Now, that's a sermon!

Not that my opinion matters a great deal in the grand scheme of things, but I do think that the message which CGI Pastor Murray Palmatier delivered today is exactly the kind of message which Almighty God expects his ministers to be delivering to his people during these troubled times in which we live. Pastor Palmatier gave a fine exposition of what is commonly referred to as "The Lord's Prayer," and he underscored the importance of "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In fact, the sermon was titled "Praying Through Troubled Times."

The pastor said: "In prayer, it becomes a point of focus – the Kingdom of God – that’s why he includes it here. This is where our vision should lie. This is especially important during times of trouble. Quite often, when we can’t see eye to eye, or we’re struggling with things, we need to ask ourselves: Are we both - if we’re in a bit of a disagreement over things - are we both being Kingdom focused?

If we’re focused on making this world better, that’s where conflict comes in. Because we all have a different idea as to what makes this world better. But if we’re focused on the Kingdom of God that’s where we <can> come to an agreement. This is where our vision should lie…that our focus is His Kingdom."

Amen! I couldn't have said it better myself. In our prayer life and in our messaging, the focus of every Christian must be God's Kingdom - not the depravity that's going on around us! Focusing on that stuff is a recipe for discord, strife and anger.