Oftentimes what makes suffering so difficult is that we feel alone. We feel isolated, and our enemy whispers to us that nobody cares. The Church. If you are in Christ, you are not alone. You have a family to walk through these difficult trials.

Hebrews 3:7-15 Intro: If you pause long enough to listen, you can almost hear it—across the country, in churches big and small, there’s a deep, tired sigh. Every time I have coffee with a local Pastor, or talk with a local church member, they confirm my assertion that the local church in America feels…

In John 16:7-15, Jesus tells His disciples something surprising: “It is to your advantage that I go away.” Imagine hearing that from the One you’ve left everything to follow. The disciples were already anxious and confused, struggling to understand why their teacher and friend would ever say such a thing.

Their reaction feels familiar, doesn’t it? We often wrestle with similar questions when it comes to the Holy Spirit,

We long for the spiritual equivalent of the coastline: we want safety, clarity, stability, and comfort. But again and again, we find that the riches of the Kingdom, the deep spiritual formation, the maturity, the clarity of calling, are not discovered along the edges. They are found in the wilderness. And it is only the courageous, the obedient, and often the desperate who are willing to go there.

1 Samuel 18-20 Intro: In the church, we talk a lot about discipleship, evangelism, mission, and worship—and rightly so. Some of us are moved by the beauty of a well-designed sanctuary. Others find deep connection in the rhythm and reverence of liturgy. All of these are valuable parts of life in the body…

In the upside-down kingdom of God, the things we’ve trusted to avoid suffering—goodness and power—are actually the fruit of faithful suffering.

cross before crown,

death before resurrection,

suffering before glory.

1 Samuel 17 Intro: In the world of christian theology, there are themes that, at first glance, seem to contradict one another. God is Sovereign over all things, but Humans are Responsible for the decisions they make. Jesus is Fully God, but yet, Jesus is Fully Man God is One, God is Three To learn who…

1 Samuel 15