Message: Labor Pains
REVIEW:
Happy Mother's Day!
This Sunday, Pastor Clayton showed us how moms have given us the ultimate metaphor for understanding this time of Quarantine!
The Bible uses the analogy of "Labor Pains" to help us understand the intense WEIGHT of WAITING. Right now, Waiting in our world has caused incredible Worry. This Worry is driving people to their Worst Ways!
Pornography use, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and more are all on the rise. The Weight is beginning to crush many people under it's immense expectations.
What is the hardest part of this period of Waiting for you?
What is the hardest part of this period of waiting for you?
How has the waiting driven you into worst ways during this quarantine?
In Romans chapter 8, Paul showed us that the whole world is experiencing the weight of waiting for Jesus to return. Christians are not immune to this! In fact, the presence of God's spirit in our life makes us desire heaven at an even greater level!
At the same time, the Spirit is our guarantee that we are, in fact, children of God! In other words, the Spirit gives us the promise of NOW and the hope for what is NOT YET.
What is something new you learned about the role of the Spirit in your life this week?
Paul also gave us a promise - that if we are willing to suffer through the waiting, we will be rewarded for it! If we keep from allowing Waiting to move us to Worst Ways - if we quit trying to escape in every emergency - we will receive a special blessing in our life!
APPLY:
How do we hold the weight of the Waiting?
Paul says "we were saved in this HOPE"... The promise that we are God's Children and that we have a future set for us is our HOPE! Hope is not a potential, it is a promise!
To manage in the Middle between now and heaven, we have to keep our eyes on Hope! To not be drowned in the suffering and uncertainty, we must look forward to what is coming!
APPLICATION QUESTION:
What is one way you will keep your eyes on HOPE this week?
PRAY:
Spend some time in prayer looking back over this period of waiting. Ask God to show you how he has been with you - guiding and protecting you. Get in tune with the spirit of God inside of you. Look to it for assurance of where you are headed after this life and for a taste of what is to come!
