The Father Himself Loves You

What if the way you've been approaching God in prayer has been all wrong? This sermon, rooted in the glory of the Ascension, challenges the idea that we come before God as distant beggars hoping to be noticed. "For the Father Himself loves you" (John 16:27) changes everything about how we pray, how we see ourselves, and where we stand before God. This sermon explores: - The Ascension as the culmination of Christ's saving work, bringing human nature into heaven for the first time - What it means that God "seated us with Him in the heavenly places" right now - Why Jesus says He no longer needs to pray to the Father on our behalf - Shifting from a beggar's mindset to the identity of a beloved son or daughter - Praying "in Christ's name" as one who is in Christ, not just someone who knows Him - How the structure of the Orthodox church itself reflects the meeting of heaven and earth - Keeping our minds on things above and asking for what Christ would ask