The thought that man was not an accidental evolution of primordial stardust, but instead an intricately designed creation of God is amazing. Add to that, this Creator Jehovah God cares for man intimately and is genuinely interested in his life and eternity - just incredible!

The Wonder of wonders, O how could it be? That God became flesh and was given for me! The Almighty came down and walked among men. The Wonder of wonders, He died for my sin.

People judge. We often judge. And we know the Lord judges. "Judgment" as it seems is a fabric weaved into our society and even the whole of life. The difference between how Christians judge and how unbelievers judge should be vastly different in fairness, equity, and reason. Perhaps though, the primary difference should be the fact that we judge ourselves accurately and fairly first so that, when we must judge others, we may judge with clear hearts and minds, and giving grace upon grace when sharing the truth.

Song credit: Safe in the Arms of Jesus by Michael O'Brien

All the "what-ifs" of life can most certainly haunt us. Time is also unforgiving and moves on no matter what. As per cause & effect, we make decisions and then often feel the consequences of those decisions, and sometimes those are quite painful. Hopelessness, despair, and grief have plagued mankind since the fall and we have all had tastes of these unsavory characters in our own ways. So what do we do? Should we analyze, process, over-process, and dwell? Or should we perhaps turn to the Lord?

God's love is enormous, beautiful, and magnificently deep. However, it doesn't change the fact that he hates sin and punishes those who choose to live and die apart from Him. "There is no such thing as 'abstract evil' except in dictionaries and philosophy books" (Wiersbe). The church today must wrestle with these uncomfortable truths, always being faithful to Scripture and to the Lord who authored it. When it has all been said and done, may we be compassionate towards the lost but ultimately loyal to Christ no matter the cost.

Last week, our church stopped for a moment and just breathed in prayer and spent time with each other in the Spirit of the Almighty God - and what a beautiful experience it was. This week, we jump back into the Psalms as King David also reaches out in desperate prayer of reflection on his currently negative situation. Obviously, we today, also have difficult and trying times and experiences. It matters what we run to for comfort and who we trust during these seasons. May David's words be an example for us all as we navigate this thing called life.

Let's pause. Together. In this place. Sometimes, we continue to go on while we actually need to stop. We often add more noise when we crucially need silence. We look horizontally for answers when we should be fervently seeking help from above. So that is what we are doing today... pausing and praying for ourselves, this church, our friends, and the world. Let the people of this church and this community genuinely be able to call Hope Church Mill Creek a house of prayer.

"Help!" Sometimes, that is all we need to say. Life is often difficult, but during some seasons, this life that we are living seems downright impossible! In the first real prayer of the book of Psalms, the author conveys this tone of hopelessness, despair, and even anxiety. What we hope you will feel today is permission... permission to be raw, unfiltered, and honest with our Lord. If we can start here, with the trust of where we are, the Lord can help us.

Serving and knowing God through the person of Jesus is a blessing. And what a joy it is! However, in carrying out this beautiful honor, human beings must acknowledge authority of Jesus, and therein respect the rules and guidelines Scripture sets for us. We are free to live our lives, but life is so much better when we follow His rules and when we are guided by The Word and The Spirit. Genuinely, the "grace" of God is the opportunity to partner with Him prior to His return. Oh what love!

In this life there are two ways of being human - being godly or ungodly. Godly people live by faith while ungodly people live by sight. Godly people possess wisdom from above that helps them navigate life's uncertainties while ungodly people crumble when they are caught by surprise. Godly people bless others simply by their existence, while ungodly people tend to drain others. Our goal, obviously, should be to be godly people, full of faith, love, and joy, and being a blessing to all around us. That is the theme of our text today.

Crisis... This is where many meet God for the first time, and even subsequently thereafter. The writer of the Scripture passages we are reading today found himself in this state after pursuing what seems like every possible venture, and yet still experiencing desperation, hopelessness, and a loss for life's meaning. These feelings are not limited to unbelievers. When not focused on Christ, the saved can experience these same emotions. The good news is, because of Jesus, it doesn't have to be this way!