Cedar Hills Community Church - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Thoughts and Prayers: Forgiving PrayersPastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - Jesus came to provide forgiveness.TEXT - Luke 23:33-43REVIEW1. We pray simple prayers of trust in our Father. We leap and he catches us.  * L - Look to your Father. * E - Expect the Best. * A - Act like a Kid. * P - Put your trust in God.  2. We have the confidence to ask anything because Jesus is our advocate. He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:233. We pray God-glorifying prayers that help us connect with God even if it disrupts our lives. God is the potter, we are the clay. John 12:20-364. We pray passionate prayers as Jesus prayed in the Garden and we trust that God will help us remain vigilant. Matthew 26:36-46FATHER, FORGIVE THEM (Luke 23:34)1. We need forgiveness. * Romans 3:23. All have sinned. * Psalm 51. Against you and you only have I sinned. * Romans 5:12. Death spread to all.2. God wants to forgive. * Luke 15:20. God ran to him. * Jonah 4:2. I knew you would forgive them. * Psalm 103:8. Compassionate, gracious, slow to anger,

Thoughts and Prayers: Passionate PrayersSteve PooleTEXT: Matthew 26:36-46OUTLINE1. We pray in hope because Christ has bought us victory over death by His blood.2. Jesus invites us to fight with him - in prayer.3. Pray that God will help us remain vigilant.4. We go. We fight. We pray. We give it all, because Jesus gave it all!NEXT STEPS1. Put your faith in Jesus.2. Pray for God to revive your heart and the heart of our church.3. Pray for your loved ones and those in the community who need to believe in Jesus for salvation.4. Find another to sit with you if you are suffering as Jesus was.

Thoughts and Prayers: God-Centered PrayersPastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - God-centered prayers change us.TEXT - John 12:20-36REVIEW1. We pray simple prayers of trust in our Father. We leap and he catches us.  * L - Look to your Father. * E - Expect the Best. * A - Act like a Kid. * P - Put your trust in God.  2. We have the confidence to ask anything because Jesus is our advocate. * Hebrews 10:23 ~ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. * John 12:20-361. Father, glorify your name. * John 12:23 ~ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” * John 12:28 ~ Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” * 2 Corinthians 5:172. Father, connect me to you. * James 4:7-8 ~ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. * Hebrews 10:22 ~ Let us

Thoughts and Prayers: Big PrayersPastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - We pray big, bold prayers because we have an advocate.TEXT - John 17:1-26OUTLINEReview - we pray simple prayers of trust in our Father. We L.E.A.P. and he catches us. L - Look to your Father.E - Expect the Best.A - Act like a Kid.P - Put your trust in God.  Jesus prays a big, bold prayer. (High Priestly Prayer)* Jesus prays for himself. (1-5)* Jesus prays for the 12 disciples. (6-19)* Jesus prays for all believers. (20-26)Jesus intercedes for us.* Faith/faithfulness (11-16)* Sanctification/consecration (17-19)God’s glory.* Community/Community (20-23)* Glory/fruitfulness (24-26)Jesus pleads our case before the judge. * Hebrews 4:14-16 - "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us the

Thoughts and Prayers: Simple PrayerPastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - As children of God we pray simple, childlike prayers.TEXT - Matthew 19:13-16, Matthew 18:1-3OUTLINEOur thoughts and prayers makes a difference.L - Look to your Father. * Matthew 19:13-16. Jesus blesses his children. * Mark 10:16. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.E - Expect the Best. * Luke 11:11-12. If we know how to give good gifts, how much more does our Heavenly Father? * James 1:17. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.A - Act like a Kid. * Matthew 18:3. Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. * Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.P - Put your trust in God.   * Hebrews 4:16. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and f

The Lord’s Prayer: And Do Not Bring Us Into TemptationSteve PooleTEXT – Matthew 6:9-13 CSB1. A better understanding of “Temptation” * James 1:13 * “Do not bring us into trials.”2. Jesus prayed to remove a trial. (Matthew26:39) * “But trials of another kind, persecution, spiritual conflicts, agony of body or of spirit, these may come to us as a test or as a discipline.” ~ Ellicot * Trial, meaning to ‘pierce through, as with a spear or spit’. * A better translation could be “Do not allow us to come into trials beyond which we can endure for Your glory and our growth.”3. Persevering THROUGH trials brings God’s blessing4. God allows trials to come into our lives in order to build us in the faith.APPLICATION1. Share your trial, then pray, “Lord, bring us not into trial, but deliver us from the evil one,” together with another Jesus-follower who gets it.2. Pray for deliverance with perseverance.3. Pray for the global church.

