GraceLife Sarasota

What happens when success comes before humility? When power comes before character? What happens when abundance comes before dependence? We tend to think God's promises will solve our problems. It sure can feel like the hardest part of receiving God's promises is waiting for them. But what if the harder task is becoming the kind of person who can receive them well? What happens when a promise arrives before we're prepared for it? Here’s another question. Is God being cruel when He delays His promises? Or punishing us when He keeps us waiting? Some of God's greatest acts of mercy come in the form of delays. God never gives His children His promises too soon. He prepares us first. Not because He expects us to “earn” His promises. We never would, and we never could. No, He loves us enough to prepare us beforehand for those promises. In this passage, David is finally standing at the edge of everything God promised him. Saul is dead. The throne is within reach. The years of waiting are almost over. The promise is now arriving. And in this song, we discover something surprising. The greatest evidence of God's grace in David's life is not that he eventually received the kingdom. It's the kind of man God made him while he was waiting for it.

Have you ever thought you understood what makes someone tick but found out you were completely wrong? You knew the important facts about them. You knew what they liked, what they believed, what they had accomplished, but you completely misread their character, you fundamentally misunderstood who they really were. You assumed they would respond to something one way, and they responded the exact opposite. You thought they would approve of something, celebrate something, reward something... and instead they were offended by it, and rejected it. The fact is, it's possible to know a lot about someone and still completely misunderstand who they are. That's true in relationships. It's even more dangerous when it's true about God. Today we find a story of someone who knows a lot about David but completely misunderstands who he is.

Pastor Keith Ledford shares with us on the book of Philemon.

Pastor Keith Ledford shares with us on the book of Philemon.

Guest speaker Pilgrim Benham, Dean of Students at Calvary Chapel Bible College in Bradenton, FL.

Guest speaker Pilgrim Benham, Dean of Students at Calvary Chapel Bible College in Bradenton, FL.

God's great blessings to us are never meant to be and ends unto themselves. We have the great privilege and opportunity to be a blessing to others by introducing them to Jesus, bringing glory to the Lord.

God's great blessings to us are never meant to be and ends unto themselves. We have the great privilege and opportunity to be a blessing to others by introducing them to Jesus, bringing glory to the Lord.

What would it take for you to conclude that God's promises had failed? What circumstances would have to unfold before you finally say, "This is it. God's plan has collapsed. The enemy has won." Now, us "church people" know we're not supposed to say that out loud. But let's be honest. Most of us have faced moments that tempted us to think exactly that. "Well... there's no coming back from this." Maybe you poured years into a job, a business, or a relationship, only to watch it collapse. Maybe you thought you knew where life was headed, and suddenly it wasn't. Maybe you prayed for something that seemed right, only to watch the door slam shut. Maybe you found yourself in a season, or situation you never planned for and never would have chosen. Or maybe you’re someone who feels like you've simply made too many mistakes, taken too many wrong turns, and you will never recover what you've lost. Those are the moments when the very things we've been pointing to as evidence that God is at work suddenly begin falling apart. That's the tension of 1 Samuel 31. Can God's promises survive the collapse of everything that appears to support them? Today we'll discover that when God's promises appear closest to dying, God is often accomplishing them most powerfully.

What would it take for you to conclude that God's promises had failed? What circumstances would have to unfold before you finally say, "This is it. God's plan has collapsed. The enemy has won." Now, us "church people" know we're not supposed to say that out loud. But let's be honest. Most of us have faced moments that tempted us to think exactly that. "Well... there's no coming back from this." Maybe you poured years into a job, a business, or a relationship, only to watch it collapse. Maybe you thought you knew where life was headed, and suddenly it wasn't. Maybe you prayed for something that seemed right, only to watch the door slam shut. Maybe you found yourself in a season, or situation you never planned for and never would have chosen. Or maybe you’re someone who feels like you've simply made too many mistakes, taken too many wrong turns, and you will never recover what you've lost. Those are the moments when the very things we've been pointing to as evidence that God is at work suddenly begin falling apart. That's the tension of 1 Samuel 31. Can God's promises survive the collapse of everything that appears to support them? Today we'll discover that when God's promises appear closest to dying, God is often accomplishing them most powerfully.

