Coffee and Catechism

Angels are rational, spiritual beings created by God. God's holy angels joyfully serve him in heavenly worship, and God appoints them to act as messengers, bringing words of guidance and assurance to the faithful, and assisting and protecting them.

Satan and his angels were overcome by envy and pride and re- belled against God.

Demons, of whom Satan is chief, are fallen angels. Satan rebelled against God and led other angels to follow him. They now cause spiritual and sometimes physical harm to mortals, and they sow lies that lead to confusion, despair, sin, and death.

Yes. Satan had already opposed God and chosen evil when he tempted Adam and Eve.

No. The sinful choices of his creatures do not implicate God in evil in any way. (Deuteronomy 30:15–19; Romans 7:7–25; James 1:13–15) Support the podcast here

God created rational creatures free to love, obey, and worship him, but we have used our freedom to reject his love, rebel against him, and choose evil. Yet no evil can thwart God's purposes, and he is able to use evil to bring about even greater good. (Genesis 6:5; Judges 2:19–23; Psalm 10; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 8:18–28; Hebrews 2:8–18; Revelation 2:18–29) Support the podcast here

Evil is the willful perversion of God's will. Evil defies God's holiness, violates his Law, enslaves us to sin, and mars his good creation.

The seventh petition is “But deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13)

In the fellowship of Christ's Body, I can find companionship when I am lonely or vulnerable, support to resist ungodly influence, wisdom to guard me from folly, exhortation to grow in holiness, and discipline to correct me when I fall into error.

As I abide in Christ, I can guard against temptation by praying for protection and strength, confessing my sins, recalling God's Word, avoiding tempting situations, and seeking the support of fellow Christians.

No. God never tempts anyone, nor is he the cause of any sin; but he does allow me to be tested so that I may grow in faith and obedience. (Genesis 22:1–18; Job 1:6–12; Psalm 11:4–5; Proverbs 17:3; Matthew 4:1; James 1:12–15) Support the podcast here on Buy Me A Coffee (similar to Patreon)

I ask God to increase my faith to trust him, enliven my conscience to fear him, soften my heart to love him, and strengthen my will to obey him, that I may resist evil and stand in the face of temptation.

I am tempted by the false promises of the world, the selfish desires of my flesh, and the lies of the devil, all of which war against God and my spiritual well-being.

Temptation is any enticement to turn from faith in God and to violate his commandments.(Proverbs 1:8–19; James 1:14–15) Support the podcast here on Buy Me A Coffee (similar to Patreon)

The sixth petition is “And lead us not into temptation.”

No. Though my decision and desire to forgive may not result in my neighbor's repentance or our reconciliation, I am still called to forgive.

Forgiveness is a decision of my will and an attitude of my heart that seeks the good of my neighbor, and chooses not to hold against them the damage they have inflicted. I forgive whether they have asked for forgiveness or not.

I should forgive others because, while I was still a sinner, God forgave me through Jesus Christ. Failing to forgive impedes God's work in my life and gives opportunity to the evil one.

Yes. In Christ, God freely forgives the sins of all, including me, who sincerely repent and in true faith turn to him.

I ask God our loving Father to forgive me through his Son, Jesus Christ, who bore my sins upon the Cross, so that through faith and Baptism I can receive his righteousness.

God's forgiveness is his merciful pardon of sin and removal of the guilt that results from our disobedience.

Yes. I, together with all humankind, sin daily against God's Law, in thought, word, and deed, both by what I do and by what I fail to do.

A “trespass” is a sin—a thought, word, or deed which offends God's holy character and violates his Law, missing the mark of his will and expectations.

The fifth petition is “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

God gives me daily bread because he is a good and loving Father, who gives good things to all his children, sustains us in life, and desires that we grow daily in his grace.

God calls me to trust him for the needs of each day, to be concerned for the needs of others, to be content with what I have, and to grow in gratitude for his provision.

Daily bread includes all that we need each day for our bodily provision and spiritual nourishment.

I pray for my needs and those of my brothers and sisters: for daily provision, pardon for sins, and protection from evil.

The fourth petition is “Give us this day our daily bread.”

In heaven, God's Name is perfectly hallowed, and his will is perfectly obeyed and fulfilled. I pray for his kingdom to be established fully and his will to be accomplished on earth, that his Name may be perfectly hallowed in all creation

I can walk in God's will by loving him and my neighbor, and by taking my part in the Church's mission to extend his kingdom in the world.

I pray for God to break the dominion of the world, the flesh, and the devil; to establish justice and thwart the plans of the wicked; to strengthen and direct his Church; and to extend the kingdom of his grace.

God's will is to reconcile all things to himself in Jesus Christ and to establish his kingdom on the earth. His will is revealed in the whole of Scripture and especially in Jesus Christ, whom I am called to serve and imitate with my whole life.

The third petition is “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

As a citizen of God's kingdom, I am called to live in obedience to God's Word and will, in loving witness and service to others, and in joyful hope of Christ's return.

God's kingdom is announced to the people of Israel, arrives in Jesus Christ, and advances through the Church's mission. It will appear in its fullness once Christ returns in glory.

I pray that the whole creation may be renewed and restored under its rightful Lord, now in part and fully in the age to come.

The kingdom of God is the just and peaceful reign of Jesus Christ over all the world, especially in the lives of his faithful people, through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.

The second petition is “Thy kingdom come.”

I can honor God's Name as holy by worshiping him, serving others, and living in loving obedience as his child and a citizen of his kingdom.

God's Name is holy in itself, and God glorifies his Name by saving fallen humanity, by building his Church, and by establishing his kingdom in this world and in the age to come.

“Hallowed” means to be treated as holy—set apart, sacred, and glorified.

Throughout the Scriptures, God is known as “Lord.”Through the Person and ministry of Jesus Christ, God is also revealed to be one God in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

God's Name reveals who he is—his nature, his character, his power, and his purposes. The Name God reveals to Moses is “I am who I am” or simply “I am” (Exodus 3:6, 14). This Name means that he alone is truly God, he is the source of his own Being, he is holy and just, and he cannot be defined by his creatures.

The first petition is “Hallowed be thy Name.”

Because God is in all places and knows all things, he hears and answers my prayers, directs my paths, and strengthens me in times of trouble.

Heaven is the realm of God's presence, power, and glory, which exists invisibly alongside this visible realm, and from which God hears the prayers of his children.

Unlike our natural fathers, our heavenly Father loves us perfectly, is almighty in his care, makes no errors in judgment, and disciplines us only for our good.

Like all loving and sincere earthly fathers, God loves us in our weakness, provides for our needs, teaches us in our ignorance, and corrects us when we go astray.

Jesus teaches us always to understand ourselves not only as individuals but as members of God's family of believers, and to pray accordingly.

All who come to God through faith and Baptism in Christ are adopted as children of God the Father.