A More Beautiful Song | Desire in the Kingdom (February 2, 2025)
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Jordan shares about the key theme of desire in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and invites us to consider how our desires are meant to point towards the fullness of God.
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Elements from this morning’s gathering
Call to Worship
Here I am, God
Offering to You the weights and worries of the week
Here I am, God
Offering to You the achings of my heart and the longings of my soul
Here I am, God
Offering to You my desires for wholeness and holiness
Here I am, God
What do you have for me today?
What do you want for me today?
Here I am
Here we are
Come, Holy Spirit
Scripture Reading
Readings from Matthew, Chapters 4 – 7
From that time Jesus began to announce:
“Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!”
One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down.
His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do… Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May what you desire be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to at the time of the test,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Your Father already knows all your needs, so desire the Kingdom of God above all else, and live right by God and others, and God will give you everything you need.
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
So in everything, do to others whatever you would desire that they do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.