Pastor Joe & Fred discuss Chapter 2 of Pastor Joe's latest book "Power For Ordinary People, The Story of Ruth"

Pastor Joe & Fred discuss Chapter 2 of Pastor Joe's latest book "Power For Ordinary People, The Story of Ruth"

Do you ever look around at other Christians and assume most everybody else is doing better spiritually than you? Like somehow, they’re winning battles you keep struggling with. Their faith seems stronger. Their life seems cleaner. Their prayers seem more confident. Meanwhile, you’re exhausted just trying to hold yourself together. Or maybe you’re on the other side of that. Maybe life is stable right now. Your faith feels strong. You’re productive, disciplined, serving, succeeding, and without even realizing it, you slowly begin measuring yourself against weaker, struggling people. We don’t like admitting that part out loud, but it happens all the time in the human heart. We compare, rank, measure. We quietly decide who seems spiritually strong, useful, mature, valuable & who doesn’t. We understand grace in theory; We still seem to operate like the Kingdom of God works the same way the world does: That blessings in the Kingdom of God are on a merit-based system. Those who are doing their best deserve more. The people who contribute the most should receive the greatest reward. But in 1 Samuel 30, David looks at the exhausted, weak men who couldn’t even finish the battle… and declares they share equally in the king’s victory. And behind that moment is one of the most beautiful pictures of grace in the entire wilderness story of David.

Do you ever look around at other Christians and assume most everybody else is doing better spiritually than you? Like somehow, they’re winning battles you keep struggling with. Their faith seems stronger. Their life seems cleaner. Their prayers seem more confident. Meanwhile, you’re exhausted just trying to hold yourself together. Or maybe you’re on the other side of that. Maybe life is stable right now. Your faith feels strong. You’re productive, disciplined, serving, succeeding, and without even realizing it, you slowly begin measuring yourself against weaker, struggling people. We don’t like admitting that part out loud, but it happens all the time in the human heart. We compare, rank, measure. We quietly decide who seems spiritually strong, useful, mature, valuable & who doesn’t. We understand grace in theory; We still seem to operate like the Kingdom of God works the same way the world does: That blessings in the Kingdom of God are on a merit-based system. Those who are doing their best deserve more. The people who contribute the most should receive the greatest reward. But in 1 Samuel 30, David looks at the exhausted, weak men who couldn’t even finish the battle… and declares they share equally in the king’s victory. And behind that moment is one of the most beautiful pictures of grace in the entire wilderness story of David.

Have you ever had a moment where life changed so fast it felt like the ground disappeared underneath you? Where suddenly the life you were building, the future you imagined, the things that made you feel stable and secure all started collapsing at once? For a child of God, those moments are deeply spiritual. We start asking questions we usually neglect when life is comfortable. What’s God doing? Why would God allow this? Has He abandoned me? Is this punishment? And if we’re honest, sometimes the hardest part isn’t even the pain itself. It’s the confusion. Some suffering clearly comes from our own foolishness. But some suffering crashes into our lives completely uninvited. Sometimes we suffer because we wandered. Other times because we live in a fallen world filled with sin, evil, disease, betrayal, and death. But either way, when life turns to ashes, the question underneath all the others is usually the same: “Can God still be at work here?” That’s what I see in 1 Samuel 30. This is the most powerful moment in the wilderness.

