Podcasts about lamentations

Lamentations 3:20-26Harvest is a church where we love to worship God together, where the transforming message of the Gospel is preached weekly, where authentic community can be found, and where we are intentional about making disciples of Jesus Christ. We'd love for you to join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. or 10:45 a.m. For more information you can visit www.harvestmemphis.org

Today I get to share with you a really fun and powerful conversation with my friends Chris and Stephanie Teague. In our conversation you'll get to hear the story of how Chris and Stephanie met, their marriage when they were in college, pursuing the quintessential Christian couple life, and then the secrets, addictions, and doubts that led to their divorce in 2010. Then, during a season where they each in their own way were desperate for answers to what they didn't understand, God met them and showed them He was trustworthy with their lives individually, freeing them both from the pressure of living a put-together know-it-all Christian life and receiving the invitation to be alive with Christ and live in hope. And then, in His grace, He also redeemed their marriage. Over a decade later, here we are hanging out unpacking this story today! Praise God. This time with them was a special experience of hearing them unpack how God met them then, how He continues to reveal Himself to them now, and the heart of the calling on their lives now as the band Out of the Dust. Through their music, and sharing their story, Chris and Stephanie now travel the country speaking and singing hope over people who wonder if all hope is lost. As you'll hear, it's not about trying to fix broken marriages or bootstrapping your way to a better life, it's issuing an invitation to encounter the heart of God.  This is such a powerful conversation annnnnd for those of us who grow up in the 90's/early 2000's Christian world, I think there's going to be a lot you can probably relate to, for better or for worse as well. It's a good time and I can't wait to share it with you. I hope above all things you hear in this episode, you hear that the Lord specializes at making beautiful things out of the dust. Dust of things that have yet to know life, or dust of ashes where things have all burned down. He is the God of redemption and resurrection and He cares about your heart encountering healing with Him. If you have any questions about any of that, please don't ever hesitate to reach out to me, or to someone like Stephanie and Chris, we are imperfect people who have seen a perfect God in our story, but we also know what it means to shake our fists and wonder why and have Him love us there too. Wherever you are today, friend, I hope that you can hear me say, you matter, and your story matters. Connecting with Stephanie & Chris Facebook Instagram Patreon  Spotify  SUMMER TOUR DATES! Website Sponsor for this Episode: Hopefuel Use the code 'SIMPLY15' for 15% off Instagram Website References: -Episodes Chris and Stephanie have helped me out on before! Our readings of Esther and Ruth -MTSU -Passion Conference -Chris Tomlin -Matt Redman -Christy and Nathan Nockels and Watermark -Jesus movement (70's) -Louie Giglio -Some of Louie's teaching based on science and faith (and devotionals for kids too! Our family loves these) -Podcast episode where we talk about suicidal ideation with Jennifer Greenberg, her book I mention is Not Forsaken: A Story of Life After Abuse. How faith brought one woman from victim to survivor -Enneagram 1  -We got it wrong, Jehovah-Raah is the Lord is my Shepherd -Divorce Care -”Redemption Skies”- their song with the lyric “Let the valley teach you what the mountain can't” - “Beautiful Things” by Gungor  -Ellie Holcomb spotify  -For the record the church we attend together is Fellowship Bible Church Murfreesboro ;) -GMA Immerse -Topher Teague -Gungor “You Have Me” -Brooke Fraser “Who Are We Fooling” -Belmont University -Tanya Godsey -Our Daily Bread -Family Life -Another episode about working through doubts, questions and truly finding Jesus (Taylor Turkington author of Trembling Faith) -spiritual disciplines  -the attributes of God (I REALLY loved this study about this from Daily Grace Co. It was a huge help to me) -Searching For Enough- Tyler Staton, our conversation  -John Mark Comer (not Michael lol)   Scripture References: Mark 2:15-22-, Mark 5:1-20,Luke 8:26-39, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 17:11-19, John 4-Jesus went to the raw and real places Psalm 23 Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 25:10, Luke 6:36-37, Ephesians 2:4-5-God's mercy  Luke 15:11-32 (esp 17-21)-Prodigal pacing (earning your way back home) Psalm 34:4-God is with you in the valley  Psalm 34:18-He is close to the brokenhearted Exodus 3-A Moses, nope God you got the wrong guy  Exodus 34:6, Nehemiah 9:16-17, Psalm 103:8, 2 Peter 3:8-9-God is so patient  Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 Corinthians 1:9 -He is faithful (among many verses and stories!) Judges 6, Habakkuk 1-He is OK with us working through questions and doubts James 4:8-Draw near to Him Isaiah 46:9-10, Psalm 139, 1 John 3:20, Ephesians 1-He is all-knowing, but we get to know Him 2 Timothy 3:16-17-scripture is God breathed John 16:33 -This world is broken, and in this world we will have trouble Psalm 147:5, James 3:17-God has infinite wisdom  Matthew 14:13-21, Luke 8:26-56-Jesus welcomed interuptions and weren't on the plan Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46, John 17-18 and  John 11 -Jesus grieved in the garden and at the tomb of His friend Job 10:3, Job 19:5-7, Job 27, -Job indicting God John 20:24-31-”doubting” Thomas Psalm 27:13-What would have become of me if I had not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord John 9, 2 Corinthians 12:6-7 -Using suffering for our good (example) Daniel 3:18-If not He is still good JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!!!! I would be honored to have your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast: Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life) Facebook Twitter Blog 

Teaching NotesYou are not alone. 5 Significant Heroes in the Bible Suffered from Depression. Job (Businessman)Depression haunts my days. At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly. With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat. He has thrown me into the mud. I'm nothing more than dust and ashes. “I cry to you, O God, but you don't answer. I stand before you, but you don't even look.Job 30:16-20 NLTElijah (Prophet)“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”1 Kings 19:4 NLT David (King)I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief… Psalm 6:6-7 NLTJeremiah (Prophet)I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken.Lamentations 2:11 Heman, the son of Korah (Priest)I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.Psalm 88:5-7 NLT What is Depression?Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?Psalm 42:5 NLT 10 Things You Can Do Biological1.Exercise2. Get Outside3. Good Mood Foods· Folic Acids – Beans, lentil, oatmeal· Omega-3 - Fish, nuts, legumes, avocados, flax seed oil, and linseed oil.· Tryptophan - Milk, cheese, eggs, soybeans, tofu, and turkey· Fruit - Kiwi, sour cherries, bananas, plantains, plums, pineapples, and tomatoes· High-Fiber Food - avocados, whole wheat bread, barley, beans, lentils, almonds, raspberries, pears, oatmeal, and bran muffins.4. Sleep Spiritual 5. Happy MemoriesI thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.Philippians 1:3-86. Goal Achievement “…straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the price for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 3:13-14 7. Prayer & MeditationDo not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:6-7 8. GratitudeFinally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.Philippians 4:8 9. Worship Music “…then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better…”1 Samuel 16:23Spotify Playlist Clinical10. Therapy & Medicationwww.westsidefamily.church/care SetlistWFC Lenexa + WFC AnywhereI Thank God- Maverick CityWho My God Is- Mitch LangleyHow Great Is Our God- Chris TomlinBigger Than I Thought- PassionWFC SpeedwayChild Of Love- We The KingdomMy Testimony- Elevation WorshipThank You Jesus For The Blood- Charity GayleGoodness of God- Bethel Music Be sure to save our Spotify Worship Playlist, updated weekly with the upcoming Sunday's set!

