15th March 2026 - Brendan Hurley

Well, I've worked in some tricky churches before

Never quite had These people are almost ready

to stone me But there's still time so You could

be the first let's see here we go How about we

pray and then let's get into God's Word together

and it'd be great if you've got a Bible there

to keep it in front of you Let's pray. Let's

ask God for help as we look at his Word now Heavenly

Father, we thank you that you are a speaking

God, that you are not silent, that you tell us

that you're there, that you tell us what you're

doing. And Father, help us to see what a great

God you are today, what a good provider you are

today, so that we'd be people who are thankful

and who depend upon you. We ask this in Jesus'

name. Amen. Well, I want to tell you today about

two mindsets that are at the kind of opposite

ends of the spectrum, but ultimately have a similar

kind of root outlook. The first mindset is Bart

Simpson. There's this great Simpsons episode

where Bart Simpson, he's sitting at the dinner

table and he says, Grace, and this is what he

says, he says, Dear God, we paid for all this

stuff, so thanks for nothing. Bart Simpson, that's

his outlook. And it's easy to dismiss it. You

know, it's just him being kind of silly and a

young kid. But I actually reckon he represents

how many people think and live. I mean, that's

why the joke works, isn't it? Bart is symbolic

of the self -made man. The man who lives his

life doing it themselves. Hey, you know, it's

not like there's a God out there. It's all up

to me to sort it out. And to be honest, I reckon

his sister Lisa is a lot like that too. She's

just much more successful. But they both stand

or fall on their own. The burden on them to provide

is theirs to bear. That's Bart. That's Lisa.

And I reckon even Christians think a bit like

that sometimes. We may not say it as explicitly

as Bart Simpson does. But sometimes I think we

slip into that outlook. It's all on me. We feel

like Atlas with the world on our shoulders, like

we have to carry it all ourselves. So that's

the first mindset. The second mindset is Piglet.

You know Piglet from Winnie the Pooh? Piglet

lives life anxious, frantic, hypervigilant. Piglet

represents the person with the outlook that's

crippled by fear and worry. Piglet needs great

reassurance and often help from others. He too

carries a heavy burden. He carries the burden

of being afraid all the time, always on high

alert. Now, both Bart and Lisa and Piglet, they're

both very different, aren't they? Yet, I want

to say to you, both struggle to see God as a

good provider. And I think that represents a

lot of us, too. Now, you might be here and I

don't know which one you are. You might think,

yeah, I'm more like a Bart and a Lisa. And some

of you might be thinking, no, I'm more of a piglet.

And those are words I never thought I'd say in

a sermon. But anyway, maybe you oscillate between

the two. Sometimes you have that self -made outlook.

Sometimes you have that more anxious, hypervigilant

outlook. I know I sometimes oscillate between

the two. But there's a better and a happier way

to live that frees us from the burden that both

outlooks carry. Now, I don't have some other

cartoon character I can show you, but the person

who doesn't carry that burden is someone who

prayerfully trusts God to provide for them. Someone

who thankfully and prayerfully trusts God to

provide for them. I want to show you today that

you can do that. And that you can do that because

God is a good provider. And that's what we see

in that little phrase, give us this day our daily

bread. Here's our big idea for the day. God is

a good provider, so pray for all our needs. Because

it's not just your needs, it's pray for all our

needs. And when we take this to heart, it shakes

our prayer life in one of three ways. Firstly,

We pray for life's necessities. That's the first

way. Secondly, we pray for other Christians.

And thirdly, we pray for this each day. We need

to do all three. We pray for life's necessities.

That's the idea of daily bread. We pray for other

Christians. That's the hour. And we pray for

this each day. Give us this day. So let's have

a look at these. Here's the first one, pray for

life's necessities. That's what we're talking

about with bread. It's worth noting that the

structure and logic of the Lord's Prayer shows

why this is important. The first three petitions,

which we've already looked at, are all about

praying for God's agenda. So we've done, hallowed

be your name, your kingdom come, your will be

done. We've talked about praying for God's reputation,

his rescue, his rule. They're all God's agenda

things. They're things that are meant to realign

our hearts with what God is doing in the world.

