INTRODUCTION

Have you ever given in to a request simply because someone would not stop asking? Maybe it was a child asking for a snack, a friend texting for help, or a family member who just kept bringing something up until you finally said yes. That kind of persistence is exactly what Jesus points to in Luke 11.

After sharing a story about a friend who kept knocking on a door late at night until it was opened, Jesus tells His disciples to ask, seek, and knock. However, Jesus is not saying that God is annoyed by our requests or needs to be convinced. Instead, He is showing the difference between an unwilling person and a loving Father. If persistence can move someone who does not want to help, how much more can we trust God, who already cares deeply about us.

Asking is about being honest with God. It shows that we recognize God as our source. Many of us try to solve problems on our own, whether it’s because we don’t want to burden God with our needs or because we believe that we shouldn’t have desires. But all throughout Scripture we are encouraged to go to God in prayer boldly and with anticipation. Asking is not a weakness; it’s a sign of trust.

Seeking goes a step further. Seeking means our actions match our prayers. We cannot ask God for guidance and then ignore what He shows us. Seeking is about moving in the same direction as our prayers – choosing habits, decisions, and paths that line up with what we are asking God to do in our lives.

Knocking is about not giving up when things feel closed off. Life is full of moments that feel like locked doors. Jesus encourages us to keep knocking despite what circumstances look like. Persistence shows we believe that something is happening, even when we cannot see it yet.

Together, ask, seek, and knock show us that prayer is active, honest, and ongoing. Jesus invites us to keep coming back to God with trust, confidence, and endurance. When it comes to prayer, we are called to P.U.S.H. – pray until something happens.

GETTING STARTED

1. If you got lost while traveling, are you more likely to ask for help or try to figure it out yourself?
2. What’s something you’ve asked for in the past that took longer than you expected? How did it feel when you finally received it?

LET’S GET PERSONAL

1. In what areas of your life have you been hesitant to ask God for what you need or desire?
2. Is there a “closed door” that you have been tempted to stop knocking on?
3. How does understanding God as a loving Father change the way you approach prayer?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

1. What is one specific request you will intentionally and persistently bring to God this week?
2. As you close your time with your group, pray together and ask God to help you remain faithful in prayer, even when answers do not come right away.
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Luke 11:9; Mark 11:24; John 16:24; James 4:2-3; 1 John 5:14; Matthew 6:8; Ecclesiastes 3:1; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 6:33; Isaiah 55:6; 1 Chronicles 16:11; Romans 12:12; Galatians 6:9.

RENEW YOUR MIND

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:9

INTRODUCTION

A masquerade ball is built on illusion. People who attend the ball wear masks that are carefully crafted. The roles they play are rehearsed. Their appearances are intentionally curated for admiration. From the outside looking in, everything looks impressive but beneath the surface, in a room full of people, no one is fully known. Jesus uses a similar image in Matthew 6 to expose how easily prayer can be like a masquerade – a performance rather than a personal encounter with God.

In this passage, Jesus addresses the right motivations and intent behind prayer. He makes it clear that prayer is expected in the life of a believer, saying “when you pray,” not “if you pray.” He also warns against “praying on display” or praying in ways that are meant to impress people instead of connecting with God. When prayer becomes about being seen or heard by others, the reward of prayer stops with the applause of people.

Jesus points His listeners to the “inner room,” a place that represents private devotion and honesty. Jesus isn’t saying public prayer is wrong. Instead, He is teaching that prayer should come from a sincere heart, not a desire for approval. God sees what happens in secret, and He responds to prayer that is real and honest.

This passage invites us to look closely at our own prayer lives. Are we focused first on talking to God, or on trying to sound spiritual? Are we wearing a mask, or coming to God just as we are? Jesus calls us to remove the mask and return into authentic relationship where prayer is no longer a performance, but a sacred meeting place with the Father.

GETTING STARTED

1. Have you ever felt pressure to “look put together” even when you weren’t feeling that way inside?
2. When it comes to having meaningful conversations, do you prefer quiet, private moments or shared, group settings?

LET’S GET PERSONAL

1. How would you describe your current prayer life – more public, more private, or a mixture of both?
2. Is there an area of your life where you have been more concerned with appearance than authenticity before God?
3. How can you shift your focus in prayer from sounding right to being real with God?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

1. What practical steps can you take this week to create intentional space for private prayer with God?
2. Pray and ask God to expose any masks you may be wearing in your prayer life and to lead you into deeper authenticity.
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Matthew 6:5-6; Colossians 4:2; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Matthew 14:19; 2 Chronicles 6:1-42; Nehemiah 9:5-38; Acts 2:24; Jeremiah 17:10; 1 Samuel 16:7; Ephesians 3:17; Psalm 51:6; Psalm 139:23; Romans 10:9-10

RENEW YOUR MIND

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
Matthew 6:5-6

INTRODUCTION

‘Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.‘ – 1 Chronicles 4:10 NASB

As you listen to today’s message, listen for the following main points:

1. Bless me
2. Enlarge my territory
3. May your hand be upon me
4. Keep me from harm

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What are you believing God for?
2. Are you praying limited prayers? Why?
3. What does your current prayer life reveal about how you see God?
4. Where in your life do you need to rely more on God’s hand than your own strength or control?

PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

Take time to pray for one another, using the four areas highlighted in today’s sermon.

INTRODUCTION

The holiday season is often filled with excitement, traditions, and familiar routines, but at its heart, this season is about a gift the world desperately needs. In Luke 2:25-30, Jesus entered a world marked by hardship, uncertainty, and longing. God’s people were waiting for relief from suffering, injustice, and fear. Many hoped for change through power or politics, but God’s answer was far more personal. He sent the Messiah to bring salvation, peace, and restoration. 

Luke introduced us to Simeon, a man who represented that longing. He was waiting for what Scripture calls the consolation of Israel – the comfort and hope God had promised to His people. Simeon did not recognize Jesus by accident. The Spirit helped Simeon see what others missed. This child was God’s salvation, right in front of them. 

Jesus does not just provide temporary relief, but lasting hope. He is the gift that fulfills what our hearts are searching for. He brings comfort where there has been sorrow, clarity where there has been confusion, and peace where there has been unrest. The world offers many distractions wrapped in bright packaging, but only Christ delivers what He promises. 

This passage invites us to slow down during a busy season and consider what we are truly looking for. Christmas reminds us that God does not simply offer comfort from a distance. Through Jesus, and by His Spirit, He comes close. When we are led by the Spirit to recognize Christ for who He is, we discover that the gift we’ve been waiting for has been here all along. 

GETTING STARTED

1. What’s the best “unexpected gift” you’ve received?
2. When you meet someone for the first time, what stands out to you, and why?

LET’S GET PERSONAL

1. Simeon was known for strong character. In what ways does your character help, or hinder, your ability to point others toward Christ?
2. Do you ever find yourself searching for comfort apart from God?
3. Simeon recognized Jesus when others missed Him. What spiritual disciplines help you stay sensitive to God’s voice in busy or challenging seasons?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

1. Identify a place in your life where you’ve been looking for “consolation” or comfort outside of Christ. What would it look like to turn toward Him instead?
2. Pray and ask God to help you slow down this season and, by His Spirit, see and receive Jesus for who He truly is.
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Luke 2:25-30; Ephesians 4:1; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah 52:9; Isaiah 61:1-2; John 16:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:10-12; Ephesians 1:17-18; John 15:26.

RENEW YOUR MIND

‘And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.’ 

Luke 2:25

INTRODUCTION

After forty years in the wilderness, Israel stood on the edge of the Promised Land with a critical decision before them. They had lived through miracles, battles, rebellion, wandering, and God’s consistent provision. Now, Moses addressed a new generation on the plains of Moab, giving them a clear and unavoidable choice: life or death. There was no neutral ground. There was no “in-between” option. Moses wanted the people to understand that entering the land would require decisive obedience, unwavering love for God, and a commitment to live differently than the generation before them. 

Life, as Moses defined it, was not simply survival. It was fruitfulness, blessing, and the ability to flourish under God’s rule. Death, on the other hand, was not just physical. It was a miserable, unproductive existence and a life that misses God’s best. The choice was determined by the heart. If the people loved God, walked in His ways, and obeyed His commandments, they would experience blessing in the land. But if their hearts drifted, if they pursued other gods or allowed themselves to be shaped by the culture around them, the result would be loss, bondage, and spiritual decline. 

The same choice stands before believers today. We live in a world full of distractions, competing voices, shifting values, and temptations that can pull our hearts away from God. Loving God requires action, consistency, and obedience, especially when life becomes challenging. Moses’ words remind us that spiritual growth is intentional, blessing requires participation, and compromise always costs more than we expect. 

God offers life, but He will not force us to choose it. Every decision, habit, and affection is shaping who we are becoming. The invitation is the same now as it was then. Choose life so you, and the generations after you, may truly live. 

GETTING STARTED

1. What is a small, everyday choice you make without thinking (what you wear, coffee order, parking spot, etc.)? 
2. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by too many choices? What do you do in those moments? 