Have you ever had a moment where life changed so fast it felt like the ground disappeared underneath you? Where suddenly the life you were building, the future you imagined, the things that made you feel stable and secure all started collapsing at once? For a child of God, those moments are deeply spiritual. We start asking questions we usually neglect when life is comfortable. What’s God doing? Why would God allow this? Has He abandoned me? Is this punishment? And if we’re honest, sometimes the hardest part isn’t even the pain itself. It’s the confusion. Some suffering clearly comes from our own foolishness. But some suffering crashes into our lives completely uninvited. Sometimes we suffer because we wandered. Other times because we live in a fallen world filled with sin, evil, disease, betrayal, and death. But either way, when life turns to ashes, the question underneath all the others is usually the same: “Can God still be at work here?” That’s what I see in 1 Samuel 30. This is the most powerful moment in the wilderness.

Fred Packwood interviews the founder and executive director of Urban Youth Justice, Pedro Rodriguez

Fred Packwood interviews the founder and executive director of Urban Youth Justice, Pedro Rodriguez

Have you ever found yourself somewhere you never thought you’d be, asking yourself, “How did I get here?” You didn’t just wake up one morning wanting to rebel against God. Instead, a series of small, seemingly reasonable decisions slowly took you there. Not because you stopped loving Jesus or stopped believing the Bible, but because fear, exhaustion, disappointment, or simply the pressure of real life slowly convinced you that trusting God wasn’t enough. At least not right now. You didn’t walk away from God. That would have been obvious. You started making practical choices that seemed wise at the time, but they slowly pulled you away from God and His people. And before you knew it, you’re standing in a place you never thought you’d stand, wondering how in the world you got there. This morning, we’re going to watch the man who stood up to Goliath… now finds himself standing shoulder to shoulder with the enemies of God’s people. The most unsettling part is, he doesn’t seem to realize how close he is to disaster.

Have you ever found yourself somewhere you never thought you’d be, asking yourself, “How did I get here?” You didn’t just wake up one morning wanting to rebel against God. Instead, a series of small, seemingly reasonable decisions slowly took you there. Not because you stopped loving Jesus or stopped believing the Bible, but because fear, exhaustion, disappointment, or simply the pressure of real life slowly convinced you that trusting God wasn’t enough. At least not right now. You didn’t walk away from God. That would have been obvious. You started making practical choices that seemed wise at the time, but they slowly pulled you away from God and His people. And before you knew it, you’re standing in a place you never thought you’d stand, wondering how in the world you got there. This morning, we’re going to watch the man who stood up to Goliath… now finds himself standing shoulder to shoulder with the enemies of God’s people. The most unsettling part is, he doesn’t seem to realize how close he is to disaster.

a podcast reviewing chapter one of Dr Joe Davis's latest book "Power For Ordinary People, The Story Of Ruth

a podcast reviewing chapter one of Dr Joe Davis's latest book "Power For Ordinary People, The Story Of Ruth

As a Christian you’ve had moments where you knew exactly what God wanted from you, but if you’re honest, you didn’t really want to hear it. Maybe it was forgiving someone. Maybe it was telling the truth when lying would have been easier. Maybe it was ending a relationship, confessing a sin, having a hard conversation, or walking away from something you knew was pulling your heart away from God. If you’re anything like me, in those moments we usually don’t say, “God, I don’t want to obey You.” That’s too obvious. Instead, we put it off. We delay obedience… “I just need more clarity.” “I’m just waiting on the Lord.” And honestly, sometimes all of that can be true. But other times, we’re not really waiting on God at all. We expect God to wait on us. Today’s passage takes us into the final stages of one of the darkest, sobering personal stories in the OT. It may reveal something in you, you didn’t realize needed your attention.

As a Christian you’ve had moments where you knew exactly what God wanted from you, but if you’re honest, you didn’t really want to hear it. Maybe it was forgiving someone. Maybe it was telling the truth when lying would have been easier. Maybe it was ending a relationship, confessing a sin, having a hard conversation, or walking away from something you knew was pulling your heart away from God. If you’re anything like me, in those moments we usually don’t say, “God, I don’t want to obey You.” That’s too obvious. Instead, we put it off. We delay obedience… “I just need more clarity.” “I’m just waiting on the Lord.” And honestly, sometimes all of that can be true. But other times, we’re not really waiting on God at all. We expect God to wait on us. Today’s passage takes us into the final stages of one of the darkest, sobering personal stories in the OT. It may reveal something in you, you didn’t realize needed your attention.

