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CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMPHIS

CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMPHIS

Written by: CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMPHIS
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 At Christ Community Church (C3 Memphis) we are seeking to form followers in the way of Jesus so the fame and deeds of God are repeated in our time. We meet on Sunday mornings at 10:15AM.

For more information you can go to c3memphis.orgCopyright 2017 . All rights reserved. Spirituality
Episodes
  • Teach Us to Pray | Hallowed be Your Name | Matthew 6:9 | Coleton Segars

    Teach Us to Pray | Hallowed be Your Name | Matthew 6:9 | Coleton Segars
    May 5 2026
    Hallowed Be Your Name Learning to Pray with Wonder, Confidence, and Peace Jesus does something deeply intentional in the Lord’s Prayer. Before He teaches His followers to ask God for anything, He teaches them to remember who God is. Prayer is not meant to begin with panic, requests, or anxiety—it begins with worship. Coleton explains that when Jesus says, “Hallowed be Your name,” He is teaching us to fill our minds and hearts with the greatness, faithfulness, and power of God before we ever bring Him our needs. This message is an invitation to become people who truly pray—not mechanically, not cautiously, but with boldness, awe, confidence, and trust. “Our Father in Heaven” — Remember Who You’re Talking To Matthew 6:9–13 “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…’” Coleton begins by reminding the church why this prayer series matters so much to him personally. About ten years ago, he began pursuing a deeper prayer life because he wanted prayer to become more than a religious duty—he wanted to love it. During that journey, one quote changed the way he viewed prayer forever. Quote “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” — Samuel Chadwick That quote helped Coleton realize why prayer often feels difficult. The enemy is not intimidated by human strength, intelligence, or activity. He trembles at the power of God accessed through prayer. Prayer matters because God moves through it. Last week’s focus in the series was the phrase “Our Father in heaven.” Jesus first teaches us that prayer begins by remembering who we are talking to: not a distant force, but a loving Father who welcomes His children. Now Jesus takes us one step further. “Hallowed Be Your Name” — Prayer Begins with Worship Coleton explains that “hallowed” means to treat God’s name as holy, weighty, glorious, and worthy of worship. Quote “‘Hallowed be your name’ means ‘let [your name] be regarded as holy.’ It is not so much a petition as an act of worship; the speaker, by his words, exalts the holiness of God.” — Tremper Longman III Quote “Hallowing is an active kind of praying—honoring, adoring, and naming the greatness of God. While ‘Our Father’ is a reminder of God’s intimacy; ‘hallowed’ is a reminder of His incomprehensible greatness.” — Tyler Staton Coleton explains that hallowing God’s name looks like: Saying what is true about GodRemembering what He has doneRepeating what He has promisedDeclaring what is possible with Him This kind of prayer fills the heart with worship before requests are ever made. The Psalms Show Us What Hallowing Looks Like Psalm 44 — Remembering God’s Power Scripture “With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors… it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face…” — Psalm 44:2–3 The psalmist spends enormous time recounting God’s past faithfulness. He talks about victories God gave, enemies God defeated, and promises God fulfilled. Coleton points out something fascinating: much of this prayer is telling God things He already knows. Why? Not because God needs reminding—but because we do. We forget who He is. We forget what He has done. We forget His power, His promises, and His faithfulness. Hallowing God’s name recenters the soul. 1. Hallowing His Name Expands Our Vision of What Is Possible One of the main effects of worshipful prayer is that it stretches our faith. Quote “The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something and enter into God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible.” — Corrie ten Boom Coleton says many Christians pray extremely safe prayers: “Keep them safe.”“Help them have a good day.”“Bless this meal.” Those prayers are not wrong—but if we truly believe we are speaking to the God of the impossible, why do we so rarely ask Him for impossible things? Hallowing His name enlarges our imagination for what God can do. Hezekiah’s Prayer — Worship Before Deliverance Scripture 2 Kings 19:14–19 King Hezekiah is surrounded by an enormous Assyrian army. Humanly speaking, defeat seems certain. But notice how he prays: “Lord, the God of Israel… you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth…” Before asking for rescue, Hezekiah hallows God’s name. He reminds himself that Assyria may be powerful, but God rules every kingdom on earth. Only after worship does he ask for deliverance. Coleton explains that worship gave Hezekiah courage to pray boldly in an impossible situation. The Apostles in Acts 4 — Worship Produces Boldness Scripture Acts 4:24–30 After Peter and John are arrested and ...
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    45 mins
  • Teach Us to Pray | Father In Heaven | Matthew 6:9-13 | Coleton Segars

