September 19, 2015 - Church at Worship

Sermon: “One: A Prayer for the Disciples”  - by Roy Ice

Pastoral Welcome: Shawna Campbell

Scripture Reading: John 17: 6–19, TNIV

Children’s Feature: Joelle Reuer

Sermon Notes: 

 Have you ever played a sport and your teammates just couldn’t seem to get along? Perhaps there were personality clashes, differing strategies, insecurities, or even jealousy. What was that experience like? Can I make a prediction? Your team didn’t end up winning very often—if ever. Am I right?

As we continue to look at the second part of Jesus’ “closing prayer”—the prayer he prayed the night before his crucifixion—we are going to explore how Jesus prayed for his disciples. He had meticulously hand-selected a team of 12, which would soon be cut to 11. Now they were about to hit the field without him. Would they be able to work as a team without his physical presence? Would they rally as the underdogs, or would they dog each other when mistakes were made?

As Jesus’ next generation of disciples, we must also ask what Jesus’ prayer means for us. What does it look like to be united by God’s name, truth and mission? I invite you to purposefully engage in the message today and ask Jesus what he meant, specifically for you, in this prayer.

Roy Ice

Pastor for Resource Development