What does it mean to truly radiate the glory of God in our lives? Are we known for making Jesus known, or do we reflect the distractions of the world? Join us as we explore 2 Corinthians 3 and discover how we can resonate His glory daily. Let's dive in together!
Prayer Prompts
Use these prompts to guide your prayer time as we prepare our hearts for Sunday.
Heavenly Father, as we gather this week, we ask for your guidance in making you known in our lives. Help us to reflect on what we are truly known for and empower us to share your love and grace with those around us, whether at work, in our neighborhoods, or in our daily interactions. May we be bold in our witness, shining your light in every corner of our lives.
Lord, we come before you seeking a deeper experience of your glory in our lives. We confess our tendencies to seek recognition for ourselves instead of radiating your presence. Transform us, we pray, as we immerse ourselves in your Word and look to you for strength. Increase your glory within us, so that we may resonate your love and truth to the world around us.
[Music] [Music] [Music] Hey there friends, welcome to the Sunday setup as we sort of set our hearts uh in line with the scriptures as we prepare for this coming Sunday. This Sunday, I'm privileged to preach here at Cross Church Surprise. And we'll be in 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And as we watch together or read together, if you can find a copy of God's word, either a physical copy or a digital copy, let's begin reading in 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And I want to read starting in verse four into the unto the end of the chapter. Here it goes. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ before God. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves. And I love this. But our adequacy is from God. He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant. Not the letter of the law, but the spirit. For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadily at Moses's face because of its glory which was set aside, how will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry that brought condemnation had glory, the ministry that brings righteousness overflows with even more glory. In fact, what has been glorious is not glorious now, but com by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was set aside was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious. Since then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness. We are not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from gazing steadily until the end of the glory of what was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. For to this day at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains. It is not lifted because it is set aside only in Christ. Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all with unveiled faces are looking into a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. This is from the Lord who is the spirit. You know, as we prepare our hearts for this coming Sunday, as we expose our hearts to this amazing passage, by the way, 2 Corinthians 3 is known as the glory chapter in the Bible. 13 times the word glory or glorious appears in this chapter. So, as we set our hearts to study and expose our hearts to the glory chapter of the Bible, I want to give you two prayer prompts built around two key thoughts that I'll preach about this coming Sunday. Here's the first key thought, and I'll share a prayer prompt along with it. This is the most obvious key thought ever. What you are known for is what you make known. Think about that. Often we say here that our goal, our mission, our vision at Cross Church is to make Jesus known. But what we are known for is what in fact we are making known. Paul was known for making Jesus known. He says in verse four, such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything is coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. And so, here's the first prayer prompt that I want to pray along with you today. Father, how can I look for ways in my life this week to make you known? Let's pray. [Music] Holy Father, I recognize that what I'm known for is what I'm been making known. And if I'm known for a hobby, if I'm known more for my finances, if I'm known more for my personality or my job, God forbid that I'd be known more for that than for you. And I pray this week leading up to Sunday even that I would look for ways and that collectively we would all look for ways to make you known to share you with our neighbors, with our friends, with our co-workers, to the random person we run into at the quick stop or the grocery store at Fries or Safeway or at the bank, Chase Bank, Oh, wherever we may bank, wherever we may live our lives, may we look for ways empowered by your Holy Spirit to make you known. Let me give you a second prayer prompt built around a second key thought that I want to talk to you about Sunday. Here's the key thought. Moses reflected the glory. Jesus revealed the glory and now we get to resonate the glory of God. I told you earlier this whole chapter is the glory chapter in the Bible. And the last verse in this chapter some people think is the most important verse on sanctification. That is us becoming more and more like Jesus. One of the most important verses on sanctification in all of the Bible. Here's what it says. We all, that's you and I, the the church, the called out, the eklesia. We all with unveiled faces are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. This is from the Lord who is the spirit. It is the process of looking into the mirror of God's word and looking into the very glory of Jesus himself that we are being changed or transformed. That word is root word comes from the English word metamorphos that we are being changed from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord. And so with that in mind, here's our final prayer prompt today as we prepare for Sunday. Father, how can you increase your glory and your presence in my life? Pray this prayer prompt. Lord, would you please increase your glory and your presence in my life by Let's pray. [Music] Father, I confess and maybe collectively we would all confess that many times we want the glory. We want people to talk about our accolades and our achievements, but we simply are called to resonate uh and radiate uh the glory of God in us. And I pray this week you would increase your presence and your glory in my life as I look into the mirror of your word and as I look prayerfully into the presence of your son. Lord, help me to express the glory of God and exude and resonate the glory of God more than before. And I pray this in Jesus' name. I look so forward to being with you Sunday preaching here at my home church, Cross Church Surprise, as we look into the glory chapter of the Bible. And may we be changed from glory to glory. [Music]
