What does the parable of the fig tree reveal about recognizing God's presence in our chaotic world? Are we truly listening to His voice amidst the noise of life? Join us as we explore how to discern God's work in our lives and prepare our hearts for His message. 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 reflect on the lesson of the fig tree, we ask you to help us recognize your presence and work in our lives. Help us to see how you are moving in our homes, in our families, and in our communities, especially during these chaotic times. May we be open to your guidance and aware of the ways you are helping us each day.
Lord, we come before you seeking to listen more intently to your words and your voice amidst the noise of our lives. Help us to prioritize your teachings in times of joy and struggle, and to be receptive to your guidance in our relationships and daily activities. May we cultivate a heart that is eager to hear from you and to follow your direction.
I'll start with
>> [music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
>> Hey, what's up Cross Church? Welcome to
the Sunday setup where we read scripture
and we pray through it before it is
preached and it is worshipped here at
Cross Church Surprise. We are super
excited to just go through the parable
of the fig tree [music]
and that is where we're going to be at
this Sunday. And so as we prepare to
read this scripture and pray through
this scripture, I'm going to read first
the passage [music]
of what we're going to go through for
this Sunday.
And we're going to be in Matthew 24:32
through 35.
>> [clears throat]
>> And it reads like this.
Learn this lesson lesson from the fig
tree. As soon as its branch [music]
becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you
know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see all these
things, recognize [music] that he is
near
at the door.
Truly, I tell you, this generation will
certainly not pass away
until [music]
all things all these things take place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will never [music] pass away.
I think the first thing that just rings
in my ears is learn the lesson of the
fig tree. What are we supposed to learn
from this [music] parable? And Jesus is
quite clear about what we need to learn.
We need to look first. [music] We need
to look at what's going on in our world.
Our world's in chaos. There's absolute
chaos going on right now, and people are
searching for things, searching for
answers in their homes, [music]
in their own lives, in their families'
lives, in their kids' lives. And [music]
I think what is super cool about this
parable is that we can recognize that
God is on the move. God is near. God
[music] wants to help us out. And so the
first prayer prompt that I would like to
do in these first two verses is just
recognize that. Recognize that, you
know, God is near. God is with you. God
is trying to help you and uh help you
with your family, help you in your home,
help you with your own life. So, I just
want to take that time and I want
[music] to pray, and I just want to ask
God to help us recognize what you are
doing in blank. So, uh God, help me
recognize what you are doing in my home.
Help me recognize what you are doing
[music] in my kids' life. Help me to
recognize the great works that you're
doing at work when I go to work. Um help
me recognize just all these things that
you might be [music] struggling with or
you might be just and it's might be in
the front of your mind or in the front
of your heart, but I just want to
recognize that God is working.
>> [music]
>> And how can we do that? So, God, help me
recognize
you are doing something in your life.
So, let's take that time and let's just
pray through that.
>> [music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
>> Second prayer prompt that I would like
to do is I would like to just
acknowledge how we need to listen,
listen to God's word, listen to his
voice in [music] our life, listen to
what is written
in scripture
because he will remain in our life. He's
the only one that will remain
when everything is in chaos and
everything is coming down and our storms
are raging.
Jesus is going to be the loudest person
in our life. And I just want to take
that time and just [music] really focus
on that. In this generation, I think
we're so clouded by our phones, we're
[music] clouded by our TV screens, we're
clouded by like activities that we do
throughout the week [music] and we just
need to take time to really just listen,
listen to God and what he wants from
[music] us,
how he wants to speak to us in our
heart. So, the next prayer prompt I
would just like to say is just
how can you pray through
God, help me listen to your words in
God, help me to listen to your words in
in times of struggle. God, help me to
listen to your words in times of joy.
God, help me to listen to your words
when my kids are being crazy at home.
God, help me to listen to your words
when I'm I'm fighting with my wife or
just out with my wife. God, help me to
listen to your words as being a husband,
whatever that is. I just want you to
practice
>> [music]
>> to learn how to listen to his words. So,
let's practice that right now. Let's
say, "God help me listen to your words
[music]
in blank." Let's do that now.
>> [music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
>> Heavenly Father,
um
help us to listen.
Help us to recognize all the things that
you are doing in our life.
Heavenly Father, just help us to
recognize that you are at work within
us. You hear every question, you hear
every thought that we have that goes up
to you. And God, I just pray that we
listen to your words.
Everything in this earth is going to
pass away. The heavens are going to pass
away. [music]
The earth is going to pass away, but
your words will constantly remain with
us, remain in our hearts. And when we
have those times of struggle, we have
those times of hurt, when we have those
times [music] of just not knowing all
the answers, your words are the ones
that are going to come to our our minds,
they're going to come to our heart,
>> [music]
>> and they're going to pierce us, to spur
us on, to keep us going in [music] our
life and in our families' lives, and
just in our faith with you.
God, I just pray that our church becomes
a church that we recognize that you are
at work. We recognize you are near, and
that we are listening to where you are
calling us to go. [music] That we
constantly are listening to where you
want us to [music] teach the gospel in
homes here in Surprise, here on the
corner of 175th and Bell,
and how we're going to just bring the
gospel to the lost. [music]
God, I pray that we just constantly live
that out. We practice that in our homes.
We practice that on our sports [music]
teams. We practice that even in our
individual lives when we go to work or
in our friend relationships [music]
or just in our relationships that we
encounter every single day at the
grocery store.
>> [music]
>> And God, I just I pray over these
things. I pray over the things that
you're going to teach us on Sunday,
and how we are just going to tackle um
this fig tree parable that you left us
[music] to just learn. Help us learn
your ways. And God, I just pray for all
these things in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
Can't wait to see you guys on Sunday.
It's going to be a good one. Peace.
>> [music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
[music]
>> Mhm.