This episode is an introduction to Pastor Joe Davis' new book "Power For Ordinary People, The Story Of Ruth"

This episode is an introduction to Pastor Joe Davis' new book "Power For Ordinary People, The Story Of Ruth"

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve had those moments when you desperately wanted God to speak, but what came back felt like deafening silence. Those moments can make it feel like life, and even your faith, is starting to unravel. It can be a diagnosis, betrayal, a child making destructive choices, and you feel powerless to stop them. It can be a marriage hanging by a thread, a financial situation you can’t fix. A temptation you thought you were past suddenly coming back stronger than ever. So you do what Christians are supposed to do, right? You open your Bible. You pray for wisdom, direction, clarity… for God to make the next step obvious. But instead of clarity, instead of direction, you get what feels like silence from Heaven. That kind of silence can mess with you. It can make strong people weak, confident people anxious, and faithful people start asking dangerous questions: Did I do something wrong? Is God disappointed in me? Is He testing me? Or worse, has God cut me off or forgotten me? Are you even there Lord? In those moments, there’s a powerful opportunity for faith to be exposed, strengthened, and even deepened. Because what you do in that silence reveals more about your heart than almost anything else in your life. Do you run to God… or do you start looking somewhere else? Saul, sadly & not surprisingly, looked somewhere else.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve had those moments when you desperately wanted God to speak, but what came back felt like deafening silence. Those moments can make it feel like life, and even your faith, is starting to unravel. It can be a diagnosis, betrayal, a child making destructive choices, and you feel powerless to stop them. It can be a marriage hanging by a thread, a financial situation you can’t fix. A temptation you thought you were past suddenly coming back stronger than ever. So you do what Christians are supposed to do, right? You open your Bible. You pray for wisdom, direction, clarity… for God to make the next step obvious. But instead of clarity, instead of direction, you get what feels like silence from Heaven. That kind of silence can mess with you. It can make strong people weak, confident people anxious, and faithful people start asking dangerous questions: Did I do something wrong? Is God disappointed in me? Is He testing me? Or worse, has God cut me off or forgotten me? Are you even there Lord? In those moments, there’s a powerful opportunity for faith to be exposed, strengthened, and even deepened. Because what you do in that silence reveals more about your heart than almost anything else in your life. Do you run to God… or do you start looking somewhere else? Saul, sadly & not surprisingly, looked somewhere else.

Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.

Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.

Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.

Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.

We’ve all had moments where we knew what God said, even believed it, but somehow, it just didn’t feel like enough. Not enough to fully trust what He’s promised. Not enough to build your decision on or hold you up in real life. So, you didn’t walk away from God, I mean that would be silly. But you did start looking for “other options”. Perhaps something a little more practical, a little more immediate. Something you feel like you can make work. And if you’re honest, it did work. At least for a while, it gives you some relief, or it makes things feel manageable. It might have even brought a little bit of earthly success. But somewhere in the middle of all that… something felt off. Because deep down, you knew you were building part of your life on something that wasn’t true. You didn’t stop believing in God… You had just started trusting something else more. And the scary part is, that kind of shift almost never happens at all. It’s subtle, quiet, feels reasonable, even logical, like you have no other choice. That’s exactly where we find David in 1 Samuel 27. And trust me, there’s a lot to learn from this one.

