Bob uses the version of the Lord's prayer given in Luke as the basis for his message on how to pray. This version is a much reduced version of that given in Matthew 6:9 which is, perhaps, more widely used than the shorter version of Luke.
Dave explains the meaning of healing in terms of Jesus ministry. When Jesus healed, He did so with authority and the people He healed recognised it. As Christians, we, also, have authority to heal, but we need something more than just that. We need discipleship, faith and compassion for the person we are trying to heal.
We are assured demons/spirits do not possess us, we are God's children! They can, however, press our buttons and put bad thoughts into our minds. But they don't know our thoughts - only God. Regarding our physical/mental health, not all ills can, or should, be attributed to evil spirits. If there is any doubt about the source of an infirmity, guidance should be sought from the church leadership. Dave will deal with health and other aspects of possible demonic activity in the following weeks.
The first disciples to be called by Jesus were Simon Peter, a fisherman, and Matthew, a tax collector. Jesus changed or, rather, transformed these men, the first from a simple life of fishing and the second from life as, effectively, a social outcast, as a tax collector for the occupying Roman force. However, the men were chosen by Jesus to show the world that it was not privileged position that gained favour with God but giving up the sinful life and following the way demonstrated by Jesus.
Though little is known about the early life of Jesus, we do know that, as a boy of only twelve years, he had lengthy discussions with the Jewish priests in the temple in Jerusalem and would amaze them with his depth of knowledge of the scriptures. It was clear that, at such a tender age, he had a calling far beyond that of normal men. We hear nothing of Jesus after this until he begins his calling to ministry after he is baptised in the River Jordan by John the Baptist.
On a prompting from the holy Spirit, Sean takes us into Ezekiel 37 ratrher than the intended 1Corinthians, 15. In this, we see Ezekiel being spoken to by the Father and being commanded to speak life into the dry bones of the defeated, Israeli army that he comes across in the desert.
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