But the amazing thing about God is that he's

not a God who has no idea about what the real

world is like, is he? God's realistic. He knows

that we can't pray for and do his agenda if our

needs are not met. Christianity is not some bodiless

spiritual asceticism. It's grounded in the real

world, where people have real needs. We pray

for life's necessities. So what are those needs?

Well, we have needs that are physical and spiritual.

We need clothes, we need money, we need shelter,

we need food, we need water, we need medicine.

These are all good things that we should pray

for. These are all things that God recognises

that we need. But there is a priority within

those needs even. Jesus said, picking up on Deuteronomy

8, man does not live on bread alone, but on every

word that comes from the mouth of God. So there

are spiritual needs that are far more important

than our physical needs. But it's not like God

ignores our physical needs either. Life includes

both. We have spiritual needs of churches and

growth groups and Bible study and encouragement

and all of these things, but we have physical

needs as well. And we need to be people who are

responsible for those things. Yeah, we need to

be people who go, I need to take care of my needs.

I need to look after myself. That's a good and

right thing. But like wings on a plane, we're

both responsible dependent. We need to be both.

We need God's help. Now I know you Cairns locals,

you're all cyclone experts here. Our first one

we experienced was in Geraldton. We went through

cyclone Seroja. It barely hit Geraldton thankfully,

but sadly it wiped out Kalbarri. It was very

bad. But we did get affected. It knocked out

our power for five days. And it was eye opening

in those five days to see how fragile and vulnerable

we really are. Things we took for granted so

quickly gone. I reckon big disasters like that

are actually really good for the heart, aren't

they? They remind me of how small I am. How fragile

I am. How short life really is. I mean, one day

I am gonna die. As self -made as I can be, there's

only so much I can do. I need God's help. I need

big help. And thankfully, there really is a God

who meets my needs if I trust him. All through

scripture, we see examples of God answering prayers,

whether there's drought or rain, whether it's

opening people in prison cells, you know, getting

them out, whether it's appointing leaders in

churches, all sorts of things. God provides for

his people. And Christian history is full of

it as well. If you've ever read about George

Mueller, who was in Bristol, who cared for something

like 10 ,000 orphans. He was a funny one. I'm

not suggesting you go do this, but it's quite

Interesting what he did. He didn't tell people

his needs. He didn't say, oh, you know, we've

just got an influx of more orphans. We're going

to need another $5 ,000 or anything like that.

He just prayed. He just prayed. That's what he

did. And over half a billion dollars of our money

came in to provide for those orphans. That was

an answer to prayer. And I reckon there'd be

people here in our church who would testify that

they've prayed about things and these just remarkable

coincidences or amazing things happen that they

were never expecting. God is a good provider.

But you might be going, well hang on, hang on

Brendan, you know, that's all well and good,

but how do you really know God's a good provider?

Well... Even when there's times where God doesn't

answer my prayers the way I think I would like,

I know God's a good provider because he provided

his son. When I look to the cross, I see that

God is a good provider. He provided for my needs

before I even knew that I had them. And if he

gave up his own son for me, how can I not trust

that he will graciously give me all things? Now,

we need to ask God to provide for our needs and

we do that with faith and confidence that he

can, that he will. Now, God is so gracious and

kind, he still provides a lot if we don't pray.

You know, God's common grace, the rain falls

on the righteous and the unrighteous today, it's

a bit more than normal but, you know, his rain

still falls on everybody. He provides, but He

provides so much more if you do pray. And it's

not just that He answers your prayers. He gives

you extra, like humility and appreciation. It

makes your life so much richer when you have

that outlook, don't you? See, here's the truth

about self -made people. Self -made people often

become judgmental and proud if things go well.

Just look at Lisa Simpson. Or they get crushed

and bitter if things go poorly. Deep down, such

people often find life lonely and stressful.