We’ve all had moments where we knew what God said, even believed it, but somehow, it just didn’t feel like enough. Not enough to fully trust what He’s promised. Not enough to build your decision on or hold you up in real life. So, you didn’t walk away from God, I mean that would be silly. But you did start looking for “other options”. Perhaps something a little more practical, a little more immediate. Something you feel like you can make work. And if you’re honest, it did work. At least for a while, it gives you some relief, or it makes things feel manageable. It might have even brought a little bit of earthly success. But somewhere in the middle of all that… something felt off. Because deep down, you knew you were building part of your life on something that wasn’t true. You didn’t stop believing in God… You had just started trusting something else more. And the scary part is, that kind of shift almost never happens at all. It’s subtle, quiet, feels reasonable, even logical, like you have no other choice. That’s exactly where we find David in 1 Samuel 27. And trust me, there’s a lot to learn from this one.

We’ve all had certain moments that seem powerful & spiritual. You hear truth, and you feel it. It lands on you, maybe even hits you hard. You agree with it, you know it’s right, and for a moment, it feels like something is going to change… but then life keeps moving, and somehow, nothing does change. If we’re honest, most of us have a growing collection of moments like that, powerful moments that slowly fade into the background. And over time, truth that once felt urgent starts to feel familiar. What once stopped you in your tracks doesn’t even slow you down anymore. And here’s the uncomfortable question that comes with that: How is it possible to hear the truth, recognize it, even feel the weight of it… yet remain completely unchanged? We tend to assume that if something is clear enough, explained well enough, or felt deeply enough, then change will naturally follow. But experience tells us that’s not always true. There’s a kind of hearing that doesn’t lead to obedience, a kind of conviction that doesn’t lead to repentance. If that’s true, then the real issue isn’t just whether we’ve heard the truth… it’s what happens in us when we do. That’s what we see in today’s passage.

We’ve all had certain moments that seem powerful & spiritual. You hear truth, and you feel it. It lands on you, maybe even hits you hard. You agree with it, you know it’s right, and for a moment, it feels like something is going to change… but then life keeps moving, and somehow, nothing does change. If we’re honest, most of us have a growing collection of moments like that, powerful moments that slowly fade into the background. And over time, truth that once felt urgent starts to feel familiar. What once stopped you in your tracks doesn’t even slow you down anymore. And here’s the uncomfortable question that comes with that: How is it possible to hear the truth, recognize it, even feel the weight of it… yet remain completely unchanged? We tend to assume that if something is clear enough, explained well enough, or felt deeply enough, then change will naturally follow. But experience tells us that’s not always true. There’s a kind of hearing that doesn’t lead to obedience, a kind of conviction that doesn’t lead to repentance. If that’s true, then the real issue isn’t just whether we’ve heard the truth… it’s what happens in us when we do. That’s what we see in today’s passage.

Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.

Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.

We learned recently in this series how as Christians, we must be willing have hard, loving conversations with each other. But we often face another kind of moment that will require wisdom and courage… when we are confronted by evil. Have you ever personally been confronted by evil & walked away thinking, “Man, I should’ve taken a stand”? Or maybe you walked away thinking, “I shouldn’t have said that… I shouldn’t have done that”? Same kind of moment. Completely different regrets. When we come face to face with evil, how we respond in that moment is critical. In those moments, something is driving you. It’s fear trying to protect you. Pride is convincing you to take control, as if you’re qualified to step into the role of God. And most of the time, we don’t even slow down long enough to recognize it. Do you see how important these moments are? When confronted with evil, we need to handle it correctly. How can we walk into those moments, see them clearly, and not get it wrong? That’s where this passage takes us.

We learned recently in this series how as Christians, we must be willing have hard, loving conversations with each other. But we often face another kind of moment that will require wisdom and courage… when we are confronted by evil. Have you ever personally been confronted by evil & walked away thinking, “Man, I should’ve taken a stand”? Or maybe you walked away thinking, “I shouldn’t have said that… I shouldn’t have done that”? Same kind of moment. Completely different regrets. When we come face to face with evil, how we respond in that moment is critical. In those moments, something is driving you. It’s fear trying to protect you. Pride is convincing you to take control, as if you’re qualified to step into the role of God. And most of the time, we don’t even slow down long enough to recognize it. Do you see how important these moments are? When confronted with evil, we need to handle it correctly. How can we walk into those moments, see them clearly, and not get it wrong? That’s where this passage takes us.