SHOW NOTES:   In Podcast Episode 217, “Being a Conduit of God's Mercy,” Kim discusses the mercies we seek and receive from the Lord and the importance of allowing those mercies to flow through us to others.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Samuel 19:15-23 with the focal verse of .   22 “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah!” David exclaimed. “Why have you become my adversary today? This is not a day for execution, for today I am once again the king of Israel!” 23 Then, turning to Shimei, David vowed, “Your life will be spared.” WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT FEATURE:   Meditate on the truth: "His mercies begin afresh each morning" (from Lam. 3:23).   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   1 Have mercy on me, O God,     because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion,     blot out the stain of my sins. (Psalm 51:1) Shimei Curses David (2 Samuel 16:5-14) 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. (James 2:13) 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!     His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness;     his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) TWITTER - https://twitter.com/EOinLovingJesus INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Samuel PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) by J. D. Greear, Heath A. Thomas “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com. National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Zencastr and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack was created in GarageBand by Kim Smith. The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/

A fruitless Christian is an oxymoron, and prayer is greater than regret.

When life — or even God — seems against you, remember the big picture: great is his faithfulness.

Welcome to Shaped By The Word Season 3: The Story of the Prophets. This season we will be reading through the prophets in chronological order in the hope of seeing how all of Scripture points to Christ from beginning to end. New episodes every week-day.

Don't let human religiosity make you a spiritual slave…it is always right to do good the way God defines good.

Welcome to Shaped By The Word Season 3: The Story of the Prophets. This season we will be reading through the prophets in chronological order in the hope of seeing how all of Scripture points to Christ from beginning to end. New episodes every week-day.

Welcome to Shaped By The Word Season 3: The Story of the Prophets. This season we will be reading through the prophets in chronological order in the hope of seeing how all of Scripture points to Christ from beginning to end. New episodes every week-day.

Pastor Darrell Jones breaks down Lamentations 5:21 this morning. Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored;Renew our days as of old…Lamentations 5:21 (NKJV)

A verse-by-verse expository reading of scripture.

Deliverance Prayer-- My Books: Amazon.com/Richard-A-Hardin/e/B09J2YHCVBE-mail: rhardin77@yahoo.com; Schedule: M-F, 7-8AM; Sat-Sun, 6-8AM (CST)*Richard Hardin, POBox 45684, OKC, OK 73145.rahardin.com - Bio, Videos, Radio Podcasts****The Deliverance Prayer/Fast is a simple way to trap the devil and cause him to flee from your particular circumstances or problem, James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." You don't even have to be sure that the devil is a part of your problem: you can still pray this way and be more effective in any circumstances. But, if you want to correct something in your life like to quit smoking, and you know God would want you to quit too, then somehow, whether you understand or not, it must be the devil causing your craving or desire to keep you from being able to stop. This method would also apply to other habits or sicknesses that you are sure God would want you to be delivered from but you haven't been able to get the victory. Areas might be like cussing, anger bursts, road rage, drinking, drugs, unforgiveness, cancer, etc. Pray in this manner and you will trap the devil and cause him to flee, then the outcome will be only between you and God. Even after the devil flees from your specific problem, you will need to continue to pray to maintain your victory, but it will be much easier and even joyful after the addiction, craving, habit or sickness is broken and taken away because now it will just be between God and you! And God will be helping you because of your commitment. Great things will happen in your life that are not even connected to what you are praying about because God will be so pleased with you for turning to Him to clear up your problem. and God promises in Lamentations 3:25, "The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him." On @KLRNRadio.com 7AM Wed #GPWF #Christian or rahardin.com

Welcome to Shaped By The Word Season 3: The Story of the Prophets. This season we will be reading through the prophets in chronological order in the hope of seeing how all of Scripture points to Christ from beginning to end. New episodes every week-day.

April 29, 2023 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stjohnrandomlake/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stjohnrandomlake/support

Welcome to Shaped By The Word Season 3: The Story of the Prophets. This season we will be reading through the prophets in chronological order in the hope of seeing how all of Scripture points to Christ from beginning to end. New episodes every week-day.

In this episode Janae + Jessica Cohen, Founder and Social Impact Strategist of Spark Solutions Coaching & Consulting, will delve into the profound significance of wisdom in the Kingdom of God. In this episode, we explore how wisdom not only impacts our daily lives but the intersectionality of wisdom and self-examanition. We delve into what it truly looks like to examine oneself and how the desire for the truth about YOU and who YOU ARE, unlocks the doors to understanding God ways, His purpose and plan for your life and a clearer vision of the vision and mission God has placed in YOU for His PERFECT Will. Need Solutions to help spark generational change for your organization? Book an Introductory Consultation with Jessica here Pre-order Jessica's Strategic Issues Management Workbook! Perfect for businesses/organizations looking to understand the problems they are trying to solve Follow Spark Solutions on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter Follow Jessica on Instagram: @thestratijess Connect with Jessica on LinkedIN Support MiOWNED, an app that serves Minority owned businesses and founded organizations. You can sow into Jessica's life via Cashapp: $JessiCo28 If you enjoyed this episode, and you'd like to learn more, you can purchase my book here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Well-Watered Garden ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Love and Deliverance Ministries on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thee_jswilliams⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠@growregardlesspodcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: jsmediagroupco@gmail.com for - Business Inquiries/Advertising Opportunities . As promised, here are the scriptures referenced and/or implied: 1. 1 Peter 4:10 2. Ephesians 5:15-16 3. 1 Corinthians 1:3:18 4. Proverbs 18:2 5. Mark 8:34-38 6. 2 Corinithians 12 7. Numbers 20:10-13 (Account of Moses Striking the Rock) 8. Deuteronomy 3:23-28 (Account of Moses Striking the Rock) 9. Proverbs 12:15 10. Proverbs 3:5-6 11. 1 Corinthians 11:28 12. Psalm 26:2 13. 2 Corinthians 13:5 14. Lamentations 3:40 15. Psalm 139:23-24 16. 1 Corinthians 11:31 17. Galatians 6:4 18. Matthew 20:26-28 19. Romans 12:13 20. Galatians 5:13-14 21. Galatians 6:10 22. Matthew 23:11-12 23. Mark 10:44-45 24. Philippians 2:1-4 25. Joshua 22:5 26. 1 Samuel 12:24 27. Matthew 5:16 28. Matthew 6:24 29. Romans 12:1 30. Ephesians 2:10 31. Colossians 3:23 32. Hebrews 13:16 33. Hebrews 13:5 34. John 10:10 35. 1 Peter 5:8 36. Matthew 6:33 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/growregardlesspodcast/support

Welcome to Shaped By The Word Season 3: The Story of the Prophets. This season we will be reading through the prophets in chronological order in the hope of seeing how all of Scripture points to Christ from beginning to end. New episodes every week-day.

John Hall and Kathy Emmons talk with  Dr. CJ Williams,  Prof of Old Testament Studies, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA, about his book, The Shadow of Christ in the Book of Lamentation.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gospel According To John • Week 85 • John 20-24-31, Luke 24:36-40, Lamentations 3:22-23

Lamentations 3:40 (The Message)2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP, The Message, NIV, The Passion)

Message from Michael Howell on April 23, 2023

Are you seeking fresh experiences in life? What are you doing to break through the monotony of your daily routine? Join Rabbi Kevin Solomon of Congregation Beth Hallel as he remembers G-d's direction for us to celebrate newness in each new month and how reading Scripture can help you find novelty. Seek out constant spiritual renewal to change how you act as a believer. Be encouraged and remember that a new moon is never far away.Isaiah 43.18-19; Numbers 28.11; Numbers 10.10; Psalm 113.1-3; Lamentations 3.21-23Prayer Requests or send an email to info@bethhallel.orgCBH WebsiteDonateYouTube Channel

Pastor Josh and Matt Shiles discuss this week's sermon about "The new you can face all days in a new way".

