Friday, January 18, 2013

The Lord's Prayer Part II - Talking to the Father about the Family, Part 13 of 61

TEXT: "In this manner, therefore, pray: 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 forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:9-12).

IDEA: One image of sin is a debt that must be paid.

PURPOSE: To help listeners begin to feel the power of sin regarded as a debt.

What do we mean by sin?

When we talk about it, don’t we often have specific sins in mind?

I. Look at some of the metaphors the Bible uses for sin. What do they tell you about sin? What don’t they tell you?

Sin is missing a target.

Sin is wandering from a path.

Sin is a beast crouching at the door.

Sin is a hard heart and a stiff neck.

Sin is trespass.

II. Do these images tell you what acts make up a sin? Are they of any value?

III. In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes one of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

What is the image that Jesus gives us for praying about our sin?

When you prayed that prayer, what did you mean by it?