The Lord’s Prayer: Forgive UsPastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - The more I know how much I’ve been forgiven, the more forgiving I become. TEXT - Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 18:21-35OUTLINEFour Truths about Forgiveness.1. Forgiveness is simple.  * Sin needs to be forgiven.  * God forgives our sin. * We forgive others. * We believe in forgiveness. * Matthew 6:122. Forgiveness is complicated. * True or False? * * Where deep wounds between people are concerned, forgiveness can be unpacked in a moment. * * Most people agree about what forgiveness is and how it should take place. * * Good people resolve all their disagreements.  * * There are times when it is wrong to forgive. * For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. James 2:103. Forgiveness is unconditional. * Matthew 18:21-45 * God demonstrated his love for us in this - While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 * God loves sinners unconditionally because there is no good thing in us that moves God to l

The Lord’s Prayer: Give Us This Day our Daily Bread Gary Sager THEME – “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 TEXT - Matthew 6:5-13FOCUS: Our Heavenly Father 1. Pray to the Father about His Name “Hallowed be your name” 2. Pray to the Father about His Kingdom “Your kingdom come” 3. Pray to the Father about His Will “Your will be done” FOCUS: ‘Us’ and ‘Our’ 1. Pray for Provision “Give us this day our daily bread” (Present)2. Pray for Pardon “Forgive us our debts” (Past)3. Pray for Protection “Lead us not into temptation” (Future)FOUR THINGS that this prayer/petition will do for us: 1. Acknowledge Our Dependence - “Give” 2. Deepen Our Compassion - “Us & Our” 3. Affirm God’s Faithfulness for Today - “This Day” * Therefore, I tell you do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body, what you will put on. Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet, your Heavenly Father feeds them (Matt 6:25-26).4. Grow Our Gratitu

The Lord’s Prayer: Your Will Be DonePastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - Teach us to pray so that we have confidence that in our lives we will experience God’s will. TEXT - Matthew 6:9-10, Luke 7:1-10OUTLINE - Praying the Lord’s Prayer grows our confidence.1. We find our confidence in knowing God’s plan.  * What is God’s will (plan) for my life? * Scripture’s inerrancy. * Providential circumstances. * Conviction based on reason. * Holy Spirit impressions. * "Therefore, my brothers, I implore you by God’s mercies to offer your very selves to Him, a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for His acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of the present world, but let your minds be remade and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God and to know it is good, acceptable, and perfect." Romans 12:1-2 NEB2. We ground our confidence in God’s authority. * Luke 7:1-10 * Matthew 8:23-27 * Luke 7:11-17 * Luke 7:36-50 * Matthew 8:28-343. We re

The Lord’s Prayer: Your Kingdom ComePastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - Teach us to pray for more of God’s Kingdom to come - right now!TEXT - Luke 11:1-2, Luke 14:16-23OUTLINE1. Pray for God’s Kingdom to come.* Luke 11:2* Psalm 47:8* Psalm 103:19* Isaiah 52:7* Revelation 19:62. Surrender to God’s reign.* Kingdoms have a king. The king is the ruler. We are not the king.* Luke 14:16-23 (What excuses do we make to avoid surrender and submission to the king?)* “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, 'Mine!'” ~ Abraham Kuyper3. Live into God’s rule. * Your kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)* Luke 7:1-23* “The Kingdom of God is where what God wants done is done.” Dallas WillardNEXT STEPS* Pray.

The Lord’s Prayer: Father, Hallowed Be Thy NameSteve PooleTHEME – The only thing my heart should be hallowing—worshipping—is God.TEXT – Luke 11:1-4Hallowed be Thy name means…* Regard Him as holy. (John Piper)* Praise and honor of God should be the issue of everything. (J.I. Packer)* Soli Deo Glory (Bach)Five Solas1. Sola gratia (by grace alone)2. Solo Christo (on the basis of Christ alone)3. Sola fide (through the means of faith alone)4. Soli deo Gloria (to the ultimate glory of God alone)5. Sola Scriptura (as taught with the final and decisive authority of Scripture alone)“Father, hallowed be thy name”All that is--bows down,all that breathes--cries outat the mention of Your name.Earth and heaven shoutpraise that shakes the groundfor the glory of Your name.

The Lord’s Prayer: Lord, Teach Us to PraySteve PooleTHEME - What does God want to do in my life in 2023?TEXT – Luke 11:1-4OUTLINEWhat would you like God to do in your life this year?What does God want to do in your life in 2023?1. Lord, Teach Us to Pray* Luke 11:1-42. “Opening Windows to God.” ~Frank Laubach * 1 Timothy 2:1 * James 5:13-183. Lord, Teach Us to Pray…* …more expectantly* …more for the sick* …more for our lost loved ones* …more for deliverance from our vices* …more for our leaders* …more for the lost, dark, hopeless world and peopleNEXT STEPS1. Pray “Lord, teach me to pray.” Every day this week.2. Make a plan to “open windows to God” at least once every hour this week.3. Pray every day.4. Intercession. Thanksgiving (SIT)5. Start a prayer journal - write down your prayers

A special Christmas Eve service. To all of our regular listeners, Merry Christmas!Enjoy this special "Glory" song our worship leader wrote from Christmas Eve: "Glory (the Angels' Song)"A Weary World Rejoices: GloryPastor Kent Landhuis