A deadly plague is killing the Markab, and the crew must do what they can to save them while ensuring the plague does not spread to other species. Let's discuss, Confessions and Lamentations! If you have just started watching #Babylon5, have no fear! Our newbies are right there with you. If you have watched the series before, and you want to take a deeper dive, stay until the end when we go beyond the rim and talk spoilers for the entire show! We have merch! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.redbubble.com/people/Grey17Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can now support us via Patreon! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/Grey17Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get 20% of a personalized art piece from Sock and Key at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sockandkey.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ by using the promo code "GREY17". Be sure to join the conversation at: Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/Grey17Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/grey17podcast/  ⁠⁠⁠⁠  Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠ facebook.com/groups/grey17podcast  ⁠⁠⁠⁠  YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/channel/UC4gCaXwOHhVy24Zt8UCOxeA   ⁠⁠⁠⁠  Hosts: Scott, Blake, Emily, Mike, Kevin, Justin, Jessi, Nicole, John, Andrew Patreon Producers: Rosemary Bayliss, Craig Berry, Alexander Böhm, Matt Dennis, Melissa L. Hash, Yuri Hood, Jr., Michael Huyett, AaronK, Joseph Weiss, Laura W. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/grey17podcast/message

Series: The Major ProphetsService: Wednesday Bible StudyType: Bible MessageSpeaker: Rich Brown

Charlie, Gustav, and Connor talk about the recent COS Formal, staying out of trouble during the summertime and making your summer productive, what it means to ask God for our daily bread and reframing hardship, pitch their video came concept ideas, and dwell on the OT reading from Easter 3, Lamentations 3:18-26. https://www.instagram.com/connor.herter/https://www.instagram.com/gustaviano_wenzo/https://www.facebook.com/gustav.wenzhttps://www.instagram.com/girdup_be_a_man/https://www.facebook.com/charlie.ungemachhttps://www.facebook.com/timetogirduphttps://www.girdupministries.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morning: Psalm 27:13; Psalm 31:22; Psalm 69:2; Psalm 77:7–11; Lamentations 3:54–57 I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.—“Water closed over my head; I said, ‘I am lost.' I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!' You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!'” “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.—I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Psalm 27:13 (Listen) 13   I believe that I shall look1 upon the goodness of the LORD    in the land of the living! Footnotes [1] 27:13 Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed that I would look (ESV) Psalm 31:22 (Listen) 22   I had said in my alarm,1    “I am cut off from your sight.”  But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy    when I cried to you for help. Footnotes [1] 31:22 Or in my haste (ESV) Psalm 69:2 (Listen) 2   I sink in deep mire,    where there is no foothold;  I have come into deep waters,    and the flood sweeps over me. (ESV) Psalm 77:7–11 (Listen) 7   “Will the Lord spurn forever,    and never again be favorable?8   Has his steadfast love forever ceased?    Are his promises at an end for all time?9   Has God forgotten to be gracious?    Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah 10   Then I said, “I will appeal to this,    to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”1 11   I will remember the deeds of the LORD;    yes, I will remember your wonders of old. Footnotes [1] 77:10 Or This is my grief: that the right hand of the Most High has changed (ESV) Lamentations 3:54–57 (Listen) 54   water closed over my head;    I said, ‘I am lost.' 55   “I called on your name, O LORD,    from the depths of the pit;56   you heard my plea, ‘Do not close    your ear to my cry for help!'57   You came near when I called on you;    you said, ‘Do not fear!' (ESV) Evening: 1 Kings 4:29; 1 Chronicles 4:10; 2 Chronicles 1:7–8; 2 Chronicles 1:10; 2 Chronicles 14:11–12; Psalm 65:2; Psalm 91:15 “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him.” Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.—“Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God,… “Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people.”—And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore. And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak…. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa. O you who hears prayer, to you shall all flesh come. 1 Kings 4:29 (Listen) 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, (ESV) 1 Chronicles 4:10 (Listen) 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm1 so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. Footnotes [1] 4:10 Or evil (ESV) 2 Chronicles 1:7–8 (Listen) Solomon Prays for Wisdom 7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. (ESV) 2 Chronicles 1:10 (Listen) 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” (ESV) 2 Chronicles 14:11–12 (Listen) 11 And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” 12 So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. (ESV) Psalm 65:2 (Listen) 2   O you who hear prayer,    to you shall all flesh come. (ESV) Psalm 91:15 (Listen) 15   When he calls to me, I will answer him;    I will be with him in trouble;    I will rescue him and honor him. (ESV)

Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;   Lamentações de Jeremias 3:25 25 Bom é o Senhor para os que esperam por ele, para a alma que o busca.     Giving Links Thank you for listening, downloading and supporting the Speak Life Church and this podcast.    https://giv.li/p2nj61 Zelle  - pastor@SpeakLifeChurch.net https://www.patreon.com/speaklifechurchpodcast You can support the ministry by check or money order by sending it to Speak Life Church, 14713 Kent Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772   Rev. Kenn Blanchard  Kenn.blanchard@gmail.com pastor@speaklifechurch.net  240-200-0713

My sister and I clashed frequently when we were younger, but one time especially stands out in my memory. After a bout of yelling back and forth where we’d both said hurtful things, she said something that in the moment seemed unforgivable. Witnessing the animosity growing between us, my grandmother reminded us of our responsibility to love each other: “God gave you one sister in life. You’ve got to show each other a little grace,” she said. When we asked God to fill us with love and understanding, He helped us acknowledge how we’d hurt each other and to forgive one another. It can be so easy to hold on to bitterness and anger, but God desires for us to experience the peace that can only come when we ask Him to help us release feelings of resentment (Ephesians 4:31). Instead of harboring these feelings, we can look to Christ’s example of forgiveness that comes from a place of love and grace, striving to be “kind and compassionate” and to “[forgive] each other, just as in Christ God forgave [us]” (v. 32). When we find it challenging to forgive, may we consider the grace that He extends to us each day. No matter how many times we fall short, His compassion never fails (Lamentations 3:22). God can help us remove bitterness from our hearts, so we’re free to remain hopeful and receptive to His love.

Guest: Dr. Pam Merryman, PCA US English teacher   Pam and her sister were the first two students enrolled in First Baptist Academy in Dallas, TX. She not only graduated from First Academy, she became the first alumni to return and teach there as well.   “I never demand any more of my students than I'm willing to give myself.” Dr. Merryman   Dr. Merryman was the force behind bringing Capstone to PCA. Capstone is a senior project of three different papers around one particular literary piece. Seniors write a philosophical paper, an historical paper, and a literary analysis of a book that they choose. Then, the final piece, is looking at the book through a Biblical worldview, the lens of God's Word, and in light of the five pillars of the Portrait of a PCA Graduate and what they've learned in their time at PCA.   Portrait of a PCA Graduate: Reverence For God An Eternal Perspective Christ-like Humility Scholastic Excellence Critical Thinking   Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:19-23 Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

(Lamentations 3:1-3,21-26)

When you hear happy anniversary, it's usually a happy thing. But anniversaries in grief are not happy – they are things we begin to feel anxious about a week before, they are hard to walk through and you might be exhausted the week after. If the anniversary of your loved one's death is coming up, listen to this episode for some practical ways to honor your loved one while not forgetting what a significant day this is in your life and your healing.   WORD of the week    Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23  Song of the Week    Song of a Broken Heart – Casting Crowns   Grief 2 Great Day Website - Connect with Me And download the FREE Introduction Seminar:  “Loss, Grief and Healing” Take Action Now!  “The First Year of Grief. How to Survive and Heal.” Join The Grief Group for Christian Women on Facebook Read about Monica's entire Journey, Dying to Be Healed - Book - Grief2GreatDay   Visit my Church –Opendoor Church | Home           

