FBC Ponca City

When Jeremiah wrote “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness,” he wrote it in the middle of rubble, ruins, and heartache. Lamentations 3 paints the picture of lament. That while you’re in pain or suffering, you can still have hope and turn to His steadfast love. 

The book of Lamentations is about the question of how. The past four sermons have shown us what it means and how actually to lament. The next four weeks cover what we learn from lament. God doesn’t just offer us the opportunity to lament to Him, but to learn about Him in the midst of lament. Starting with chapters one and two, join us on this journey through Lamentations.

The final step of lamenting is making the choice to trust God. Who God is is more important than the what or why of the situation. When we turn to God in the middle of lamenting, hurt, grief, and pain may stay, but it gives way to trust and worship. May the words of the hymn ever be true, “Even so, it is well with my soul.” 

In lament, you can move from despair to hope without the despair being removed. The God of the Bible works in the midst of your gloom and despair. So ask boldly for Him to move. David cries out to God in anguish in Psalm 22, with words that Jesus echoes on the cross. Jesus carried our sin and bore our grief, so take your pain to Him and trust His healing. 

God invites your questions and complaints. Express your sorrow, fear, frustration, or confusion to Him. Psalm 10 provides an example of lamenting, offering a place to take your complaints. Biblical lament gives you a place to turn and someone to listen, who cares and can and will act on your behalf. 

Lament walks us through the theological realities of this real world of suffering and a belief in a good, sovereign, and all powerful God. The first step of lament is to keep praying. But why should we? Pastor Michael Taylor gives five reasons by breaking down Psalm 77. 

Biblical lament is not a depressing dive into sadness, but a mechanism to cope with it while persevering in the hope we have through Jesus Christ. In this first sermon in the series, Pastor Michael Taylor explores what biblical lament is and why it is necessary. As we look at Job 1, verse 20 encapsulates what lament is all about. 

Youth Minister Quintin Magruder walks us through Luke 19:1-10, the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. In this passage, Jesus displays a great example of what discipleship looks like. We see three important reminders as we fulfill Jesus’ command to make disciples. Stop looking at the sin and look at how Jesus can change the sinner. Quit looking at them like the people they used to be and start looking at who they can be in Jesus. 

Believers are accountable for their response to the gospel and what you do with it. How will you share the gospel? Preaching on Romans 10:9-17, Pastor Michael Taylor pushes listeners to obey Jesus’ command in the Great Commission. 

Accountability is ultimately about whether or not you will trust God with your life. It’s your responsibility to understand that you need accountability, to invite it, and  respond to it. Pastor Michael Taylor takes listeners through Hebrews 3:12-14 to show how one passage features the importance of individual and relational accountability.