    Teach Us to Pray | Father In Heaven | Matthew 6:9-13 | Coleton Segars
    Apr 27 2026
    Teach Us To Pray — “Father In Heaven” Introduction: Why We Need to Learn to Pray Coleton begins with a simple but relatable picture: his son Teddy not enjoying golf because he doesn’t know how to play. “I’d enjoy it more if I knew how to hit it.” That insight becomes the doorway into the entire series—many people don’t enjoy prayer because they don’t know how to do it. The goal of this teaching is not just to inform people about prayer, but to help them experience joy in it. Coleton introduces the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) as the foundation—a short, 31-word prayer in its original language, yet deep enough to shape a lifetime of communion with God. Key Quote: “The Lord’s prayer is simple enough to be memorized by small children and yet profound enough to sustain a whole lifetime of prayer.” — Justin Welby Coleton explains that this prayer is both: A pattern (Matthew: “pray like this”)A prayer to be repeated (Luke 11:2: “when you pray, say…”) Key Quote: “We can either use each phrase as a handrail… or pray exactly these words thoughtfully.” — Frederick Dale Bruner This series will walk through the prayer line by line, beginning with the first phrase: “Our Father in heaven.” 1. Remember Who You’re Talking To (Matthew 6:9) Coleton emphasizes that Jesus begins prayer by reshaping our understanding of God. Before anything else, we must remember: we are speaking to a Father. A Radical Shift in Prayer Jesus adapts a traditional Jewish prayer (the Kaddish), which begins by magnifying God’s name—but instead of starting there, Jesus begins with relationship: Father. This is intentional. Jesus is not removing God’s holiness—He is making Him personally accessible. Key Quote: “Pray to God more intimately than you think you’re allowed.” — Tyler Staton The word Abba reflects deep closeness—not childish, but deeply personal. Coleton illustrates this with his son calling him “pop-pop”—a name that reflects relationship, not just title. Why This Matters How we perceive God determines how we pray: If we think He’s angry → we become guardedIf we think He’s disappointed → we withdrawIf we think He’s distant → we disengage Key Quote: “Most people’s biggest problem with prayer is God Himself… scowling, perpetually disapproving…” — Pete Greig Jesus corrects this: you are approaching the safest, most loving presence you’ve ever known. If we don’t start here, we won’t pray freely, consistently, or joyfully. 2. Because He is Father — It Shapes How We Talk to God Coleton addresses a common barrier: “I don’t know what to say.” Through a deeply personal story about his son’s speech delay, he reveals a powerful truth: a father doesn’t care how polished the words are—he just wants to hear his child’s voice. That becomes the central image Jesus wants us to carry into prayer. Freedom Over Formula While tools like A.C.T.S. or P.R.A.Y. can help, Coleton warns against turning prayer into a rigid system. We don’t talk to people we love using formulas—so why would we do that with God? Prayer is meant to be: NaturalRelationalHonestFree You can: Talk about your dayShare your highs and lowsExpress frustration or confusionSit in silence Even biblical examples support this: The Psalms are full of raw emotionJob questions and wrestles with God Coleton makes a key distinction: Complaining to God is prayerComplaining about God is grumbling God desires the first. 3. Because He is Father — It Shapes What We Expect from God Coleton then shifts from how we speak to what we expect. Expectation #1: We Should Expect More Scripture: “How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” — Matthew 7:9–11 Jesus teaches that God’s generosity surpasses even the best human parents. Coleton challenges a common hesitation: feeling guilty for asking God for things. Many people hold back because they think their needs are too small or too selfish. But a loving father doesn’t shame his child for asking. He shares a powerful story of rock climbing with his dad—choosing independence over accepting help. Instead of pride, it brought hurt. Why? Because relationship invites dependence. Key Quote: “Jesus is trying to bring us… to the Father with hands out.” — C.H. Dodd Not asking isn’t humility—it can actually be distance. Expectation #2: We Should Expect “No” A good Father doesn’t give everything His children ask for. God’s “no” is not rejection—it is protection and love. He sees what we don’tHe knows what will harm or shape usHe gives both yes and no as gifts Coleton reminds us: don’t let unanswered prayers convince you God doesn’t care. Sometimes His refusal is His deeper kindness. 4. Practicing Prayer as Children of the Father Coleton ends with practical application: What does it actually look like to pray this way? You can: Pray the Lord’s Prayer ...
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    46 mins
  • Teach Us to Pray | Three things to Know about Prayer | Matthew 6:5-8 | Coleton Segars

    Teach Us to Pray | Three things to Know about Prayer | Matthew 6:5-8 | Coleton Segars
    Apr 20 2026
    Learning to Pray Introduction: Coleton begins by sharing personally that 10 years ago he didn’t know how to pray—and honestly didn’t think it mattered. But everything shifted when he encountered people who genuinely loved prayer and believed this simple truth: People who pray will experience more from God and with God than people who don’t. That statement reframed everything. Coleton points out that prayer is not something we naturally know how to do—it must be learned. But the encouraging truth is: it can be learned. He highlights something powerful from the Gospels: the disciples never asked Jesus to teach them how to preach, perform miracles, or lead—but they did ask Him to teach them how to pray. Why? Because they saw something in Jesus’ relationship with the Father that they wanted. Over the past 10 years, Coleton shares that he has experienced more of God than in the previous 29 years of his life—and he attributes that largely to learning to pray. Quote: “The greatest undiscovered area in the resources of God is in the place of prayer… you cannot estimate the power of prayer. Prayer is as vast as God because God is behind it.” — Leonard Ravenhill This sets up the main idea: Jesus wants to teach us how to pray, and in doing so, invite us into a deeper experience with God. 1. God Wants to Actually Meet with You Coleton’s first point is simple but profound: Prayer is about relationship, not performance. Main Idea God is not distant or disinterested—He is eager to meet with you anytime you intentionally turn your attention toward Him. Bible Passage “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen…” — Matthew 6:6 Coleton explains that Jesus is not giving a rigid rule about location but emphasizing intentionality. The “room” and “closed door” represent focused, personal connection. Key Insight: God gives His attention to any place of intention. Any moment you intentionally turn toward God—whether in a quiet room, your car, during chores, or even a quick pause in a stressful meeting—He meets you there. Coleton illustrates this with real-life examples, including stepping away during a difficult meeting just to “steal a moment” with God. Even a few seconds becomes sacred when it’s intentional. He also shares the story of Susanna Wesley, who used her apron over her head as a “prayer closet” while raising 19 children—showing that the “secret place” is less about location and more about focus. Quote: “The Father has a special affinity for ‘the secret place’… He is continuously watching there.” — Frederick Dale Bruner Takeaway You don’t have to go somewhere special to meet with God. Any place becomes sacred when you choose to seek Him. 2. Your Prayers Can Be Very Short The second thing Jesus teaches is deeply freeing: Prayer does not need to be long to be effective. Bible Passage “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans…” — Matthew 6:7–8 Main Idea You don’t have to earn God’s attention with long, impressive prayers—you already have it. Coleton contrasts Jesus’ teaching with pagan beliefs of the time, where people thought they had to “fatigue the gods” with long prayers to be heard. Quote: “The pagan rule to get your prayer heard is ‘much.’” — Frederick Dale Bruner Jesus completely dismantles this idea. God is not reluctant—He is a loving Father who is already attentive. Key Insight Because God already hears you, prayer can be as simple as: “Help.”“Thank you.”“I’m sorry.”“I need you.” Coleton shares a relatable analogy: if every phone call with a friend required an hour, you’d hesitate to answer—but if it could be brief, you’d engage more often. Prayer works the same way. When we realize prayer doesn’t require long stretches of time, we actually pray more. Quote: “It is a relief to know that the Father… is not a reluctant listener.” — Frederick Dale Bruner “Much prayer is not the mediator to God; Jesus is.” Coleton also addresses persistence in prayer, clarifying: Persistence is powerfulBut persistence is not required to be heard We persist because we are heard—not to be heard. Takeaway You always have God’s attention. Pray anytime, with whatever you have. 3. He Knows How to Help You the Most The third truth Jesus gives is deeply comforting: God knows exactly what you need. Bible Passage “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” — Matthew 6:8 Main Idea God’s knowledge of your needs is not a reason to stop praying—it’s the reason you should run to Him. Coleton explains that we are drawn to people who understand us without needing long explanations. He shares a powerful story about his sister, who struggled to find comfort after losing her husband because people cared—but didn’t truly understand what she needed. Everything changed when she met others who had experienced the ...
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    36 mins
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