This Lent we will be unpacking parts of the book of Judges. There is probably no book in the Bible as depressing as this book, except maybe Job or Lamentations, as it is a book that speaks directly about the failure of Israel. This is a shady book about a shady time in their history and its wedged right in between some really good years. Moses' mantle of leadership was being passed onto the next generation in Joshua. It was a hopeful time. The people were ready to receive. They had been through enough that they were open to God's call. But then, by the time we reach the book of Judges, the Israelites have already settled in the land of promise and it has not been as great as it could have been. Joshua has now died and what we discover is that the Israelites' have not followed Moses' instruction at all. Namely, they have not conquered the Canaanites who were living in the land prior to God's invitation of possession. For this Easter Sunday, Pastor Karla Shaw discusses the image the Scriptures give us of our risen Lord are magical. Yet, even in the grandeur, Christ is still present saying “Do not be afraid”. How do we carry this message of power and hope to a world in need? Passage: Revelation 1:9-20 While the capital campaign is official done, there is still more work to be done. For more information regarding the Capital Campaign or to donate, please visit pointlomachurch.org/gen2gen We have three worship opportunities for you to experience. We have our Sanctuary Service ("blended") at 9am. Our Online Service begins at 9:30am at pointlomachurch.org. And our Chapel Service ("modern") starts at 10:30am. Please consider joining us for one of these services.  To find and explore the exciting opportunities for people to get involved in what God is doing within our community, please visit our website at www.pointlomachurch.org.  For event happenings: http://pointlomachurch.org/connect/events/ To register for any event: http://pointlomachurch.org/register If you would like to give to the ministry: http://pointlomachurch.org/give/ Music in this podcast used with permission by Marc Shaw

31-32 “That's right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. It won't be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master.” God's Decree.33-34 “This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They'll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I'll forget they ever sinned!” God's Decree.JEREMIAH 31:31-34I will put enmity between you and the woman,    and between your offspring[e] and her offspring;he shall bruise your head,    and you shall bruise his heel.”GENESIS 3:15Proto-evangelium: first gospel; pre-gospel“The heel is the part within the serpent's reach. Jesus, in taking on humanity, brought Himself near to Satan's domain so Satan could strike Him. That bruised heel is painful enough. Behold our Lord in his human nature sore bruised: he was betrayed, bound, accused, buffeted, scourged, spit upon. He was nailed to the cross; he hung there in thirst and fever, and darkness and desertion. This is the first gospel sermon that was ever delivered upon the surface of this earth. It was a memorable discourse indeed, with Jehovah himself for the preacher, and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience.”CHARLES SPURGEONMAJOR PROPHETS: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. MINOR PROPHETS: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. (The Twelve)THEMES OF PROPHETIC LITERATUREProphetsProphet: a spokesperson on God's behalf“For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.”AMOS 3:7But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;1 CORINTHIANS 1:27God uses the minority to help steer the majority.Although Israel had many kings, they were not the ultimate authority in Israel. Rather, God's covenant word was the real authority. This is why God raised up the prophetic office to counterbalance the office of kingship. For every king, there was an opposing prophet or group of prophets ready to stick the covenant back in the king's face and call him to accountability to God's word.THE BIBLE PROJECTPast, Present, and FutureThey are prophets who speak what the people want to hear so that they can make a handsome living, not true prophets who suffer for speaking the truth (Jer. 32:1–5). Ezekiel 13:8–16 probably has in view the lying prophets who gave false comfort to King Zedekiah just prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC (Jer. 28). He compares them to those who whitewash a wall to mask its flaws. The people were supposed to build a sound house of truth and love for the Lord, but their sin was actually building a weak and compromised nation. Instead of alerting the people to this, the prophets preferred to ignore the people's sin, telling them everything was just fine and papering over the unsound structure that the nation had built.LIGONIER“Will I be a person who only receives the word from God that I WANT, or will I be a person who receives whatever God says; even the things I don't want to hear?”3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.'JEREMIAH 7:3-4We today don't say, “The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD” as they did in Jeremiah's day. Today some say, “I go to church, I go to church, I go to church”; or “I'm a conservative, I'm a conservative, I'm a conservative”; or “I'm Calvary Chapel, I'm Calvary Chapel, I'm Calvary Chapel.” None of these things make one right with God apart from true faith and true repentance.DAVID GUZIK 3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. 4 You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 10 Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. JEREMIAH 25:3-4, 8-115 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.JEREMIAH 7:5-7God desperately wants partnership with His people.The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.2 CHRONICLES 16:9God is in control31-32 “That's right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. It won't be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master.” God's Decree.33-34 “This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They'll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I'll forget they ever sinned!” God's Decree.JEREMIAH 31:31-34

Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24; Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16; 1 Peter 4:1-8; John 19:38-42 Today's meditation was read by Song Toh, produced by Jess Springer, with music by Michael Anderson.

Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston ordonate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com. Well, good evening. My name is Andy. I'm one of the pastors here at Mosaic along with Pastor Jan and Pastor Shane. And as we say every service, we are glad to have everybody here worshiping with us today. And whether you're new or one of our seasoned attendees, we're thankful to be worshiping with you. If you are not a regular attendee, we invite you out to come on Sunday after this service. We won't hold any announcements at the end of the service today. Come out, we have services at 9:15 and 11:15 AM. Bring friends, bring family, and just come celebrate the resurrection, as tonight we'll be a little more intense. But we're glad that you're here and we're always praying for the Lord to send us people asking questions about Christianity, asking questions about the cross of Jesus Christ. And praying that the Lord would also send seasoned saints to come and just take up the labor, the mission here with us in Boston. Tonight, I'm going to have just a meditation on God's zeal for His glory, how good Friday shows God's zeal for His glory. And before we do so, I just want to jump in and pray. Heavenly Father, we praise You that You are God. You are worthy of our worship. You speak to us through Your creation. When we look upon all that is good in this world, we see Your fingerprint upon it. When we look upon other human lives, we see Your presence. We see some of the character attributes that You have passed on. Lord, when we look upon Your word, most importantly, we see Your love for us. We see this Bible from the third chapter through the finish, talking about man's fall to sin and Your plan to be the solution to that, to crush the serpent on the head, and to come and be both the priest and the sacrifice of the atonement for our sins. And Lord, we praise You for sending Jesus Christ who is our brother, but is also our God. We thank You that He took on flesh to be tempted and tried in every way. He took on flesh to know the challenges firsthand that we face in this life. And Lord, He took on flesh to walk perfectly under your law in the way that we could not. And we thank you Lord that He came, He lived for the primary purpose of going to the cross for Your lost children. And He went and He bore the full wrath that is due for all of our sins and the work is finished. We praise You that as we look upon Good Friday, as we look upon Christ, we know that it is finished. And Lord, it's sad, it sickens us to know what Christ went through us. But we praise You for that. We praise You that we can say ultimately You have worked the great travesty of the cross for Your good, for Your glory, for our salvation. We pray right now. Lord, just show us more of Your heart. Let us not get lost in thinking what this day means and offers to us. Let's not just seek an emotional religious experience, Lord. Let us grow further and further in love with your heart. I pray these things in Jesus's name. Amen. Now to start, I want to read from Matthew ... Excuse me, Mark chapter 15 and I'll read the whole chapter, I think it's 1-47, Mark chapter 15 verses 1-47. "And as soon as it was morning, the chief priest held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' And he answered him, 'You have said so.' And the chief priest accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, 'Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you?' But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them saying, 'Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?' For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priest had delivered him up. But the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, 'Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?' And they cried out again, 'Crucify him.' And Pilate said to them, 'Why? What evil has he done?' But they shouted all the more, 'Crucify him.' So Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. And having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him a in a purple cloak and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. And they comp compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry the cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, 'The King of the Jews.' And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, 'Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!' So also the chief priest with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.' Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' And some of the bystanders hearing it said, 'Behold, he is calling Elijah.' And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink and said, 'Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.' And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!' There were also women looking on from a distance among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and the younger and of Joses and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem." "And when evening had come, since it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph brought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid." This is the reading of God's holy word. It's in this, the blood of Christ, His crucifixion, and on Sunday, his resurrection that we boast as Christians. To start, I'm glad that Caleb in the introduction said Happy Good Friday because it's just a confusing day. This is the most solemn day of the year for the church, yet it really is one of the most joyful days. Today we celebrate the cross of Jesus Christ. And I come from a lot of ... I've been through a few traditions of Christianity before I came to Mosaic. And there's a lot of questions about how to approach Good Friday. And so I want to start by just making a couple critiques of the typical approach of Good Friday. There's one where people come and on Good Friday, there's this extra pressure to come and think about what Christ went through for me. Wow. Look how far, look at the ridicule, look at the mockery, look at the physical pain, look at the sin, the wrath that He bore for me. And I want to say keep doing that. We have to keep doing that for at the cross we boast He who knew us and became sin, so in Him we might become the righteousness of God. And there's a tendency though, to just get one side of the Good Friday story. And it's when you really just think about, wow, what did Jesus go through for me, what you miss out on is, is your heart being taken to worship of God. What does the cross, how does this direct me to worship of God? And so this point's a little confusing. I say, don't make this the only thing that you do. As you contemplate the weight that Christ bore on the cross, you should be in awe and astonishment and wonder about what He did for you. You should grimace as you read the gospel story, the crucifixion story. You should grimace as we take communion and you eat the bread and drink the juice, the wine. You should grimace, almost feel sick as I go through a reading to close out my portion of this message that will tell you and explain more details of the crucifixion than you could have ever wanted to know. But you don't want to make it the primary thing. And there's just beneath this wow what he did for me, some Christians can just get lost. We say that Jesus Christ, He is our Lord and He is our savior. And we get stuck in our faith just saying, "Wow, he's my savior. What has he done for me?" But beneath that is really me, me, me, instead of wow, God, God, God, look at what God has done. And so I challenge you today, think. I said this is a message where we're talking about God's zeal for his glory. As I preach to you right now, ask the Lord to show you what does Good Friday teach me about God Himself? Not what does Good Friday do for me? And so that's a nuanced point. You want to feel the weight. You should feel the weight. You have the law of God standing over you in this dark building right now. I just read Mark, the crucifixion story. You should be feeling it, but don't let that be the only thing. Don't let that be the primary thing. And next, I just want to critique. A lot of people come to a Good Friday service to tremble and really just get that little taste of religious experience, of emotional experience that will just carry them forward in their life. There's a famous hymn that really I think captures this tendency for Good Friday and it's, were you there when they crucified my Lord. I think a lot of people know that. And the lyrics go: Were you there when you crucified my Lord? Were you there when you crucified my Lord? Oh. If you know the song, you know that I do not have the capacity to sing it. Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. And I used to attend a church that sang this song on every Good Friday and I really looked forward to it. It's catchy. Guys like Johnny Cash sang it. But I think this approach captures, reveals the wrong mindset. It reveals a mindset of I just want to tremble. I just want to be shaken a little bit as I engage God, as I engage His holy scriptures. And this has shown, some Christians who are regular church attendees, we fall into this. But many people come out once a year, let me go get my fix, let me go get right before God by doing this. And it's not the right way. What's the problem? We only want to sometimes tremble. We want to pause and be shaken a bit. And what Good Friday teaches is that it's not about us. It's not about coming to get a religious experience. And you can come and do that every week at Mosaic and hopefully it goes beyond that to your heart. But Good Friday, first and foremost is about God and His zeal for His glory. And if your mind, as you ponder just the weight that Christ bore for you, if you come and you have this religious experience, but you don't get taken up to worship and awe and wonder at the glory of God and his character, then we have failed in this service. You are either after the wrong thing in your approach or we as a church are not taking you to the heavenly of heavenlys, taking you into the presence of God. And Jesus knew this. He knew that the cross was all about God's glory. Right before He was betrayed by Judas and handed to the authorities Christ prayed, "Now is my soul troubled." And this is John chapter 12:27-28. "Now, is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.' Then a voice from heaven came from heaven: 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.'" When we observe Good Friday, we tend to get so caught up in the thinking about the power and ambiance of Christ, of the situation of the service. We get so caught up in thinking about what does this mean for me? What's the point of coming out here? How does this add to my personal walk in the faith? But in doing so, we miss what God is trying to teach us about himself. And what is that God has a zeal. He's teaching us, God, I have a zeal for my glory, first and foremost. What is Christ's passion? This week where we talk about his suffering in holy week, it's a storm, literally the sky went black, probably felt a lot like this for several hours of the day in Jerusalem, while Christ was on the cross. The cross is the storm. The fury of God's just rest, the whole cup of it for all sins, past, present, and future of his children. And our engagement in one of the events in Christ's life with a storm should teach us how to take lessons from this storm on the cross. Mark 4:36-41 says, "And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep in the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they're filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind in the sea obey him?'" So what's the situation at the end of this storm scene? Imagine just being in a boat with waves just rocking over your head, the winds just loud howling in your ears, rain's coming down, thunder, lightning, and Jesus is there sleeping and he wakes up and he says, "Peace. Be still." The situation at the end is that the disciples are left more scared as they ponder the nature of Jesus than they were by the storm that was rocking them a moment ago. "Who is this man? Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him," they ask. And that's how our engagement with the storm of Good Friday should be when we think about God. We should ask, "Who is this God?" When we get a greater glimpse at the lens he goes to preserve his just, his righteous, his glorious nature, it should shake us to the core, not just give us a little tremble. It should inspire us to turn to get right with him through Christ immediately and should change us all together from the inside out. And this is in several parts of scripture. Where do I give this primarily tonight? Romans chapter 3:21-26. It says, "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus for all who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." I think these verses contain the most important paragraph on the atonement in the Bible, and that's not biblical. That's just my after me really digging into it in this season and in the past. What do these verses say? They say that beneath God's pursuit of our justification, our being made right before him and forgiveness, beneath our justification and forgiveness in sending to the cross was the pursuit of God to clear his own name. Verse 25 can be understood as "God put Christ forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins." The text tells us that until Christ sacrifice on the cross, God's righteousness is at stake. His name was in need of vindication. Why is that the case? Why did God face the problem of needing to give a public vindication of his righteousness? The answer it's provided in verse 25, "because in his divine forbearance, he had passed over former sins." Now what does that mean? It means that for millennia, God had been doing what Psalm 103 verse 10 says. "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities." Think King David. He sends a man off to war to get killed so that he can marry his wife and the prophet Nathan tells him his sins are forgiven and David gets to continue to serve as king. There's no punishment in the kingdom, and he's not stricken dead. And that's offensive. Why is passing over of sin of forgiveness such a problem? Well, what is sin? Romans 3:23 says, "For all sin and fall short of the glory of God," or translated literally, "all of sinned and lacked the glory of God." Sin is related to glory and it's understood as a lacking or losing of it. When Adam sinned, he lost the glory that came with being a sinless image bearer of the trial of God. How did he lose his glory? He exchanged that glory which was inherent in his nature as an image bearer of God for something offered to him in the creation. All sin is a preference for the temporary pleasures of things found within the finite creation over the everlasting joy of eternal fellowship with the creator. Sin is a failing to love God's glory above everything else. Altogether sin might be understood as an effort to rob God of his glory, or that sin is a rebellion against God's glory. Therefore, the problem when God passes over sin is that God seems to condone the behavior of those who commit sin. He seems to be saying it is a matter of indifference that his glory is spurned. He seems to condone the low assessment of who He is, His righteousness, His worth from the sinner. Where the passing over of sin communicates that God's glory and His righteous governance are of little or no value to the sinner. But according to Romans, this is the most basic problem that God solved by the death on his son. Verse 25 and 26 say, "This, God's putting Christ his son forward to die was to show God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time." So God, he could have settled accounts with man by not saving anybody and punishing all sinners with hell. This would've demonstrated that He does not condone our falling short of his glory or the belittling of His honor. But God did not will to condemn everyone like that. John 3:17 says, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." This truth we know well. We know well that God is for us. We know that our salvation is God's goal in sending Jesus. But today I'm asking, do you know the foundation of God's rescue plan for his children? Do you know that there is a deeper goal in the father's sending of the son? Do you know that God's love for us depends on a deeper love, namely God's love for his own glory? Do you know that God's desire to save sinners rest on a deeper desire, namely God's desire to vindicate his righteousness? Do you realize that the accomplishment of our salvation does not center on us, but on God's zeal for his own glory? The big question of the cross is not can we be saved, but can Christ repair the glory of God for the people of God? And the resounding answer of the Bible is yes. Christ drank the full cup of