They carry a heavy burden. But I want to show

you what it looks like not to be self -made.

to be someone who trusts God. In his book on

the Lord's Prayer, Richard Cokin shares a story

of a Christian businessman. He supported gospel

work for a long, long time, but he worked for

Enron. Do you remember the infamous Enron? They

collapsed over in America and this guy lost a

fortune when it collapsed. This businessman took

Richard Cokin on a tour of the empty Enron offices.

It was just eerie and ghostly. But Koken says

this, he says, this businessman was surprisingly

calm about his financial losses. The businessman

said, I've repeatedly acknowledged to God that

my wealth comes from him. I've asked that if

at any point he thought it would be spiritually

better for me not to have it, he would please

take it away. I trust that this is what he has

done and I am content with that. What an outlook,

isn't it? That's how you pray, give us this day

our daily bread. It's acknowledging that all

you have comes from God. It's asking him to provide

and trusting that he knows best with whatever

the answer may be. It's what makes you humble

and content. Are you praying about your needs?

Are you praying about your needs like that? But

praying for our daily bread doesn't just make

us humble and content. It actually makes us more

loving. So yeah, we pray for life's necessities,

but here's our second thing. We pray for other

Christians. We pray for other Christians. That

little hour pops up again in the Lord's Prayer

to break us free from our individualistic self

-absorption. It's not all about me. This little

hour expands our horizons. We're part of a family.

If you're a Christian, you're part of a family.

You've got brothers and sisters in Christ, both

here in our church, but also near and far. And

because we're a family, we love each other. We

love each other in practical ways, but also by

praying for each other's physical and spiritual

needs. It's a great thing to do. And it changes

you. Pray for the persecuted church. You know,

go onto Open Doors or Barnabas Fund and pray

for Christians in really horrible and difficult

places facing death, many of them. Pray for them.

It changes you. Pray for the members of your

growth group. It's amazing how when you do that

it changes who you are. Pray for Christians in

the bush with Bush Church Aid. There's so many

good things and God will often answer those prayers

because he's a good provider. He's able to but

often he will change you too. Sadly today when

there's a tragedy somewhere in the world, especially

when there's a shooting in places like America,

A lot of politicians will say things like, our

thoughts and our prayers are with you. And for

many people that generates a lot of anger. Because

it just becomes this empty platitude. You know,

they're sick of it. They're going, I want action

instead of thoughts and prayers. And you know

what? There's some truth to that. I think fair

enough. Yet sadly, Such outrage and such politicians

using it as an empty platitude distorts to us

how powerful prayer truly is. Praying for others

does change what happens. We've got a God in

heaven who is all loving and all powerful. He

can do anything and he will do what's best. Prayer

changes what happens. Praying to God for someone

else is an awesome thing to do. Don't underestimate

it. But prayer also changes us. It makes us more

like Jesus. It makes us more loving. I wonder

if those politicians were truly praying about

these things. I reckon they probably would take

action. And it's the same for us. Say you're

sitting there in growth group and you're praying

for different people, you're doing that thing

of sharing prayer points and then you pray for

one another and then you go home and you're praying

throughout the week for that person. Yeah, Fred,

okay, what was it I was praying for Fred? Yeah,

he needs a new job, okay, and Jane, she's sick

at the moment, I'll pray for her and you're just

going through different people, you're praying

for them. Now God often honours that, but...

He'll change you as you do that. You might even

go, hey, how can I become the answer to that

prayer? Do I need to, you know, go over and give

Jane a meal or Fred does, is there someone I

know at work who could maybe give him a job?

Prayer for one another, praying for Christians

all over the world, it changes us and makes us

more like Jesus. That's why we pray the hour.

Because as we do it changes who we are. But praying

for God's provision doesn't just make us more

humble and content and loving. It also calms

us down. And that's why we pray for this each

day. Give us this day our daily bread. Why not

pray weekly, monthly, or annually. You know,

like tax time. I'll just get it all loaded up

at once, you know? Well, can't I just outsource

my prayers? Maybe there's someone who'll just

do that for me? No, it's because we constantly

need reminding that we're dependent upon God.

