Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ!
This broadcast originally played on March 17, 2019.
Morgan was born in Nelson County, Virginia then his family moved to Waynesboro. Morgan is currently a junior at Bridgewater College. He started attending Church of the Nazarene in Harrisonburg when he was 11 years old. Morgan joins us on Hope Talks today to share his testimony with us today and about how God helped him through a very difficult time in his life when lost both of his parents from cancer back in 2012 when Morgan was 12 years old.
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
-As opposed to mourning, which is event-driven, the “spirit of despair” tends to “move in” and stay with a person in the form of fear, anxiety, chronic sadness.
“garment of praise”
Psalms 40:1-3NIV
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth ,a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
Psalms 103:1-5NIV
1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalms 42:11NIV
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalms 119:164NIV
164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.
When we praise God, there is renewal happening:
Shannon’s Story
Experience a real life story of God’s renewal in Shannon’s life, even in the midst of despair.
Shannon was born and raise in Keezletown, Virginia. Shannon lost his mom when he was four years old and his dad when he was 19 years old. Shannon joins us us on Hope Talks today to share his testimony and about how God has helping to deliver him from anxiety and depression.
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1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Steph’s Story
Experience a real life story of God’s anointing with His deep joy during a season of mourning.
This Program originally aired on Front Porch Talks on July 5, 2020. Stephanie was born and raised in Elkton, Virginia, where she has lived her entire life except for two years when she lived in Charlottesville, Virginia. Stephanie is the Director of Children’s Ministries for our East Rock campus for Church of the Nazarene. Steph joins us today on Hope Talks to share her Testimony and how God has brought joy in her life after a season of mourning the sudden and unexpected death of her husband Nick.