openness
• [13:13] - Psalm 138 Reading
• [14:36] - Colossians 2:6-15 Reading
• [16:30] - Children’s Sermon: Crocodile or Alligator?
• [20:55] - Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
• [21:37] - Gospel Reading: Matthew 6 and the Lord’s Prayer
• [22:47] - Asking for a Friend: New Series Introduction
• [25:06] - Wrestling with “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done”
• [28:55] - The Radical Nature of God’s Kingdom
• [31:29] - Surrendering Our Will: The Story of Clive
• [35:26] - Heaven as God’s Presence with Us
• [36:06] - Song: I Have Found a Friend in Jesus
• [40:30] - Prayers for the Church and the World
• [43:58] - Announcements and Community Life
• [47:10] - Outreach Highlight: The Nunchong Project
• [53:55] - Holy Communion and Sending
• [58:24] - Closing Song: No Sweeter Name
• [61:37] - Blessing and Final Song
• [65:19] - Dismissal: Go in Peace

Bible Reading

Psalm 138 (ESV) — > I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Colossians 2:6-15 (ESV) — > Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV) — > Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Observation Questions

1. In Psalm 138, what reasons does the psalmist give for praising and thanking God? What does the psalmist say about God’s steadfast love and faithfulness?
2. According to Colossians 2:6-15, what does it mean to be “rooted and built up in Christ”? What warnings does Paul give to the church?
3. In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), what are the main things Jesus teaches us to pray for?
4. The sermon described the Lord’s Prayer as a “dangerous prayer.” What makes praying “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done” so risky or challenging? ([27:00])

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon says that Jesus’ love doesn’t just comfort us, but transforms us. What does it look like for someone’s life to be changed “from the inside out” by Jesus? ([03:12])
2. When Paul warns against being “taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit,” what kinds of ideas or influences might this refer to in our world today? How can we stay “rooted” in Christ? ([14:36])
3. The sermon points out that praying for God’s kingdom to come is a prayer for God to overturn the broken systems of our world. What are some examples of “broken systems” that need God’s kingdom to break in? ([28:55])
4. The phrase “Thy will be done” is described as a prayer of surrender. Why is it so hard to pray for God’s will instead of our own? What fears or hesitations might people have about this? ([34:45])

Application Questions

1. The sermon invites us to let Jesus change our lives. Is there an area of your life where you need Jesus’ transforming love right now? What would it look like to open yourself to that change? ([03:12])
2. The children’s sermon talked about how people should be able to recognize followers of Jesus by their kindness, compassion, and care. Where in your daily life (work, school, neighborhood) do you have the chance to show Christ’s love in a visible way? ([19:38])
3. The Lord’s Prayer asks for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven.” What is one specific way you can be part of bringing God’s kingdom—grace, mercy, justice—into your community this week? ([28:55])
4. The sermon described “Thy will be done” as a dangerous prayer because it means surrendering our own desires. Is there something you are holding onto that you need to surrender to God? What would it take to trust God with it? ([34:45])
5. The sermon said that forgiveness is not just for us to receive, but to share. Is there someone you need to forgive, or someone you need to ask forgiveness from? What step could you take toward that this week? ([06:46])
6. The sermon challenged us to become the answer to our own prayers for God’s kingdom. What is one “bit by bit, act by act” way you can help make God’s presence and love known in your home, church, or city? ([35:26])
7. After receiving communion, the congregation is sent out “filled with bread and wine, body and blood, grace and goodness, to serve the Lord and our neighbors.” How can you carry the grace you receive in worship into your week ahead? ([57:05])