God's wrath for the sins of his children, past, present, future when he went to the cross and first and foremost for God the Father, then for us. So this is why is it important to understand, meditate upon Good Friday. It shows us that the cross is the foremost display of God's love for sinners. Not because it demonstrates the value of sinners, but because it vindicates the value of God for sinners to enjoy. God's love for man does not consist in making man central, but in making Himself central to man. The cross doesn't direct man's attention to His own vindicated worth, but to God's vindicated righteousness. This is love, God pursuing His own glory because the only eternal happiness for man is happiness focused on the riches of God's glory. Psalm 16:11 says, "In your presence there is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore." God's self-exaltation, it's loving because it preserves for us and offers to us the only fully satisfying object of desire in the universe, Himself, the all glorious, all righteous God. If God doesn't correct things, if God doesn't make sure that there is payment for sins, he is not worthy to be God. At the cross your view of God and His character and love of God and His character, they should expand. He destroys any formulations of a God that we could have contrived by our own personal preferences. He destroys any construction of God that could have been contrived by the primary ideals of our day, our culture, our country, our government. At the cross, you don't just tremble. Sometimes but are shaken to the core. Who is this God that chases after his own glory with such zeal? At the cross, you see that you're not the center of things. Your glory and joy are not at the center of life and history, but God and his glory and joy are. You see that you're just blessed that He even offers a chance to walk beside Him in life despite your sin through faith in Jesus Christ. At the cross you see most clearly on Good Friday that you are a mere creature made for worship of the good, holy, and wise God. At the cross you see that God is both just and the justifier. You cherish the fact that he has procured your salvation through the sending of the Son and the fact of His righteous character. At the cross you'll find that to be loved intimately is to be forgiven, cleansed and enabled to see and to feel the wonder that the Father has for himself and that Christ has for the Father and that the spirit has for them both. To close my speaking portion before we partake ... Oh, excuse me, what the cross is it's the Grand Canyon. God doesn't take us to Mount Washington, a cheap New England wannabe. Now the cross, God takes us to the Grand Canyon. He displays the full majesty of who he is. He shows a zeal for righteousness, holiness, perfection, all glories, preserves them and says, "Look upon me. Look upon how great I am. Look at how holy set apart from all other as I am and be holy before me, because that is what is best for you." And praise God, he doesn't say that to us in our sin without hope, for we know that without Jesus Christ, who was perfect, who was holy, while we are sinners, we can look to Christ and have peace with him. We can look to God and know that He in all of His glory and power and splendor, the might of His good hand is working towards us for all of eternity in Jesus. And so to close my portion before we partake in communion together, I want to read a really long excerpt that does spend a lot of time making me say, "Wow, look what God has done for me." But as you read it, I want you to test yourself. I want you to test yourself. When you look at the death, the crucifixion of Christ, do you look simply to be shaken, to tremble a little? Or as a reader, are you only thinking, "Wow, look at what God has done for me," and not go beyond that? Or are you brought to praise and wonder to see the lens that God goes to preserve his glorious and righteous character for your eternal satisfaction in him? I'm going to read a long section from Fleming Rutledge's book, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ. "It is formidably difficult to understand the cross today in its original context after 2000 years in which it has been domesticated, romanticized, idealized, and misappropriated. Occasionally a modern interpreter struggling to find some correspondence that can be grasped by people today will compare the cross of Roman times to the American electric chair. This is an adequate analogy for a number of reasons as we shall see, but we can learn a few things from it. Imagine revering an electric chair. Imagine using it as the focal point in our churches, hanging small replicas around our necks, carrying it aloft in procession and bow bowing our heads as it passes. The absurdity of this scenario can readily be grasped, but other features in the comparison might help us. For instance, the electric chair when it was still used was almost always used for executing the lowest class of criminal and majority of them black with no powerful connections or other resources. Similarly, the Romans virtually never used the cross for executing people who had occupied high positions and never for Roman citizens. Another point of contact is the contradictory response of revulsion and attraction familiar to anyone who has ever slowed to look at a wreck on a highway. Even the most fastidious person when confronted by a photograph of an electric chair, let alone the real thing, will experience a disturbing fascination. There have always been people who specialize in coming to cheer and applaud executions when they took place, whether lynchings, hangings, or electrocutions. That is what undoubtedly happened on Calvary when Jesus was nailed to the cross and left there to die. Crowds of people then as now took pleasure in reviling the one who is being put to death. When they became bored with this pastime, they went safely home to their comforts and gave the victim no further thought. 'It is nothing to you, all you who passed by,' Lamentations 1:12. But there are very important differences. Electrocutions were at least theoretically supposed to be humane and quick, but crucifixion as a method of execution was specifically designed to intensify and prolong agony. In this sense, the cross was infinitely more dreadful than the electric chair, odious, though the chair was. Another difference is that the person to be electrocuted is permitted the dignity of a mask or a hood, presumably so that the privilege of the face noted by Susan Sontag would be protected. Most important of all, electrocutions took place indoors out of public view with only a few select people permitted to watch. Crucifixion, on the other hand, was supposed to be seen by as many people as possible. The basement resulting from public display was a chief feature of the method along with the prolonging of the agony. It was a form of advertisement or public announcement. 'This person is the scum of the earth, not fit to live, more an insect than a human being.' The crucified wretch was pinned up like a specimen. Crosses were not placed out in the open for convenience or sanitation, but for maximum public exposure. Crucifixion as a means of execution in the Roman Empire had its express purpose, the elimination of victims from consideration as members of the human race. It cannot be said too strongly that it was its function. It was meant to indicate to all who might be toying with subversive ideas that crucified persons were not of the same species as either the executioners or the spectators, and were therefore not only expendable, but also deserving of ritualized extermination. Therefore, the mocking and jeering that accompanied crucifixion were not only allowed, they're part of the spectacle and were programmed into it. In a sense, crucifixion was a form of entertainment. Everyone understood that the specific role of the passerby was to exacerbate the dehumanization and degradation of the person had thus been designated to be a spectacle. Crucifixion was cleverly designed, we might say diabolically designed, to be an almost theatrical enactment of the sadistic and inhumane impulses that lie within human beings. According to the Christian gospel, the Son of God voluntarily and purposefully absorbed all of that, drawing it into himself. Anyone seeking to interpret Jesus crucifixion must decide whether or not to include a clinical description. Since the New Testament writers are conspicuously silent about the physical details, it is legitimate to ask whether it is suitable or helpful to introduce them. On the other hand, people in New Testament times had all seen crucifixions and did not need a description. The evangelists and the other New Testament writers were able to assume a familiarity with the method that is unthinkable for us today. Most of us have never even come close to see anyone tortured to death. 'For this reason,' as Martin Hengel writes, 'reflection on the harsh reality of crucifixion and antiquity may help us to overcome the acute loss of reality, which is to be found so often present in theology and preaching.' The early theologian originally called Jesus death the utterly vile death on the cross. Cicero, the great Roman statesman and writer referred to the crucifixion as the supreme penalty, exceeding burning and decapitation and gruesomeness. Some rudimentary knowledge of what was taking place will help us to understand these terms. The first phase of a Roman execution was scourging. The lictors, Roman legionnaires assigned to this duty used a whip made of leather cords to which small pieces of metal or bone had been fastened. Paintings of the scouring of Jesus had always shown him with a loin cloth but in fact the victim would've been naked, tied to a post in a position to expose the back and buttocks to maximum effect. With the first strokes of the scourge, skin would be pulled away and subcutaneous tissue exposed. As the process continued, the lacerations would begin to tear into the underlying skeletal muscles. This would result not only in a great pain but also in appreciable blood loss. The idea was to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. It was common for taunting and ridicule to accompany the procedure. In the case of Jesus, the New Testament tells us that a crown of thorns, a purple robe and a mock scepter were added to intensify the mockery. The condition of a prisoner after scourging just prior to crucifixion would depend upon several things. Previous physical condition, the enthusiasm of the lictors and the extent of blood loss. In the case of Jesus, these things cannot be known. But the fact that he was apparently unable to carry the crossbar himself would indicate that he was probably in a severely weakened state and he may have been close to circulatory shock. Those being crucified were then paraded through the streets, exposing them to the full scorn of the population. When the procession reached the site of the crucifixion, the victims would see before them the heavy upright wooden post permanently in place to which the crossbar, sorry, they have the Latin terms, to which the crossbar would be joint. The person was to be crucified. The person to be crucified would be thrown down on his back, exacerbating the pain of the wounds from the scourging and introducing dirt into them. His hands would be tied or now to the crossbar. Nailing seams to have been preferred by the Romans. Ossuary finds have given us a clearer idea of how this was done. 2000 years of Christian iconography notwithstanding that nails were not driven into the palms which could not support the weight of a man's body, but into the wrists. The long stake of the cross was then hoisted onto the crossbar with the victim dependent from it, and the feet were tied or nailed. At this point, the process of crucifixion proper began. Victims of crucifixion lived on their crosses for periods varying from three or four hours or to three or four days. It has often been remarked that Jesus ordeal is relatively brief. Perhaps he was weakened by the scourging or had lost more blood than usual or suffered cardiac rupture. We cannot know. In any sense, it has been surmised that the major pathophysiological effect of crucifixion beyond the excruciating pain was a marked interference with normal respiration, particularly exhalation, passive exhalation, which we all do thousand of times a day without thinking about it, becomes impossible for a person hanging on a cross. The weight of a body hanging by its wrists would depress the muscles required for breathing out. Therefore, each exiled breath could only be achieved by a tremendous effort. The only way to gain a breath at all would be by pushing oneself up from the legs and feet or pulling ones off up by the arms, either of which would cause intense agony. Add to this primary factor, the following secondary ones, bodily functions uncontrolled, insects feasting on wounds and orifices, unspeakable thirst, muscle cramps, bolts of pain from the severed median nerves in the wrist, scourged back scraping against the wooden post. It is more than any of us are capable of fully imagining. The verbal abuse and other actions such as spitting and throwing refuse by the spectators. Roman soldiers and passersby added the final touch. The New Testament shows us life lived between two worlds, the Roman and the near Middle Eastern crucifixion was noxious enough in Roman eyes. Palestinian attitudes would've found it perhaps even more so. Middle Eastern cultures still have to this day an acute sense of personal honor lodged in the body. An amputation administered as punishment, for instance, would be seen as much more than just physical cruelty or permanent handicap. It would mean that the amputee would carry the visible marks of dishonor and shame for the rest of his or her life. Anything done to the body would've been understood as exceptionally cruel, not just because it inflicted pain, but even more because it caused dishonor. Furthermore, the passion accounts reflect in part a very ancient ritual of humiliation. The mocking of Jesus, the spitting and scorn, the inversion of his kingship and the studious dethronement with the crown of thorns and purple robe would've been understood as a central part of a total right of infamy, of which the crucifixion itself is the culmination. Another aspect of crucifixion not widely noted is that a crucified person gasping and heaving on his cross is forced to be his own executioner. He is not even allowed the perverse dignity of having a human being corresponding to himself who hangs or decapitates him. He dies truly and completely alone with the weight of his own body, killing him as it hangs, causing his own diaphragm to suffocate him." All of this Jesus Christ went through for you, but also for the Father's glory. Let us pray before we partake in communion. Heavenly Father, we are just sickened and nauseous, just pondering just what Christ went through on the cross, the pain, the isolation, the thirst, the sadness. Lord, we cannot fathom. Lord, we do thank you that He came and He bore that for us. And because He bore that, He can identify with us from this moment on in history and our weaknesses and in our pains and conflicts. But most of all, Lord, we thank you that on the cross when He cried out, you did not hear Him, you did not respond. You did forsake him. Lord, he took the full cup of the punishment due for our sin so that we do not have to. We thank you that we do not have to relate with Him in that. We praise you for freeing us from the fear of death, from the fear of eternal torment, which would rightly be due to us had Jesus not gone to the cross for us. Lord, we pray, we thank you. But more as I reflect on tonight, we thank you for your zeal, for your glory. We thank you that to preserve your holy and right name, Lord, you go to such lengths. We thank you that you use your power for all that is good and godly and pure. We thank you for the hope that we have, knowing that as we go forward facing this creation, that is still impacted by Satan, sin, and death. We know that you're working for our good and not against us. Lord, help us to grow in our love and appreciation of you and who you are. You are all together set apart. You are all together holy. And with our limited minds we can only understand that to the degree that you allow us. So I pray, Lord, as we look at the cross, let us grow in our love and knowledge and understanding of you in addition to our appreciation for what you have done for us in Jesus and offering us salvation. Let us find joy walking in communion with you. I pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Morning lessons: Psalm 88; Lamentations 3:37-58; Hebrews 4.  O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you; O let my prayer enter into your presence; incline your ear to my call.