A Weary World Rejoices: A Sound of Angel Voices.Pastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - God's love refreshes the weary soul.TEXT - Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 1:26-38“Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!” 1. God is Love.1 John 4:8. God is love.Psalm 86:14. You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loveJohn 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.Romans 5:8.God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.1 John 4:10. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.Psalm 107:1. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2. Love Protects.Angels rescue Hagar. Genesis 16.Angels save Lot. Genesis 19.Angels comfort Jacob. Genesis 28.Angels deliver Daniel. Daniel 10.Angels defeat Gideon’s enemies. Judges 6. 3. Love Corrects.An angel tells Zechariah about his baby. Luke 1.An angel tells Mary about her baby. Luke 1An angel tells Joseph

A Weary World Rejoices: The Thrill of HopePastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - The thrill of hope about the peace God promises brings joy. TEXT - Isaiah 35:1-10“A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new glorious morn.” 1. Accept No Substitute Peace.Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:14A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:1-3a2. Embrace the disruptive kingdom.He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Isaiah 11:4bFor to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:13. Assume the posture of peace.They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the e

A Weary World Rejoices: A World PiningPastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - We have an irresistible yearning for the world to be better.TEXT - Isaiah 35:1-10“Long lay the world in sin and error pining.”1. Scream out loud.The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. ~ Isaiah 35:1Pining is an irresistible yearning or ache. How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? ~ Psalm 31:12. Take a breath.Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution, he will come to save you.” ~ Isaiah 35:4-5God’s now and not yet “will come” promises. O come, o come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here.Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. ~ Isaiah 7:143. Rest and Rejoice.Then will the eyes of the blind

WALKING WITH JESUS: Relational & IntentionalSteve Poole THEME – Follow me, and I will make you fishers of menTEXT – Matthew 4:19, 1 Corinthians 4:15-17 DISCIPLESHIP IS…1. Discipleship is NOT information transfer, but learning to obediently walk as Jesus walked.2. Discipleship is caught, not taught.3. Discipleship is like spiritual parenting. (1 Corinthians 4:15-17)4. Discipleship is relational and intentional. (Luke 5:27-32)5. Discipleship is our purpose. (Matthew 28:19-20)6. Being a disciple is like being a part of a family. "While loneliness and isolation are unavoidable realitiesof living in this fallen world, relationships give richness and growth to our lives. God created us for connection.Fullness comes to us when we have a solid vertical connection with God and strong horizontal connectionswith others we can pour our love into." ~ Rabbi Sobel NEXT STEPS1. Am I willing to ask God to give me the name of someone who can disciple me? And am I brave enough to ask them to be my spiritual mentor/parent?2. Am

WALKING WITH JESUS: Jesus and FruitLeah CarolanTHEME – The Father is glorified by much fruit.TEXT – John 15:1-8REVIEWJesus was a not a 'super-human' but was fully human walking in the power of the Holy Spirit during His time on earth, and we are empowered by that same Holy Spirit to do the things Jesus did.Three Types of Fruit in the BibleCharacter Fruit – Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)Conduct Fruit – Fruit of Righteousness (Philippians 1:11)Convert Fruit – Making new disciples (Romans 7:4-5)The Story of the Vineyard (John 15:1-8)Jesus is the vine.God the Father is the gardener.Grapes are a symbol of blessing/abiding.Four Levels of Fruit Bearing from John 15No Fruit.FruitMore FruitMuch FruitHow to move from…No fruit to fruit: Address Sin. (John 15:2a)Fruit to more fruit: Accept Pruning. (John 15:2b)More fruit to much fruit: Abide in Jesus. (John 15:5)Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-20)A talent is 1.4 million dollars.Jesus is the master. We are the investment.The Kingdom of God is a sure investm

WALKING WITH JESUS: Leading Into the FuturePastor Kent LandhuisTHEME - It’s a great day to follow Jesus.TEXT - Matthew 9:35-38REVIEWHS… Holy Spirit dependence.P…  Prayerful guidance.O… Obedient living.W… Word-centered hearts.E… Exalting the Father in everything.R… Relational intentionality.1. Kingdom Focused.Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 2. Compassion Driven. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 3. Harvest Ready.Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”Luke 10:1-15. A harvest ready church.10:1-4. Follow our specific call.10:5-6. Fulfill our direct commission.10:7-8. Pursue clear objectives.10:9-15. Maintain confident convictions.NEXT STEPSWhere do we feel called to bring the g

WALKING WITH JESUS: Intentional Loving RelationshipsSteve PooleTHEME - Whatever good we do is the work of God through us.TEXT - Matthew 9:9-13, 9:18-38, 10:1Holy Spirit POWERP - Praying as JesusO - Obeying like JesusW - Word centered like JesusE - Exalting the FatherR - Relational like Jesus1. Jesus prioritized people.2. Jesus saw people, not problems * “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.” ~ Matthew 9:9 * Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. ~ Matthew 9:22 * But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ~ Matthew 9:25 * When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ~ Matthew 9:26REFLECT: * “Am I really willing to be kind to people regardless of their problems?” * “Never let a p