The Lord's Prayer: Our Father in Heaven
Sunday Morning, August 22nd, 2026

Calling God “Our Father” is far more than a comforting way to begin a prayer, it places us inside the great story of redemption God has been writing from the beginning.

Jesus invites us into the intimacy of God’s family, the responsibility of bearing His resemblance, and the privilege of joining the Father’s work in the world.

The Lord’s Prayer begins by shifting our priorities from a ME mindset to a communal US mindset.

The sum of our faith is not just a ME story. Stepping into Jesus’ invitation to call God “our Father” is stepping into the greater story of redemption God has been writing since before the creation of the world.

God reveals Himself as Father in the Exodus story as the One who rescues and redeems His people out of a slavery they could not escape on their own.

Abba is intimate family language, but it is not merely a casual word like “Daddy.” It carries both closeness and proper reverence.

He is personal, but He is also majestic, awe-inspiring, and worthy of our absolute worship and obedience.

When Jesus says “in heaven” He is not describing a God who is far away and detached. God is above all things, ruling and reigning over all creation, and yet He chooses to be near to us.

When we join the family of God through faith in His Son, we have the privilege of growing into a family resemblance.

Jesus lived as the Son who watched and followed the Father.

Jesus shows us what faithful sonship looks like, even when obedience is costly.

The greatest expression of our family resemblance is found not merely in how much we claim to love God, but in how we tangibly love others, even our enemies.

Calling God “our Father” means joining the multitude of God’s people who have participated in His story of redemption.

We live between the advents: Christ has come and broken the bonds of sin and death, and one day He will return and bring the story to its completion. But there is still work to do here and now.

Calling God our Father is a pledge that I have joined my life to God’s Kingdom coming and His name being made great over the earth.

Thanks for being with us this morning.
If you feel your heart being stirred by what it means to call God "Father", we hope you'll allow us to connect with you in the days ahead. Feel free to come talk with us after the service.

You can send in a prayer request on our website:
https://www.TheChurchofJoy.org/prayer

The most important decision.
If you know you've never fully surrendered your life to Jesus, and you feel that you're far from a relationship with Him, we would love to spend some time talking with you about making the decision to follow Him. Come see us after the service or get in touch through our church website.