An interview with Toni Lemieux, Program Director of Grace Recovery, Inc. in Sarasota, FL, and member of GraceLife Sarasota.

An interview with Toni Lemieux, Program Director of Grace Recovery, Inc. in Sarasota, FL, and member of GraceLife Sarasota.

It’s easy to recognize grace when it shows up as mercy, forgiveness, or as escaping consequences we deserve. We like it when God’s grace sounds like “yes.” YES, to mercy. YES, to blessing. YES, to provision. That’s the kind of grace we like to hear about in sermons, and sing about in worship. But sometimes God’s grace is harder to recognize. Because sometimes, grace sounds like “no.” And those “no” moments can be the most important moments in your life. When grace steps in, protects you from yourself, stops you from sinning, keeps you from blowing your life up, it may not feel like grace. “No” moments feel inconvenient, interruptive, resistant, even frustrating. Imagine if God gave us the kind of heart that could recognize those moments for what they really are: moments when grace has stopped us in our tracks. Imagine how that would change our day-to-day walk with Jesus. Imagine how much stronger our precious church family would be if we all could have that wisdom. It’s the kind of grace most of us don’t recognize… and even fewer of us are willing to embrace. That’s the kind of moment we’re stepping into today.

It’s easy to recognize grace when it shows up as mercy, forgiveness, or as escaping consequences we deserve. We like it when God’s grace sounds like “yes.” YES, to mercy. YES, to blessing. YES, to provision. That’s the kind of grace we like to hear about in sermons, and sing about in worship. But sometimes God’s grace is harder to recognize. Because sometimes, grace sounds like “no.” And those “no” moments can be the most important moments in your life. When grace steps in, protects you from yourself, stops you from sinning, keeps you from blowing your life up, it may not feel like grace. “No” moments feel inconvenient, interruptive, resistant, even frustrating. Imagine if God gave us the kind of heart that could recognize those moments for what they really are: moments when grace has stopped us in our tracks. Imagine how that would change our day-to-day walk with Jesus. Imagine how much stronger our precious church family would be if we all could have that wisdom. It’s the kind of grace most of us don’t recognize… and even fewer of us are willing to embrace. That’s the kind of moment we’re stepping into today.

After nearly 5 years off, we are excited to announce the relaunch of the Living The GraceLife Podcast! Episodes will normally drop every Wednesday.

After nearly 5 years off, we are excited to announce the relaunch of the Living The GraceLife Podcast! Episodes will normally drop every Wednesday.

Sometimes, someone steps into your life… and say something you didn’t want to hear… but deep down you knew they were right. Not an enemy, or someone trying to hurt you, but someone who actually cared about you. And everything in you wanted to push back? To explain it away? To justify yourself. To say, “They don’t understand.” But if you’re honest… you knew they did understand. You just didn’t want to listen. And here’s the tension… Sometimes the greatest moments of grace don’t feel like grace. It feels like criticism. But what if it’s literally God stepping into your life before you make a sinful or unwise choice you can’t take back? Listen, we all love that part of grace that forgives us after we mess up. But we seem to be annoyed by the part of grace that stops us BEFORE we make that big mistake, we would need forgiveness for. The kind that shows up through people… at just the right moment… to say the one thing we don’t really want to hear. Maybe even more uncomfortable… Sometimes God uses you to be that person for someone else? Today is a moment where one person’s wisdom steps into another man’s life… and stops him from becoming something he never intended to be.