Morning lessons: Psalm 40; Lamentations 3:1-36; John 18.  I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined to me, and heard my call.

I'm excited to start this holy week off with this sweet and encouraging episode with Will and Courtney Kassner. Will and Courtney are the writers and creators behind Crew & Co. which is their ministry and shop full of products to invite beauty into the lives of families and make Scripture a practical part of their daily lives. Recently, they released their first children's book called When the World Wakes Up, and my daughter Nora Beth hopped on this interview to share her thoughts and ask her questions about the beautiful book! They shared with us how God inspired the story from a moment with Will and his kids, and the beauty of God sharing that moment with them. It is a visually stunning book and a sweet story that invites kids to add their voice to the Kingdom of God. In that same vein, we'll talk in this conversation about how God takes the dreams and gifts we have and think they'll become one thing, and He has a good plan and a purpose for all of it that we can't even imagine because ministry comes in so many shapes and forms. We all have unique gifts to offer the world. Satan tries his hardest to shut us up but calls us to use our voice and gifts in the way He made us to. During a week where Jesus went into Jerusalem with a much bigger plan for the world and the Kingdom of God than we could ever dream of, it feels right to start with that word of encouragement, to us big kids, but especially to young hearts in a big scary world. I hope after hearing this conversation that you feel encouraged to use your voice, whatever that looks like. Create the art. Write the story. Encourage the neighbor. Have the conversation you've been putting off. Who knows what the Lord will do with it? No matter where you are today, I hope that you know that you matter, and your story matters. Connecting with Will & Courtney + Crew & Co.  Book: When the World Wakes Up Crew & Co. Instagram Facebook Pinterest TikTok Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty Facebook Instagram  Tik Tok  Website YouTube References: -The animals on “Bambi” were twitterpated lol  -Young Life -His Kids Company - Placemats  -Example of devotions Will writes on the Crew & Co. Instagram  -Their intern singing on Instagram (Emma & Annabeth!) -” The Chosen” - Episode “Two by Two” -Ellie Holcolmb's “Sing: Creation Songs” album – this is a great resource to compliment the Kassner's book! -Crew & Co. encouragement boxes   Scripture References: Psalm 118:24-This is the day the Lord has made  Romans 12-Ministry comes in so many shapes and forms  Proverbs 3:5-7, Joel 2:13, James 4:10-Submitting our heart to the Lord to see what He'll do with it Hebrews 10:24-25-Spur one another one in good deeds  Matthew 10:1; Luke 6:12–13; Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–2- Jesus sends out the disciples two by two Colossians 3:17,23, Romans 11:33-36-Worship is all of what we do 1 Peter 4:10-We are recipients and stewards of God's grace Lamentations 3:22-23-New mercies every morning  Genesis 1-2, John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:16-God is the one who created us all  Romans 8:22-The whole world longs for God and to be made right Psalm 19:1-The heavens declare the glory of God 1 Corinthians 12:1-11-Using our gifts for God Exodus 31-37-Creating the Tabernacle in the wilderness Psalm 27:13-The good is not over Psalm 16:11, Psalm 30:5-There is still joy  Genesis 50:20-What the enemy meant for evil God can use for good JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!!!! I would be honored to have your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast: Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life) Facebook Twitter Blog   

