This post is meant to offer guidance to common “What now?” questions that could emerge from Pastor J.D.’s sermon on Psalms 88 and 89 entitled “Will Life Ever Get Better?” preached at The Summit Church Saturday/Sunday August 30-31, 2014.
“Psalm 88 gives us hope in our grief precisely because it has no hope in it! It means that God understands the darkness we face. He is right there in it with us, “an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). The Lord of light is your friend in darkness. The Lord of life stands beside you in death. The Lord of hope is your companion in your despair. The Prince of Peace supports you when no peace can be found. The God of all comfort waits faithfully near you. The Source of all joy is close by when death has robbed you of joy (p. 5).” Paul Tripp in Grief: Finding Hope Again
Romans 8:28 Blogs
In his message, Pastor J.D. mentioned two blog posts where I’ve reflected on Romans 8:28 in light of the experience of suffering.
Praying Psalms
Pastor JD also mentioned the practice of personalizing Psalms as a way of praying God’s word. Here are several samples to help you with this practice.
- Shame: Psalm 3 SHAME_Psalm3_casestudy_Hambrick
- Anger: Psalm 39 ANGER_Psalm39_casestudy_Hambrick
- Parental Discouragement: Psalm 107 PARENT_DISCOURAGE_Psalm107_casestudy_Hambrick
- Gratitude: Psalm 116 GRATITUDE_Psalm116_casestudy_Hambrick
- Living with Liars: Psalm 120 LIARS_LIVINGwith_Psalm120_casestudy_Hambrick
- Workaholic: Psalm 127 WORKAHOLIC_Psalm127_casestudy_Hambrick
- Ongoing Trials: Psalm 138 TRIALS_ONGOING_Psalm138_casestudy_Hambrick
- Insecurity: Psalm 139 INSECURITY_Psalm139_casestudy_Hambrick
Depression-Anxiety Seminars
Another good follow up to this message would be upcoming seminars on depression-anxiety. These seminars will go into more detail about how to rely on the gospel for hope and peace during dark and painful seasons of life.
OVERCOMING DEPRESSION-ANXIETY: A SUFFERING PARADIGM
Date: Saturday September 27
Time: 4:00 to 7:30 pm
Location: The Summit Church, Brier Creek South Venue
Address: 2415-107 Presidential Drive; Durham, NC 27703
Cost: Free
TOWARDS A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
Sam James Institute Forum
Date: Tuesday September 30
Time: 7:30 to 8:30 pm
Location: The Summit Church, Brier Creek South Venue
Address: 2415-107 Presidential Drive; Durham, NC 27703
Cost: Free
RSVP: Link will be posted at www.bradhambrick.com/events
OVERCOMING DEPRESSION-ANXIETY: A PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY PARADIGM
Date: Saturday October 18
Time: 4:00 to 7:30 pm
Location: The Summit Church, Brier Creek South Venue
Address: 2415-107 Presidential Drive; Durham, NC 27703
Cost: Free
RSVP: Link will be posted at www.bradhambrick.com/events
For the various counseling options available from this material visit www.summitrdu.com/counseling.