Luke 10:25-11:28

We have a couple events to read today, so let's break them down:

1)  Choose Jesus.  Martha and Mary hosted Jesus.  While it is important to be good hosts and offer hospitality, don't let your duty overwhelm you.  A lot of times we get so busy making sure everything is right, trying to make a good impression, that we miss the point of the get-together - to get together.  Don't lose out on the fellowship!

2) The Lord's Prayer is a model of prayer:

• Hallowed Be Your Name: Glorify God
• Your Kingdom Come: looking at the spread of the gospel & the second coming
• Daily Bread:  a believer's physical needs
• Forgive Us Our Sins: confession of sin
• Forgive Everyone Who is Indebted:  forgive others
• Lead Us Not into Temptation:  God doesn't tempt us, rather this means "allow us to be spared from difficult situations that would tempt us to sin.

When we pray, believe that God is listening, because He is.  When we ask, knock, seek - the Lord will be there.  He will give us the Holy Spirit to guide us.  This is a much greater gift than any material blessing.

3)  Jesus cast out a demon.  Some people, in an effort to deny that Jesus is the Son of God, attributed this miracle to the devil.  Jesus basically says, why would the devil work against himself?  No, this miracle was performed by One greater than Satan.

4)  It's not enough to get clean, you need a relationship with God.  Simply getting clean - from whatever issue or addiction you have - isn't enough.  You need to fill that hole with a relationship with God.  Otherwise you are just leaving yourself open to fall.