Jon

Hoping you feel God’s presence tonight

Paul

Who God is isn’t diminished by our lack of comfort
Our God Reigns
Agnus Dei (Worthy Is The Lamb)
Doxology
Hosanna
We'll See The Goodness
Your Love Never Fails
You Alone

Stephen

Party at Rubio’s tonight for youth group

Jon

The book of James can be very clear and precise
Didn’t know the kids would be here and I’m going to talk about suffering… A little heavy
As I was walking throughout this I felt a little inadequate for talking about human suffering
So I’m working on this sermon and my phone rings – it’s Ernie, my dad
My father, grandfather and father-in-law usually make their way into my sermons – three father figures that have really influenced me
So I’m thinking about not picking up the phone because I’m working on the sermon, but I pick up anyways and say, “Dad I have a question for you.”
No formal greeting, no “Hi, how are you?”
I asked him what did we have to walk through as a family with Uncle Lyman’s death from cancer?
What good can come from this?
Here’s a man who lived rightly
And then he gets cancer after buying a motor home and getting ready to travel the country with his wife
As I get older I see grey, not black&white
Temptation in looking at this passage is to give you 3 bullet points about why suffering exists
You know what he told me?
You know Jonathan, one of the things that brought the most comfort was my presence
Just show up
Nothing to say, I don’t know the right words
Sometimes just bring present in the moment brings the most comfort
Jonathan you know sometimes presence is the only thing
I do know how to be present
Sometimes we’re the only Jesus some people are going to see
Jesus shows up as people a lot
Jesus hasn’t abandoned you – I’m here!
Safe in your arms because you represent the Father
James1:1-12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
We need perspective and humility
God will bring people in our path to remind us of Him
When we begin to lose heart that’s where depression sets in
John Flavel, A Keeping of the Heart (1600 Puritan writer)
Sickness, death, loss of loved ones, money troubles
Prosperity was no. 1 on the list
St. Bernard – To see a man humble under prosperity is the greatest rarity in all the world
When we take out heart and wrap it around temporary things, when those things break, our heart breaks
Something that’s fading and shifting
Read an interesting story
2 women friends in their early 30’s
Needed same surgery
During recuperation they gained a lot of weight
Single
One was concerned, the other was devastated
She had linked herself to her physical appearance
Kenny Rogers stop pulling your face back!
People desperately holding onto being beautiful
We begin to fade with it
Favorite book is CS Lewis’ A Great Divorce
Wispy creatures offered a chance to escape hell for heaven
Grass is more real then they are and their feet are cut up
To Die For with Nicole Kidman
What’s the point of doing anything if nobody’s watching
If nobody’s watching did it really happen?
If I do the right thing in private does it really matter? Does it still have value
Many of you know Joni Erickson Tauter
Swimmer who was paralyzed and now travels and draws with her moth
Met Denise, 18 YO teenage cheerleader who had an advanced attack of MS and was paralyzed and blind
Friends gathered around her and mom read Bible passages
I don’t know what God will bring to me, but I know He is with me
Nobody else saw her lack of complaint, no one saw the benefit
Ephesians 1:3
Eyes watching us always
Hebrews 4
What you do in your heart is always seen
Always under the watch of the Father
Choosing not to look at pornography and watch for the Father instead
When you choose not to do something that is wrong
Even in the privacy of my own room because of how it affects the Body
I find that the more we walk with God, the more real we become
We become the Father in someone else’s life
I’m going to step into your troubles with you
To have no trouble IS trouble
Velveteen Rabbit
The skin horse had lived the longest in the nursery…
We’re going to come to the table tonight
Take part in a story
His death and resurrection asks us to embrace a life of trials and tribulations
When you are ready, come
Maybe you can come with your children, as a family

Paul

Jesus You're More Than A Friend
Hallelujah