That we have a Father who is there, who is in

control, and that He is good and loving, and

He's working out His good plans and purposes.

And when I do that, it helps me not worry. It

helps me not try to control everything, but to

just be calm. I remember seeing a psychologist

once say that anxiety is an over -concern about

the future. That's what it is, isn't it? Can

I make sure everything's okay? Can I just have

control? Praying daily, helps us stay calm and

grounded and focused on God's provision. And

it gives us a perspective as to what's important.

Here's what Jesus says later in the Sermon on

the Mount. Often you find many things in the

Sermon on the Mount linked back to the Lord's

Prayer, because you're meant to be praying about

those things and then having a new outlook living

them out. Well, here's what Jesus says. He says,

therefore do not be anxious saying, what shall

we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we

wear? For the Gentiles, the nations who don't

know God, they seek after all these things. And

your Heavenly Father knows that you need them

all. He's a good provider. He knew what you needed

before you even asked. But seek first the Kingdom

of God and His righteousness, and all these things

will be added to you. You know, when we pray,

it changes our outlook. We're seeking the right

things. We're on about the kingdom, and we go,

I trust the other stuff to God. He'll provide

for me. And so therefore, do not be anxious about

tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about

itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

When we're praying like this, it allows us to

be present, calm, grounded. Now, I must admit,

sometimes my kids get really worried and stressed.

Some of my kids are autistic and often when they're

having an autistic meltdown, it's not just that

they're grumpy or angry, it's that they're really,

really anxious. But it is amazing how often,

if I can just get them a little calm and then

come and give them a big hug, how often that

soothes them, doesn't it? That warm, loving squeeze

calms them right down. Their hearts stop racing,

their breathing slows, and they're just in such

a better place. Well, prayer is like that for

us. It's a hug for your heart, for the everyday

chaos that we go through. It gives the piglet

in me, and I'm not talking about my belly, it

gives the piglet in me great calm and peace.

See, God often uses our prayers to meet our physical

and spiritual needs. He answers them. But He

also helps to meet our psychological needs through

prayer. When life spirals out of control, I don't

have to face it alone. I have a Father in heaven

who's looking out for me better than I can look

out for myself. And the cross is proof of that.

When I look at the cross, I see the Son of God

murdered by people, rejected by His own people.

It looks like total chaos. It looks more chaotic

than anything I've seen in my life. And yet God

was in complete control of all of it. It reminds

me His plans and purposes can be trusted. That

He's not asleep at the wheel, He's driving the

bus. Praying daily calms me down. But that's

not all it does for my internal world or yours.

There's a lot of debate among Greek boffins.

Is it give us today our daily bread or give us

today our tomorrow's bread? There's a good case

to be made, it's tomorrow's bread. because it's

a call back to Exodus 16, the passage that we

read earlier, to the Sabbath provision there,

to the way God provided for his people there.

There's even little hints at the Messianic banquet

that comes up throughout the Old Testament. I

think when we're praying this, it's not just

that we're praying that God will provide for

my needs. I think we're praying that God will

sustain us all the way home to the promised land,

all the way home to that eternal Sabbath rest,

all the way home to his forever kingdom. We're

praying that God will make sure I get home. And

when we have that eternal perspective, it reorients

to me what I need to be worried about and what

really matters. I had a friend who used to say

to me, don't sweat the small stuff. And here's

the thing, when you're a Christian, all of it's

small stuff. Once you know Jesus, you can see

that all these things in life, it's small stuff.

Because I've got eternity sorted. It's so freeing

when you can trust God every day. So let's draw

some threads together. Are you more of a bard

or a Lisa? Well, are you like bard and Lisa,

or are you more of a piglet? Whichever it is,

I hope you've seen a better way today. A better

way that's to prayerfully trust God and thank

him. God is a good provider. So pray for all

our needs. The big thing we see as we look at

give us this day our daily bread and there were

three things we need to do in response to it.

