Willow Creek Weekend Podcast

PSALM 42: ALL THE HEARTACHE February 8/9 - Matt Wright

Is it okay to not be okay? Many of us feel the need to always put on a brave face, hoping to keep the world, our loved ones, and even God from knowing what’s really going on. But inside we’re hurting, heartbroken, or depressed. Psalm 42 gives voice to these feelings and offers them as an honest prayer, and a cry for help and hope.

PSALM 13: ALL THE DOUBTS

February 1/2 - Matt Wright

What if I have doubts? Sometimes the only thing of which it seems we’re certain is that everything seems uncertain. God feels a million miles away, and we feel abandoned. We wonder if he’s listening or if he’s even out there at all. Psalm 13 begins with a brazen question, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” The Psalmist wants to know when God will reveal himself, when will he come through?

Is it okay to be seeking and wondering? Psalm 14 offers two encouragements for the person who is still searching for the truth about God. The first is that seeking is a great place to be; the real fool is the person who’s made up his or her mind without ever beginning the hunt. The second is that as each of us searches for God, he’s searching for us too.

PSALM 7: ALL THE JUSTICE January 18/19 - Eugene Cho

What about the world? Our broken world is filled with stories of transgressions and oppression. And whether we are among the “woke,” the weary, or somewhere in between, the Bible leaves little room for apathy and little doubt about God’s commitment to justice. Psalm 7 and Amos 5 are scathing rebukes of injustice, but they’re also mirrors we must hold up to our own lives, begging the questions: What have I done, and what can I do?

PSALM 51: ALL THE GUILT

January 11/12 - Megan Marshman

What about this thing in my past? None of us can escape the stain of sin, and most of us are helpless to avoid the spiral of shame. That shame makes us hide from each other and from God. But Psalm 51 shows us that the way out of the cycle of sin and shame is to go through. To come out of hiding we need to go through confession and repentance.

PSALM 23: ALL THE FEARS January 4/5 - Albert Tate What about when I’m afraid? Psalm 23 is among the most comforting and beloved of the psalms. But it’s written for real life. It’s written to remind the weary and the wary that no matter the path ahead, the darkness around, or the enemy nearby, even in our worst fears, God is near.

ALL THE THINGS

December 28/29 - Eugene Cho

The Psalms have it all. They reflect the full gamut of human experience and emotion, harboring no-holds-barred doubts, fears, and frustrations alongside sincere worship and praise. The Psalms also hint at the fullness of God, his character, his power, and his willingness to welcome all we are to all he is. Let’s begin a journey into sacred space.

PRISON PACK Weekend December 7 - 8 | Albert Tate

The Christmas story resounds with the message: You are not alone! Extend that message of God’s hope and compassion to some of the most lonely and isolated people this Christmas, the incarcerated. During services, we will assemble gifts for every inmate in the state of Illinois.

Throughout the sweep of the Old Testament, a consistent theme rings out. Whether through temple or tabernacle, in the best and the worst, God longs to be with his people. For generations, God promised to be with them, but the world had to wait for the full fruition of that promise. Finally, in the surprise and miracle of Matthew chapter 1, we see the great lengths to which God went to make the waiting worth it.

On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passes through a village and comes upon ten people with a terrible thing in common: they all suffer from leprosy. He sends them off to the priest, miraculously healed, but only one returns to thank Jesus. What does this one man’s act of gratitude have to teach us about our own hearts?