LET’S GET PERSONAL

1.  Moses presented only two options: life or death. Where do you see the temptation to live in the “gray area” instead of making a clear spiritual choice?
2. Moses warned of hearts that turn away. What distractions, desires, or pressures tend to pull your heart away from God? 
3. Can you identify a place where you’ve been trying to “change your scenery” instead of letting God change your heart? 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

1. Where do you need to replace compromise with obedience in order to experience God’s blessing? 
2. Pray and ask God to help you choose life in your daily decisions and to align your heart with His will. 
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Deuteronomy 30:15-19; Colossians 3:23; Romans 5:8; Matthew 5:44; John 14

RENEW YOUR MIND

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.

Deuteronomy 30:19 

INTRODUCTION

Discouragement is more than an emotion. It can become a spiritual turning point. In Numbers 21, Israel hit a difficult stretch of the journey when they were forced to detour around Edom. The long, exhausting route wore them down until their discouragement shifted from silent frustration to spoken unbelief. They rejected God’s provision, dismissed His miracles, and used their words to protest instead of pray. Their response revealed the real issue: their hearts were drifting from trust to resentment.

That drift opened the door for fiery serpents. Israel was bitten by what they had spiritually aligned themselves with. They didn’t just face a physical problem; they were experiencing the consequences of a spiritual posture. The journey was hard, but the consequence was worse. Yet, even in judgment, God provided a path to healing. When the people confessed their sin, God told Moses to lift a bronze serpent high on a pole. Whoever looked at it lived. The message was simple. You cannot save yourself; you cannot fix yourself, and you cannot look anywhere else. Life only comes by looking up.

Every believer will have seasons in their lives that are challenging, but difficulty doesn’t give us permission to drift. Complaining may feel harmless, but it can open the door to spiritual decline. When discouragement starts to bite – through old habits, old mindsets, or old temptations – healing still comes the same way: by fixing our eyes on the One lifted up. Jesus is the only remedy for the venom of sin, and looking to Him is how we move from death back into life.

GETTING STARTED

1. What is one everyday situation that makes you feel impatient (e.g., traffic, long lines, slow responses)?
2. Have you ever taken a “scenic” or inconvenient detour because your original route was blocked? How did it make you feel?

INTRODUCTION 

After coming through the Red Sea, the Israelites were thirsty. It only took three days for them to complain after seeing a miracle from God. We often have spiritual amnesia when a struggle shows up. We forget the big miracles like taking a breath, waking up in the morning, and surviving our worst days. How quickly we complain!

Their surplus turned into lack, and their spiritual prowess showed up. We find out who we really are in lack. The Israelites needed water and found themselves in a place called Marah meaning “bitter.” They had become “bitter believers.” The problem with Marah was that there was water there that they couldn’t drink. When you’re bitter, provision also seems just as bitter as you are.

Miracles don’t necessarily give believers sustaining faith. A sustaining faith is a settled conviction that Jesus is trustworthy. In church, we celebrate miracles, but celebration does not correlate to conviction. As soon as we have lack, all faith disappears that our Father will provide for us.

But even in our complaining, God still provides. God instructed Moses to go get a tree and throw it into the waters. When the tree entered the bitterness, there was a transformation. Jesus entered the bitterness of people and took it on so that we could have a sweet result. He did not just come to give us life, but life more abundantly.

When we are in a bitter state, we have to stop throwing complaints at our situations and start throwing the cross at it. The Word works when we work it. We must be aggressive in applying God’s Word. The cross was not just to save us for heaven, but to save us on earth. Jehovah Jireh is more than enough. He has given us a Word to make bitter sweet. Apply it to your situation.

GETTING STARTED

1. What’s something small or ordinary that you often take for granted until it’s gone?
2. Have you ever caught yourself complaining right after God came through for you in a big way? What happened?

LET’S GET PERSONAL

1. What’s your go-to response when you are in lack? Is it to complain, panic, pray, or isolate?
2. Have you ever realized you were becoming “bitter” about something? What helped you recognize it?
3. What’s one way you’ve seen God “sweeten” a bitter situation in your life?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

1. What specific scripture can you begin declaring over a bitter situation this week?
2. Pray and ask God to reveal any areas in your heart that have become bitter so He can transform them with His truth and healing.
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Exodus 15:22-25; Ecclesiastes 2:11; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9; Proverbs 3:5-6; Exodus 15:18; Matthew 6:25-34; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:5; John 10:10; Jeremiah 31:33; John 16:33; Psalm 68:5; Exodus 15:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:13; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 22:28; Romans 8:28; John 4:10; John 6:35.

RENEW YOUR MIND 

‘Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them.’