Sometimes, someone steps into your life… and say something you didn’t want to hear… but deep down you knew they were right. Not an enemy, or someone trying to hurt you, but someone who actually cared about you. And everything in you wanted to push back? To explain it away? To justify yourself. To say, “They don’t understand.” But if you’re honest… you knew they did understand. You just didn’t want to listen. And here’s the tension… Sometimes the greatest moments of grace don’t feel like grace. It feels like criticism. But what if it’s literally God stepping into your life before you make a sinful or unwise choice you can’t take back? Listen, we all love that part of grace that forgives us after we mess up. But we seem to be annoyed by the part of grace that stops us BEFORE we make that big mistake, we would need forgiveness for. The kind that shows up through people… at just the right moment… to say the one thing we don’t really want to hear. Maybe even more uncomfortable… Sometimes God uses you to be that person for someone else? Today is a moment where one person’s wisdom steps into another man’s life… and stops him from becoming something he never intended to be.

This week we begin a 3-sermon miniseries if you will, about foolishness, wisdom, and how we should respond to both. We tend to think foolishness is obvious. It looks like bad decisions, reckless living, people who don’t know any better. But what if the most dangerous kind of foolishness… doesn’t look foolish at all? What if it looks successful? Respected? - Even… blessed? The truth is, you can believe in God, go to church, say all the right things… and still be a fool. That’s why the greatest danger in your life right now might not be what you’re doing wrong… but what you’re convinced is right. That’s what scripture defines as foolishness. It’s not ignorance, inexperience, or even human error. It’s deciding, for whatever reason, a part of, or all of God’s authority somehow doesn’t apply to you. Today we’re going to see just how dangerous this kind of foolishness is. Because even if you look very successful, if you’re holding on to foolishness, you could be standing one step away from destruction… without even knowing it.

This week we begin a 3-sermon miniseries if you will, about foolishness, wisdom, and how we should respond to both. We tend to think foolishness is obvious. It looks like bad decisions, reckless living, people who don’t know any better. But what if the most dangerous kind of foolishness… doesn’t look foolish at all? What if it looks successful? Respected? - Even… blessed? The truth is, you can believe in God, go to church, say all the right things… and still be a fool. That’s why the greatest danger in your life right now might not be what you’re doing wrong… but what you’re convinced is right. That’s what scripture defines as foolishness. It’s not ignorance, inexperience, or even human error. It’s deciding, for whatever reason, a part of, or all of God’s authority somehow doesn’t apply to you. Today we’re going to see just how dangerous this kind of foolishness is. Because even if you look very successful, if you’re holding on to foolishness, you could be standing one step away from destruction… without even knowing it.

We all know songs that trigger an emotional response, a feeling, that takes you back to a specific point in the past. You hear it, maybe put it on repeat, and you get caught in this nostalgic loop for a bit. There is something in the movement of the notes or the lyrics that put you right there again. To a person. A season. A place. It’s enjoyable for a moment, but then suddenly it’s not. Because you realize, you can’t go back. When the song is over, and the comforting flashback is gone, it’s back to the reality of the hard things in life today. But what if there was a song that triggered something different, instead of pulling you back, it points you forward? A song that isn’t nostalgic but provides a future hope even though your current reality is confusing, heavy, threatening. You know that kind of life? The “cave life”, where you feel trapped, tired, hunted, and buried under fear, or grief, or pressure, or confusion, or disappointment? Maybe even shame or guilt. It’s such a deep, dark pit, one that you possibly may have even dug yourself into. In that situation, we need something more than a song that makes us nostalgic. Those kinds of songs cannot provide any hope of escaping whatever tomb your soul is stuck in. A tomb of grief, loss, sorrow, broken relationships, politics, culture wars, bitterness, anger, resentment or obsession. We need a different kind of song in our playlist. One so good we can’t help but sing it over & over in our heart & mind. A song that provides real hope. A song about how to get out of whatever hopeless tomb you are stuck in. This morning I’m going to teach you a new song like that. A song David wrote & probably had on repeat in his cave. Because some of you here this Easter, like David was, are stuck in a deep dark cave. You don’t need any more songs about the past. You need a song with truth strong enough to get you out of the tombs your heart is trapped in.