Sometmes God feels far away; how do we deal with this? We see in Psalm 13 David's darkness, David's desire, and David's delight; the darkness of feeling God is far off, the desire that God would show himself near, and the delight that is in God.

When God speaks, we react with faith or despair. But in Isaiah 49:15-23, God reclaims the despairing.

Biblical Self-Talk Psalm 42 1. For the desiring soul 2. For the distanced soul 3. For the depressed soul 4. For the deserted soul

This sermon explores the spiritual benefits of affliction by examining Psalm 119, arguing that suffering serves a divine purpose in the believer's life. The preacher identifies four key values of hardship: it redirects wandering hearts back to God, facilitates deeper understanding of Scripture, reveals God's faithfulness amidst trials, and provides essential comfort through His Word. Using examples from Joseph and personal anecdotes, the message emphasizes that while circumstances may be evil, God orchestrates them for good and spiritual growth. The tone is pastoral and encouraging, urging listeners to embrace their struggles as opportunities to rely more fully on divine truth rather than resisting their reality.

Joshua 6:1-5 (KJV) Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

TEXT: LD 18 When we believe that Jesus Christ went to heaven for our benefit, this world is no longer a scary and depressing place Jesus went to heaven… …as our Advocate …to change the focus of our lives …to guarantee our glorification

June is recognised as Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. In many ways, that is a good thing. For generations, men were often taught to suppress struggles, hide burdens, and carry pressures in silence. As a result, many suffered alone. The growing awareness surrounding mental health has encouraged important conversations that need to take place. Yet there is also a danger. The danger is that modern discussions often focus almost exclusively on the symptoms while neglecting the deeper issues beneath them. We speak about anxiety, stress, burnout, depression, discouragement, and emotional exhaustion—and we should. These are real struggles experienced by real people. But if all we do is identify symptoms without addressing purpose, hope, identity, meaning, and spiritual realities, then we have merely described the problem without helping people find lasting answers. The world often offers management techniques. Scripture offers transformation. The world tells us to look inward. God repeatedly points us upward. The world frequently teaches us to define ourselves by our struggles. Everyone wants a label today. The Bible teaches us to find our identity in our Creator. Have you recently decided to follow Jesus? Take your next step with Jesus: https://cbcgb.co.uk ⛪ ABOUT CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCHES: We believe that our Calvary Baptist Churches are a movement for all people to know God, Reaching Others, Building Lives, Honouring God and Make a Difference. 🤝 Support this ministry and help us reach more people with the Gospel: https://cbcgb.co.uk/give/ STAY CONNECTED: 🌐 Website: https://cbcgb.co.uk/ 🌐 Website: https://bjstagner.com 👍 Facebook: / Calvary Baptist Church-Cynon