Always Pray and Never Give Up

This will be the first post in a new category I am adding, where I will post notes that I take on each Sunday's sermon, or any other teaching I may hear. Until further notice, the sermons I am taking notes on are at my church, Shannondale Springs Chapel, given by my Pastor, Harold Jones, a/k/a "Porky". I would like to write a simple disclaimer on his behalf from the beginning, that this is in no way an actual transcript of the sermon given, but rather my interpretation of the sermon - the things I wrote down that spoke to my heart, and the importance they had to me. So here is what I learned today:

Scripture: Mark 14:32-38
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is poosible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will but what you will."
The he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Jesus asked Peter, "Could you not keep watch for one hour?"
Have you ever let somebody down? Disappointed someone?
Peter must have felt pretty bad.
Someone said once of these words of Christ that every word is an arrow whose point is dipped in wounded love. Jesus was wounded by his friend.
When calling Peter, Jesus uses his former name, Simon. This had to cut to the heart.
Jesus did many miracles that personally impacted Peter:

1-Jesus heals his mother-in-law

2-in Luke 5 Jesus fills his fishing net with fish - God speaks through this and says, "In the shallow waters, you'll never know Me. I want you to go deeper."

3-in Matthew 14 Jesus calms the storm and allows Peter to take a few steps of faith on the water, before he takes his eyes off of the Lord

4-in Matthew 17 Jesus takes Peter, James and John with Him as He is transfigured on the mountain

After all that Jesus had done for Peter, could he not keep watch for one hour?
How about you?
-He created you
-He saved you
-He laid down His life for you
-He provides for you
Have you ever let Him down?

He paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.
He wants to spend time with you - is an hour too much to ask?

Personal application: My small group has just begun a book called The Hour that Changes the World by Dick Eastman. (I believe it is out of publication.) The book challenges you to pray for an hour a day. At first I thought this was a little radical, and maybe even legalistic. After today's sermon I think I am going to give the book a fresh look. I continue to hear ringing through my head this afternoon, as if Jesus himself is speaking to me, "Could you not keep watch with me for one hour?" ('with me' found in account of same story in Matthew) I find an hour for lots of other things in the span of a day, how much more important is it to make time for my Lord.