05/17/26 – Harrisonburg campus: Never Alone Part 3: Serious and Minor Illnesses – Pastor Kevin Griffin

Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
05/17/26 – Harrisonburg campus: Never Alone Part 3: Serious and Minor Illnesses – Pastor Kevin Griffin
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  • STARTED A SERIES 2 WEEKS AG0-NEVER ALONE
  • THE PURPOSE OF THE SERIES IS TO REMIND YOU
  • YOU’RE NOT ALONE A PROMISE IF YOU CLAIM CHRIST
  • YOU ARE ALSO NOT ALONE- PART OF A COMMUNITY
  • 2 WEEKS AGO SHINED A SPOTLIGHT ON ANXIETY
  • INTERVIEWED JAS- SHARED PART OF HER STORY
  • END OF SERVICE ASKED PEOPLE TO STAND FOR PRAYER FOR THOSE OF USE WHO ARE DEALING WITH OR HAVE DEALT WITH ANXIETY/DEPRESSION
  • SECOND SERVICE PROB 95 % ROOM STOOD
  • LAST WEEK JANETTE SHARED ABOUT

 GOD IS GOOD                                                    

  • MOST HAVE HEARD THIS STATEMENT

GOD IS GOOD- ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME…

  • IS THAT REALLY TRUE -DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT
  • WHERE DID THAT EVEN COME FROM?

CRIPTURE GENESIS 3:1

  1. NOW THE SERPENT WAS MORE CRAFTY THAN ANY OF THE WILD ANIMALS THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. HE SAID TO THE WOMAN, “DID GOD REALLY SAY, “YOU MUST NOT EAT FOM ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN?”

SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:2

  • THE WOMAN SAID TO THE SERPENT, “WE MAY EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREES IN THE GARDEN.

 SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:3

  • BUT DID GOD SAY, “YOU MUST NOT EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREE THAT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN, AND YOU MUST NOT TOUCH IT, OR YOU WILL DIE.”

 SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:4-5

  • YOU WILL NOT CERTAINLY DIE, “THE SERPENT SAID TO THE WOMAN. “FOR GOD KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU EAT FROM IT YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED, AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL.”

SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:6

  • WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD AND PLEASING TO THE EYE, AND ALSO DESIREABLE FOR GAINING WISDOM,

SCRIPTURE GENESIS 3:6

   SHE TOOK SOME AND ATE IT. SHE ALSO GAVE SOME TO HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS WITH HER, AND HE ATE IT.

NEVER ALONE LOGO                                 

   OKAY SO IF GOD IS GOOD- WHY IS THERE PAIN?

DEGREE OF PAIN SLIDE

  • HOSPITAL SCALE- KIDS SURGERIES INSIDE 3 MONTHS
  • HOW IS YOUR PAIN SCALE OF 1-10?
  • NOT ALL PAIN IS PHYSICAL OF COURSE
  • TONY DUNGY- SHARED- SON DOESN’T FEEL PAIN
  • ITS BEEN THE CAUSE OF MANY MANY SURGERIES

SUFFERING (LOST FAITH)

   LOST FAITH

   FOUND FAITH

SUFFERNG IS SUFFERING AND IT EXHAUSTING PEOPLE

  • CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND ALSO  BACK PAIN,
  • EYE FLOATERS, MIGRAINES, TINITUS,
  • NEUROPATHY, CELIAC, IRRITABLE BOWEL
  • 40 % OF AMERICANS WILL GET CANCER

THE CHOSEN IS NOT THE BIBLE- THIS IS THERE INTERPRETATION OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED WITH LESSER JAMES-

   THE MESSAGE WE BELIEVE STILL IS TRUE

  • INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN CHARETTE

BRIAN WHAT STICKS OUT TO YOU IN THAT CLIP?

  1. SOME OF THE MEN MIGHT KNOW YOUR RECENT HISTORY- STORY BECAUSE YOU SHARED IT AT A FEW MENS EVENTS, BUT MOST HERE DON’T. CAN YOU SHARE WITH US YOUR STORY WHICH WILL HELP EXPLAIN WHY I HAD COME UP AND JOIN ME HERE FOR THIS CONVERSATION. 
  • DO YOU FIND IT EASIER OR HARDER TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE SMALLER THINGS- ONGOING THINGS-YOU DEAL WITH PAIN EVERYDAY? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T SHARE IT WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WHINNING?

JAMES 1: 2-4 SAYS

  • Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

IT’S A NICE VERSE TO PUT ON YOUR BATHROOM MIRROR-

HOW IS THIS WORKING IN YOUR LIFE WITH WHAT YOU SHARED?

SOCIOLOGISTS TELL US THAT AMERICANS ARE A CULTURE THAT SEEMS THE MOST AVERSE TO SUFERING/PAIN/ILLNESS- WE WILL GO TO ALMOST ANY LENGTH TO AVOID IT- IN LIGHT OF THAT

  • IS PAIN/ILLNESS/SUFFERING MORE TOLERABLE WHEN WE BELIEVE IT HAS A PURPOSE?
  • WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST STUMBLING BLOCK YOU EXPERIENCED DURING THE SUFFERING WHEN IT WAS THE DEEPEST?
  • IS THERE A SILVER LINING TO SUFFERING?

SARAI COULDN’T CONCEIVE A CHILD

  • OFFERS HER MAID SERVANT HAGAR THEN MISTREATS HER
  • HAGAR IS CRUSHED- RUNS INTO THE DESERT
  • ISOLATED IN THE WILDERNESS THE LORD SPEAKS

SCRIPTURE GENESIS 16:13

  13. SHE GAVE THIS NAME TO THE LORD WHO SPOKE TO HER: “YOU ARE THE GOD WHO SEES ME, FOR SHE SAID, “I HAVE NOW SEEN THE ONE WHO SEES ME.”

SCRIPTURE GENESIS 16:14

  14. THAT IS WHY THE WELL WAS CALLED BEER LAHAI ROI; IT IS STILL THERE, BETWEEN KADESH AND BERED.

PSALM 39- PSALM 88.        

DERECK KIDNER

THE FACT THAT GOD PUTS IT IN THE BIBLE SHOWS WHAT KIND OF GOD WE HAVE- HE UNDERSTANDS HOW WE SPEAK WHEN WE ARE DESPERATE

 QUOTE AUGSTINE

  “GOD HAD ONE SON ON EARTH WITHOUT SIN, BUT NEVER ONE WITHOUT SUFFERING.”

   ST. AUGUSTINE

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

PEOPLE COME AND BE WILLING TO PRAY