Pray for life's necessities, pray for other Christians

and pray for this each day. Now what's this mean

practically for us? Well you know if you're here

today and you're a Bart, Lisa, self -made kind

of person I get that this is hard to do. It feels

good being self -made, doesn't it? Not being

dependent on anyone makes you feel safe and accomplished.

Yet did you see today that the reality is you're

robbing yourself of so much more? Did you really

provide for yourself that great work ethic that

you may have? Was that you? Did you just... born

that way, or is that a gift from God? The education

you have, being born here where you are, having

the prosperity that you enjoy, is that you, or

is that a gift from God? It's a good thing to

recognise how much stuff actually comes, not

from you, but from the maker of everything. And

you know what, where will you turn when things

do go wrong? It's a miserable place to be, to

be self -made when everything is going chaotic

and things are just too big for you. I think

life is so much better when you're prayerful

and thankful to God. So if you're someone here

today and you've got that self -made kind of

heart, let me give you a tip of what I think

you should try doing. For a couple of months

Can I suggest you just get a piece of paper and

every week you replace it but just draw a big

line down the middle and a little line across

the top and you've got two columns, one that

says ask and one that says thanks. And you write

on that piece of paper, keep it by your bedside

table, write the things that you're asking God

for, write the things that you're thanking God

for and then just each morning or night or both

Pray about those things. Talk to God about those

things. Throughout the week, add to the list.

But I reckon if you try that for a couple of

months, do it daily, I think it will change your

outlook in a massive way. Especially if you're

there thanking God for the Lord Jesus and how

he graciously gives his people salvation. It

will bring joy, peace, calm, gladness to your

heart. It is a wonderful thing to do. But if

you're a piglet person, I know, too, your struggles.

I know you're just trying to protect yourself.

For you, you feel like if you can spot life's

dangers and get people to help you, you're going

to be safe. But surprisingly, what you're actually

doing is sabotaging yourself. I've struggled

with GAD, generalised anxiety disorder. And I

remember a few years ago when I started managing

it a lot better. And it was amazing how much

more joy and energy and how good life became

when I started getting on top of it. Now, how

do you manage it? Well, self -care. Sleep, get

enough sleep, hydrate, have a good diet, exercise,

belonging, all these things. They're good things

to do. But I want to add in there, also have

a new outlook. The verse of the week that we

had on our bulletin today, it meant a lot to

me. This is what it says. Look at the birds of

the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather

into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds

them. Are you not of more value than they? God

provides food for the birds. They don't farm

the land and store it, yet they have full tummies.

I mean, God's so good, so powerful, so all -knowing.

He cares about the birds. And then, well, God

cares more about me and you, then he does the

birds, doesn't he? Well, how do you know, Brendan?

Well, I'm made in his image. That's what the

Bible tells me. But there's an even greater reason.

I look at the cross. At the cross, I see I'm

of more value than birds or any other creature

in the world. Because Jesus died for humans.

He died for me. I am so precious to God that

Jesus would endure the full force of God's anger,

judgment and wrath in my place so that I wouldn't

have to do it for eternity. There's no doubt

in my mind when I look at the cross that I am

precious and valuable. There's no doubt in my

mind when I look at the cross that God's in control

and he's working out his good plans and purposes.

If God provides you with eternal salvation through

the death of his own precious son, why do you

doubt that he'll provide you with lesser things?

If you're a piglet type, you don't need to be

on high alert. Remember what God is like. Look

to the cross and pray to him daily. Do the other

self -care things as well, like do it all. but

pray to Him daily and let it calm you down. See,

whether you like Bart or Lisa or Piglet, life

is so much better when we commit our needs to

God. Will you commit yourself to doing that today?

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for

your wonderful generosity. You provide for us

in the most rich, wonderful and abundant ways.

Father, we are sorry for all the times we've

taken those things for granted. Help us to be

thankful. Help us to be content. Help us to be

humble. And as we pray, Father, help us to become

more loving, more like Jesus. And as we pray,

Father, please help us to have our anxieties

soothed and calmed. Please, Father, we need your

help. Help us to depend upon you. And we ask

this in Jesus' name. Amen.