The doctrine of predestination grounds both our understanding of grace and the ministry of the Spirit. God’s foreknowledge of each believer ensures that grace can be effective in the specific circumstances of our lives. Are we seeking purpose and integration in something other than God’s plan for us?
Preached on July 30, 2023 at St. Peter’s Lithgow, Millbrook, New York.
Proper 12 - Year A
Romans 8:26-39
Read the sermon here.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
1. The prophet Malachi says, “For I, the Lord, do not ____________.”
2. True or False: prayer is the same thing as “sending good thoughts” or “vibes.”
3. According to Paul, who teaches us how to pray?
4. Explain how the doctrine of predestination is misunderstood.
5. What is one objection to the doctrine of predestination?
6. Explain Pharaoh’s purpose in the Exodus story.
7. We should not pray for novelties or a ____________.
8. When we pray, we are asking God to give the moments in our lives ____________.
9. Prayer and sin are ____________.
10. Explain why prayer and sin are incompatible.
11. God does not promise to ____________ the significance of each painful moment.
12. The original and oft-repeated sin is ____________.
Parents and Grandparents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents or the minister after church. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Count how many times “significance,” “purpose,” and “meaning” are mentioned. 2) Discuss with your parents what it means to have a purpose in life.
(1) change; (2) False; (3) the Holy Spirit; (4) by making God seem capricious and unjust; (5) it seems to deny man’s free will; (6) to be destroyed by God so that the Israelites would see that God is just and will execute justice on ungodly men; (7) sign; (8) significance; (9) incompatible; (10) sin robs the moments of our lives of the significance God wants them to have; (11) explain; (12) to attempt to determine our own meaning, purpose, and significance
What Does Prayer Actually Do?