Exodus 15:25

INTRODUCTION 

A nail biter is a situation where you have no idea how you’re going to get out. Sometimes, God comes through in a nail biter, and when He makes a way out of no way, your celebration is different. In Exodus 14, the Israelites find themselves in a nail biter.

The Lord told Moses to have the Israelites camp between the Egyptians pursuing them and the sea in front of them. God placed them in a position of insecurity and vulnerability so He could get the glory. Often, we live in that tension — feeling yesterday’s trauma still pulling while trying to walk into tomorrow. But this place of challenge and difficulty is often the precursor to the victory.

The enemy has a way of making you look back and question following God, but God allows nail biters to occur in our lives, so we can learn to trust Him. As the Egyptians closed in on the Israelites, Moses told the people of God to stand, not fear, be quiet, and see the salvation of the Lord. When your instinct is to fear, run, fight your own battles, or complain, learn to do the same.

The Lord told Moses to tell the people to stop praying and crying out to Him and instead to move forward. The Israelites’ prayers had turned into constant complaints! Sometimes we love prayer meetings with no action items, but the salvation of the Lord comes when we obey. When the Israelites stepped forward, the cloud that had been leading them shifted behind them to protect them. God literally had their backs.

At the sea, Moses stretched out his hand and the Lord sent a strong wind all night to sweep the waters back. The miracle wasn’t the water moving; it was the wind. God introduced His people to His Spirit—the wind that carries, leads, guides, and protects. So, when you’re caught between a rock and a hard place, remember: God may just be introducing you to His Spirit.

GETTING STARTED

1. Have you ever had a “nail biter” moment in life where you didn’t know how it would work out?
2. How do you usually respond when you feel “caught in the middle” with no clear way forward?

LET’S GET PERSONAL

1. What’s an area of your life right now where you sense God asking you to move forward into the unknown?
2. When the Israelites moved forward, the cloud moved from leading to guarding. How have you experienced God protecting you and having your back?
3. Where have you seen the Holy Spirit quietly at work behind the scenes in your life?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

1. How can you make space this week to listen for and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit?
2. Pray and ask God to show you how He is calling you to move forward in faith, even if it feels like a nail biter.
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Exodus 14:10, 21-22; Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20; Job 42:5; 1 John 4:4; Luke 17:32; Genesis 1:1.

RENEW YOUR MIND 

‘Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

— Exodus 14:13-14

INTRODUCTION 

After Pharaoh released the Israelites, God began to lead them. In Christ, there is complete salvation. When you’re saved, the enemy must let you go from the bondage of sin. Now God, not the enemy, determines the path. 

Notice how God directs Israel. Instead of taking them the short route along the coast, He takes them another way because He knows what they don’t. We want the beach walk, the fast track to milk and honey. But the short way would have left Israel unprepared. The Philistines lived along that route and facing them too soon would’ve sent Israel running back to Egypt. The short route also carried reminders of Egypt—their past pain and trauma. Sometimes what looks like the quickest blessing would destroy us if we’re not developed first. This is God’s track record: there is always a process before the promise. When God is leading, He is developing. 

When God led Israel into the wilderness, toward the Red Sea, that wilderness was not punishment—it was preparation. Development always comes before destiny. Israel needed faith in the wilderness so that when they reached the promised land, they wouldn’t hesitate when God told them to walk around Jericho’s walls. Sanctification is rarely easy, but it’s necessary. 

As they left Egypt, Israel carried the bones of Joseph, a reminder of God’s faithfulness. Generations before had taken the long way, and their testimonies prove the long way is the right way. God always finishes what He starts, even when we feel incomplete. And through it all, God’s presence never left them. By day and by night, He was there. The wilderness isn’t just the place of waiting—it’s the place of His presence. Don’t get so focused on the destination that you miss the God who walks with you. 

GETTING STARTED

1. Can you think of a time when God’s “detour” protected you from something you couldn’t see? 
2. Whose story of faith inspires you when you feel like your own journey is taking too long? 

LET’S GET PERSONAL

1. What’s your reaction when life feels like a wilderness season? Do you lean in or try to return to what feels easier? 
2. How do you personally recognize God’s presence in the middle of hard or waiting seasons? 
3. How can remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthen your faith in your current wilderness season? 

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

1. What does it look like for you to shift your focus from reaching a destination to experiencing God’s presence in the journey? 
2. Pray and ask God to show you how He is developing your faith in this current season. 
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Exodus 13:17-22; Proverbs 13:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Exodus 11:1; Romans 6:4; Hebrews 12:6; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:22-23; Matthew 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:5; Isaiah 64:6; Genesis 50:24-25; Philippians 1:6; Psalm 16:11. 

RENEW YOUR MIND 

Now when Pharoah had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 

— Exodus 13:17