Let's celebrate Easter together! In addition to this week's episode on lament, enjoy the devotional and reflection questions.Easter Devotional On LamentBy Mary Arnold Lament. The word might evoke a cringe or a catch in your spirit. It's not a concept we run toward or eagerly embrace. Human logic accuses lament of being a hopeless time where God is not present. However, repeatedly, scripture tells us quite the opposite. Yes, scripture does show times of lament to be weighty expressions of grief and sorrow—mourning—the heavy kind where sack cloth and ashes are donned. But, if you study Lamentations, Job, and many of the Psalms, you will see that God is ever present in the author's lament. In the New Testament, Jesus Himself laments over Lazarus' death and later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, before His own. In James 4:8-10 we are called to lament. The verses say, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts you double-minded. Be wretched, mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Christ invites us to be part of the process of our spiritual restoration by allowing us to express our grievances and pain before our loving heavenly Father who promises to draw near to us and lift us out of despair and give us comfort. Lament resonates with me especially in this Easter season. Growing up my mom had us stop whatever we were doing around the 3 o'clock hour on Good Friday and reflect on Christ's crucifixion (Mark 15:33-38 tells us it was at this hour that Christ willingly gave up His spirit and died). Over time I began to deeply value this tradition and I intentionally continue it today. Each year I pause to contemplate and grieve the truth of Christ being nailed to a cross and suffering a horrific death so that my sin could be rectified with God. My mind grapples with the darkness and scheming of humanity; the pure evil unrestrained, for a time; the death of my innocent, holy Lord in my place—because of my sin. I lament. It is heavy—and it should be. Christ's sacrifice is overwhelmingly gracious. I need this reminder of the cost of my sin because it shifts my perspective. I am humbled and filled with awe and praise for our merciful Lord, and I am encouraged to carry on because I have hope through Christ's redemption. Most commonly, lament is prompted by a loss or a difficult or unjust circumstance. But as James alludes, lament is also a pivotal habit in the Christian walk. It's a healthy type of pause or check-up in our spiritual life. As He says in chapter 4, lament is a drawing near to God involving an acknowledgement of areas where we need sanctification and renewal. Our Lord communes with us as we bear these burdens before Him. Because we are His, we can ask boldly for healing, strength, and endurance. We must then choose to obey Him, trusting that He is sovereign and righteous and that He will lift us up just as He says.  Like Easter, lament is a season of turning from despair and death and walking into abundant life in Christ. May we willingly embrace lament! Reflection QuestionsRead through James 4:8-10 and pray for humility and faith to lament openly to the Lord. Are there areas in your life that can be renewed and made right with the Lord through lament? Consider ways in which God's character is highlighted in the faithful and honest lament of people in the Bible (for examples, look into Psalm 13:1-6 or Psalm 10). What can be gained when we bring a heavy lament to the Lord in prayer? As you look toward Easter and remember the sacrifice Jesus willingly made for our sin, what prompts you to worship Him more dearly?To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen.

Sunday, April 2, 2023. 

Program for 03/31/23 "Best of" SAS Chapel: Lamentations 5

Over the last several decades, a new word has entered our movie vocabulary: the reboot. In cinematic parlance, a reboot takes an old story and jumpstarts it. Some reboots retell a familiar tale, like a superhero story or a fairytale. Other reboots take a lesser-known story and retell it in a new way. But in each case, a reboot is a bit like a do-over. It’s a fresh start, a chance to breathe new life into the old. There’s another story that involves reboots—the gospel story. In it, Jesus invites us to His offer of forgiveness, as well as abundant and eternal life (John 10:10). And in the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah reminds us that God’s love for us makes every day a “reboot” of sorts: “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (3:22–23). God’s grace invites us to embrace each day as a fresh opportunity to experience His faithfulness. Whether we’re struggling with the effects of our own mistakes or going through other hardships, God’s Spirit can breathe forgiveness, new life, and hope into each new day. Every day is a reboot of sorts, an opportunity to follow the lead of the great Director, who is weaving our story into His bigger one.

Pastor JD finishes the book of Lamentations with Jeremiah breaking down and crying out to the Lord, and in so doing provides us with the way to pray when in pain and suffering. The post The Way To Pray, Lamentations 5 – March 23rd, 2023 appeared first on Calvary Chapel Kaneohe.

Pastor JD finishes the book of Lamentations with Jeremiah breaking down and crying out to the Lord, and in so doing provides us with the way to pray when in pain and suffering.Social MediaProphecy Website: http://jdfarag.orgMobile/TV Apps: https://subsplash.com/calvarychapelkaneohe/app Church Website: http://www.calvarychapelkaneohe.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/JDFaragFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JDFaragInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/JDFarag

In today's episode, the guys discuss the lessons to be learned from the life of Job. The book of Job stands out in many unique ways: it is likely the oldest book in the Bible, about a non-Jewish person, is set in a place far away from Israel, and is written in a way that should be acted out as a play. Job was a man of devotion who cared deeply about his children's souls and spiritual state. As parents, we need to be students of our children, studying them regularly and treating them as individuals created by God. We should be gentle and respond to their failures in the way that God would. Job feared God and shunned evil. Nowadays, we tend to think about the battle between good and evil as a wrestling match between God and the devil in which only one side will prevail. However, in the Scriptures, we get the sense instead that Satan merely embodies evil as a dog on a leash who God gives permission to do things within set parameters.  Then, the guys discuss the need for creating space for lamenting, which we see in Job, the Psalms, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and more. Lamentation can be a worshipful way of crying out to God and asking where he is and why hardship is happening. This draws you nearer to your Savior, even when your questions are unanswered. It is important to remember, however, that there is some lamenting which is dishonoring to God's glory and magnitude, and we must humbly remember that God is sovereign. There is nothing wrong with being open and raw towards God so long as we remember that He is on His throne and all things are working for His good.  We should be slow to speak and quick to receive all that he has to offer us.  God tests Job by taking away all that he holds dear, from his children to his physical health. But all the while, Job never curses God for his miseries. His illness became so intense that his friends no longer recognized him, and they even began to speculate what sins Job had committed in his life to deserve the anguish he was experiencing. If we are not careful, we may also find ourselves also trying to rationalize the negative aspects of our lives in this way. God knew all along how much suffering Job could bear and did not allow Satan to cross that limit. When he reached that limit, God stopped him and his attacks on Job ended, the sign that God is always in control. Thanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro