Grace is Greater
One of my favorite places to visit is
also one of the most unnerving places.
I love taking trips and tours through
caverns. Has anyone else done that?
Toured a cavern? There’s one
particular cavern in Pennsylvania that
I’ve visited several times, both with
family and on field trips as a teacher
and a parent. It’s called Penn’s Cave
Caverns.
I know there are caverns here in
Virginia, and perhaps one similar to
Penn’s Cave, but what I love most
about this one is that you tour it by
boat.
Grace is Greater than Despair
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Once you reach the center of the
cavern, the guide turns off the lights,
and you’re left sitting in complete
darkness. I mean DARKNESS, the
kind where your eyes never adjust,
and you can’t even see your hand in
front of your face.
It’s scary and cold, and even though
you’re surrounded by ten other people
in the boat, it feels eerie, quiet, and
even strangely lonely. Honestly, if you
left me there without a light, I’d have
no idea which way to go, left, right,
up, or down, to find my way out.
Grace is Greater than Despair
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Picture yourself in the dark, in that
boat. And as you do, let me suggest
another dark place many have
visited…. DESPAIR.
It’s not just sadness; it’s a place, a
dark, hollow place of complete loss
and absence of hope.
Despair feels like this… You can’t see
the way out. You reach your hand out
but all you feel is cold, damp walls.
You keep walking, hoping to find the
light, but the tunnel only seems to go
deeper.
Grace is Greater than Despair
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The Psalmist knows this place:
Psalm 88:6
“You have put me in the lowest pit, in
the darkest depths…
You have taken from me my closest
friends and have made me repulsive to
them.
Darkness is my closest friend.”
If despair is this deep emotional
tunnel, then hope is the light we long
to see at the end. But sometimes the
tunnel feels too dark, and the light too
distant. That’s why God gives us
something stronger than a match,
stronger than any temporary fix…
Grace is Greater than Despair
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Despair isn’t rare, we have all
experienced it.
You may be in that place right now.
There are many things that can plunge
us into despair. Actually, the very
topics we have covered in this Grace
is greater series, can leave you in
despair, brokenness, guilt, and
wounds. The loss of a loved one, a
broken family relationship or divorce,
loneliness, anxiety, depression, doubt,
and the list can go on and on.
When despair seems to swallow us up,
Isolation, Distortion and Desperation
crawl toward us.
Grace is Greater than Despair
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Isolation, we start to pull away from
God, people, community, the enemy
convinces us that we are alone, and
that no one understands or that we are
a burden to others. Sometimes we stop
attending church, we stop praying or
worshipping.
Despair allows distortion. It blurs or
distorts what we know to be true, and
before we know it God feels distant,
even though He is right in front of our
face. It twists how we see God,
ourselves, and our circumstances.
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Once we’re isolated and our vision is
distorted, we lose our footing and
Desperation sets in. In fact, those two
words – Despair and Desperation- are
very closely related.
We stop expecting anything good to
come. We act out of fear or numbness
instead of faith. Despair convinces us
the story is over, that there’s no way
forward.
In our desperation, if we aren’t careful,
we try to light temporary lights,
matches.
Lights that end up burning us.
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We start to scramble for false light
in the darkest tunnels.
A.Match of Control:
Sometimes, in the darkness of despair,
we reach for what I call the match of
control.
A tiny flicker we hope will push back
the shadows. We try to take control, to
fix what’s breaking, to manage what
we can’t.
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So we start planning every detail,
believing perfect schedules will block
anxiety.
We hover over our kids, trying to
protect them from every hurt.
We replay conversations in our minds,
wishing we could take back the words
we said.
We tighten our grip on our finances,
hoping security will quiet our fears.
We try to manage other people’s
choices, steering them where we think
they should go.
And sometimes, we even try to control
God Himself, telling Him how and
when to move.
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Control burns bright for a second, but
it never lights the way. It only leaves
us exhausted and in the dark again.
(Blow out the match.)
B. The Match of Destruction
And then, there’s another match we
sometimes strike in the tunnel
the match of destruction.
When pain feels too heavy and hope
feels too far away,
we reach for anything that promises
even a moment of relief.
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So we turn to substances-drinking,
drugs, or reckless thrills-to numb the
ache.
We let anger turn outward, lashing out
at the very people who love us most.
We make reckless decisions-gambling,
taking risks-just to feel something
again.
We cling to toxic relationships,
holding tight to those who only wound
us deeper.
And sometimes, heartbreakingly, we
turn that pain inward…hurting
ourselves in ways we were never
meant to.
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It burns fast. It hurts. The tunnel
doesn’t get any lighter, sometimes it
even feels darker.
C. The Match of Comfort
And then, there’s the match of
comfort.
When the darkness feels too heavy
and the ache too deep,
we reach for something, anything, that
might make us feel okay, even for a
little while.
Sometimes, despair tempts us to light
a match that feels safe, something that
Grace is Greater than Despair
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warms for a moment, but doesn’t help
us find the light at the end of the
tunnel.
So we seek approval and
validation…online, or in the people
around us.
We turn to food or drink to soothe the
emptiness we don’t want to face.
We overspend, convincing ourselves
that one more purchase might fill the
void inside.
We sleep too much, or avoid what
hurts, hoping that if we ignore it long
enough, it might just disappear.
We strike the match of comfort,
hoping it will warm us,
Grace is Greater than Despair
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but it only flickers for a moment
before the darkness returns.
(Blow out the Match)
When we rely on these fleeting
comforts, we may feel a brief sense of
relief, but the darkness soon returns,
sometimes stronger than before. The
warmth fades because these matches
were never meant to guide us forward;
they only distract us from the true
source of light.
Real hope, healing, and peace come
not from momentary flames but from
trusting the One who is the light of the
world.
Grace is Greater than Despair
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SLIDE:1 Corinthians 10:13
“No temptation has overtaken you
except what is common to mankind.
And God is faithful; He will not let
you be tempted beyond what you can
bear. But when you are tempted, He
will also provide a way out so that
you can endure it.”
All these matches – control,
destruction and comfort are temporary.
They give the illusion of light but
leave us in darkness with no place to
go. A Christian in despair is immobile,
and that’s exactly the position the
enemy wants us to be.
Grace is Greater than Despair
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Transition into Peter Video:
I wonder what you consider the
darkest moment in Scripture? I think
of Jesus dying of course. But just
before that a different darkness settled
on a man from the Bible you’ve come
to know well.
As we drop into Matthew 26, Jesus
had just been arrested, He is now
before the Sanhedrin, about to be
condemned to death. Just moments
earlier, Jesus informed Peter that Peter
would betray him 3 times before the
rooster’s crow.
Grace is Greater than Despair
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When Jesus said this, Peter thought it
was absurd. “Me, Jesus, I would
never betray you. I will die for you, I
would go to prison for you!”
(Paraphrase). As a matter a fact, it was
Peter who cut the guard’s ear off when
trying to arrest Jesus in the garden.
Peter made great promises. But you
know what happened to him, don’t
you?
His grand promises led to denial,
deceit and then, the dark place of
despair. One moment he was bold and
confident; the next, he was filled with
shame, regret, and despair.
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SLIDE: Read Matthew 26:69-75
Meanwhile, Peter was sitting
outside in the courtyard. A servant
girl came over and said to him,
“You were one of those with Jesus
the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of
everyone. “I don’t know what
you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Later, out by the gate, another
servant girl noticed him and said
to those standing around, “This
man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
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72 Again Peter denied it, this time
with an oath. “I don’t even know
the man,” he said.
73 A little later some of the other
bystanders came over to Peter
and said, “You must be one of
them; we can tell by your Galilean
accent.”
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if
I’m lying—I don’t know the man!”
And immediately the rooster
crowed.
75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed
through Peter’s mind: “Before the
rooster crows, you will deny three
times that you even know me.”
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And he went away, weeping
bitterly.
It’s no coincidence that the Story of
Peter’s betrayal is written in all four
gospels, because despair is not rare.
If you want to see despair…pay
attention
And remember: just as Peter’s story
doesn’t end in the darkness, ours
doesn’t have to either.
· PETER IS IN A BAD PLACE
· PETER IS ON THE BRINK- REALIZES WHAT HES DONE
· SOMETIMES ITS WHATS BEEN DONE TO YOU
· THE LOOK AND THE REACTION-SEEMS LIKE DESPAIR
· ALL HOPE IS LOST-BETRAYED JESUS- HES GONNA DIE
· GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR BROKENESS
· GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR GUILT
· GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR WOUNDS
YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE LIKE YOU BEEN FORGIVEN
AND IF THEY DON’T PAY YOU BACK/MAKE AN APOLOGY
ITS NOT GRACE
GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR DESPAIR
· WHEN SOMEONE GETS PHYSICALLY SICK WE NEVER THINK A THING ABOUT IT-
· WE NEVER WOULD LOOK AT THEM DIFFERENTLY OR TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY- GET TREATMENT
· WHEN IT COMES MENTALLY FATIGUED AND STRUGGLING
· BATTLING ANXIETY- DEPRESSION-
· EMOTIOINALLY FATIGUED AND STRUGGLING
· SPIRITUALLY STRUGGLING
· DESPAIR SEEMS TO BE BEYOND EVEN THAT
· PLACE PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES BELIEVE NO HOPE.
· I’M NOT A COUNSELOR/CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
· BUT WE MIGHT HAVE SOME IN THIS PLACE
· PROBABLY HAVE MORE HEADED TO THIS PLACE
· IM PRAYING WE COULD HELP PREVENT THAT AND THE LORD WOULD INTERVENE-
· HOLY SPIRIT SPEAK TODAY
· DO YOU REMEMBER THESE BOOKS?
· THEY WERE WILDLY POPULAR
· WE GOT TO PICK THE ENDING
· MANY WOULD SAY- I WOULDN’T CHANGE THIS
· MANY WOULD- THIS IS NOT WHAT I PLANNED
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:3
3. “ELIJAH WAS AFRAID AND RAN FOR HIS LIFE. WHEN HE CAME TO BEERSHEBA IN JUDAH, HE LEFT HIS SERVANT THERE, (WHY) WHY GO ALONE?
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:4
WHILE HE HIMSELF WENT A DAYS JOURNEY INTO THE WILDERNESS. HE CAME TO A BROOM BUSH, SAT DOWN UNDER IT AND PRAYED THAT HE MIGHT DIE.
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:4
I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, LORD, “HE SAID. “TAKE MY LIFE; I AM NO BETTER THAN MY ANCESTORS.”
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:5
5. THEN HE LAY DOWN UNDER A BUSH AND FELL ASLEEP. ALL AT ONCE AN ANGEL TOUCHED HIM AND SAID, “GET UP AND EAT.”
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:5
6. HE LOOKED AROUND, AND THERE BY HIS HEAD WAS SOME BREAD BAKED OVER HOT COALS, AND A JAR OF WATER. HE ATE AND DRANK AND THEN LAY DOWN AGAIN.
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:7
7. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CAME BACK A SECOND TIME AND TOUCHED HIM AND SAID, “GET UP AND EAT, FOR THE JOURNEY IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU.”
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:8
8. SO HE GOT UP AND ATE AND DRANK. STRENGTHENED BY THAT FOOD, HE TRAVELED 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS UNTIL HE REACHED HOREB, THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD.
SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:9
9. THERE HE WENT INTO A CAVE AND SPENT THE NIGHT.
· ELIJAH- JUST CELEBRATED 1 GREATEST MIRACLES
· RUNS- BY HIMSELF- TREE-WILDERNESS-CAVE
· DESPAIR
· 40 DAYS- 40 NIGHTS- DESPAIR
· SCRIPTURE REVEALS FOLKS IN DESPAIR 8:30
AGONY IS THE EXPRESSION OF DESPAIR
I WANT HOLY DESPAIR NOT EMPTY DESPAIR
· RESEARCHERS AT UC SAN DIEGO
· STUDIED SPOILER ALERTS- IMPROVED ENJOYMENT
· TIME WATCHING GAMES ALREADY HAPPENED
KYLE IDELMAN- DAUGHTER 11
JUST KEEP READING…
· CORRIE TEN BOOM
· CAPTURED IN 1944- THEY WERE HIDING JEWS
· NAZIS IMPRISONED HER FATHER/SISTER
· “There is no pit so deep, the love of God is not deeper still,”
· When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer”
SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
10. “FOR GOD SOMETIMES USES SORROW IN OUR LIVES TO HELP US TURN AWAY FROM SIN AND SEEK ETERNAL LIFE”
PSALM 40
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord
PETER-DAVID-ELIJAH-2 ON EMMAUS ROAD-MARY MAGDALENE
· GRACE doesn’t just forgive our sin or heal our brokenness; it meets us in our despair and lays a pathway out.
THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF A SEASON OF DESPAIR
1. DRAW ME CLOSER TO JESUS
2. MAKE ME MORE LIKE JESUS
GREATEST HOPE AND EVIDENCE OF GODS GRACE
ITS PETER
JESUS COMES BACK TO PETER AND DOESN’T REPRIMAND
JESUS WELCOMES/INVITES
IF PETER CAN GET TO DESPAIR
JOHN THE BAPTIST 14 MINUTES
ELIJAH
SO CAN YOU- AND HIS GRACE IS GREATER
WE HAVE CARDS FOR YOU TODAY TO WRITE ON
GRACE IS GREATER ON THIS SIDE
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO WRITE ON THIS SIDE
WHAT DOES GRACE LOOK LIKE?
TEARS THAT HEAL A FRIEND WHO LISTENS
A HUG SCRIPTURE
PRAYER GETTING OUT OF BED
WORSHIP SONG A TEXT MESASAGE
RESTING IN GODS PRESENCE
Dia de la Raza- DAY OF THE RACES
Heritage celebration is an Esperanza Viva Annual event that celebrates the gift of our diverse races within our church. From the message, music, activities, and food, everything is planned with an evangelistic heart and motive.
PANAMA COFFEE
Invite your Spanish-speaking friend and join us in celebrating what God has made