The story of God’s faithfulness to Hannah

The name Hannah means Grace.

“There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” “Not so, my Lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.” “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my Lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭28‬ ‭

GRACE IS GREATER

SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 12:14

  14. “MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH EVERYONE AND TO BE HOLY; WITHOUT HOLINESS NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD.”

SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 12:15

  15. SEE TO IT THAT NO ONE MISSES THE GRACE OF GOD AND THAT NO BITTER ROOT GROWS UP TO CAUSE TROUBLE AND DEFILE MANY.”

FAMILY PICTURE

• WE WANT THE PERFECT PICTURE
• SADLY IT DOESN’T ALWAYS TURN OUT
• GRACE IS GREATER THAN OUR WEAKNESS
• WE EVEN GO SO FAR AS THIS

PICTURE SKINNY MIRRORS

• YEARS AGO ON SHARK TANK
• PRODUCT WAS NOT INTENDED FOR STORES
• WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HIDE THEM
• NO ONE  BOASTING- LOOK HOW WEAK I AM
• STORES BOUGHT THEM- LEFT THE LABEL ON THEM

SCRIPTURE 2 CORNITHIANS 12:5                 

   5. I WILL BOAST ABOUT A MAN LIKE THAT, BUT I WILL NOT BOAST ABOUT MYSELF, EXCEPT ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES.

SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:6

   6. EVEN IF I SHOULD BOAST, I WOULD NOT BE A FOOL, BECAUSE I WOULD BE SPEAKING THE TRUTH.

 SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:6

   6. BUT I REFRAIN, SO NO ONE WILL THINK MORE OF ME THAN IS WARRANTED BY WHAT I DO OR SAY.

SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7

   OR BECAUSE OF THESE SURPASSINGLY GREAT REVELATIONS. THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO KEEP ME FROM BECOMING CONCEITED,

SCRPTURE 2 CONRINTHIANS 12:7

   7. I WAS GIVEN A THORN, A MESSENGER OF SATAN, TO TORMENT ME.

  GREEK WORD IS :SKOLOPS-COULD MEAN SPIKE

 SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:8

   8. THREE TIMES I PLEADED WITH THE LORD TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME.

SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9

   9. BUT HE SAID TO ME, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.”

 SCRPITURE 2 CONRINTHIANS 12:9

   9. THEREFORE I WILL BOAST ALL THE MORE GLADLY ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT CHRISTS POWER MAY REST ON ME. (PLURAL)

 SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:10

  10. THAT IS WHY, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, I DELIGHT IN WEAKNESSES, IN INSULTS, IN HARDSHIPS,

SCRIPITURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:10

  10. IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DIFFICULTIES. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG.                        

 3 PEOPLE FLEXING                                               

• WORLDS STRONGEST TEENAGER
• ALEX SKIRUKHA-JESSICA GRAY. BEARPAW CHRIST

UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM PRINCIPLE

   THE WAY UP IS DOWN

   WANNA RUN- YOU GOTTA CRAWL

   TO BE EXALTED- YOU HAVE TO BE HUMBLE

   TO WIN- YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOSE

   TO FIRST- TRY AND BE LAST

   WANT TO LIVE- YOU HAVE TO DIE 

THORN–THORN IN THE FLESH WILL KEEP ME

   T-EACHABLE

   H-UMBLE

   O-RIENTED TO HIM/HEAVEN IN PRAYER

   R-ELIANT ON GODS GRACE/STRENGTH

   N- EAR TO JESUS                                                                                         

 SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:13                              

  13. PARDON ME, MY LORD,” GIDEON REPLIED, “BUT IF THE LORD IS WITH US, WHY HAS ALL THIS HAPPENED TO US?

 SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:13

  13. WHERE ARE ALL HIS WONDERS THAT OUR ANCESTORS TOLD US ABOUT WHEN THEY SAID,

SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:13

  13. DID NOT THE LORD BRING US UP OUT OF EGYPT?

BUT NOW THE LORD HAS ABANDONED US AND GIVEN US INTO THE HAND OF MIDIAN.”

 SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:14

  14. THE LORD TURNED HIM TO HIM AND SAID, “GO IN THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE AND SAVE ISRAEL OUT OF MIDIAN’S HAND. AM I NOT SENDING YOU?”  (MY POWER)

 SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:15

  15. “PARDON ME, MY LORD, “GIDEON REPLIED, “BUT HOW CAN I SAVE ISRAEL? MY CLAN IS THE WEAKEST

IN MANASSEH, AND I AM THE LEAST IN MY FAMLY.”

 NUMBERS  25

• 32,000
• 10,000
•    300
• “GODS WORK IN MY LIFE IS NOT JUST IN SPITE OF MY WEAKNESS, IT IS THROUGH MY WEAKNESS. MY WEAKNESS REMINDS ME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. AND LET GODS STRENGTH TAKE CENTER STAGE.”

PHIL HANSEN

SLIDE 32: VIDEO

• WORDS PENNED BY                        ISAAC NEWTON
• SLAVE SHIP CAPTAIN
• WRITTEN ON BLACK KEYS

 AMAZING GRACE LYRICS

  AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND

  THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME

  I ONCE WAS LOST, BUT NOW AM FOUND,

  WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE.

   I ONCE WAS LOST, BUT NOW AM FOUND

    WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE.

  TWAS GRACE THAT TAUGHT MY HEART TO FEAR,

  AND GRACE MY FEARS RELIEVED

  HOW PRECIOUS DID THAT GRACE APPEAR

  THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED

• GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR GUILT
• GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR WOUNDS
• GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR DESPAIR
• GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR WEAKNESS

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU:

   NEED- YOU HAVE A CUP SUPPOSE YOU HAVE A HOSE

   NEED- YOU HAVE A PAINT CAN- BACK TO HOSE

   NEED-YOU HAVE 5 GALLON BUCKET- BACK TO HOSE

   NEED- YOU HAVE WHEEL BARROW- BACK TO HOSE

   CURIOUS- WONDER WHAT IS THIS HOSE ATTACHED TO

GO AROUND AND FIND IT’S ATTACHED TO THIS:

• UNLIMITED RESOURCE
• PLENTY OF GRACE TO SUPPLY YOUR NEEDS

VIDEO OCEAN                                               

• GOD HAS AN ENDLESS SUOPPLY
• HE KNOWS WHEN AND HOW MUCH WE NEED

“A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough today to last him for the next 6 months, nor can he inhale sufficient air into his lungs with one breath to sustain life for a week to come. We are permitted to draw upon God’s store of grace from day to day as we need it.”

Dwight L. Moody

• God’s power is attracted to weakness. His grace comes running to those in need.

WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE BOAST ABOUT?

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

Grace is Greater Part 7 

Grace is greater than weakness. 

Today, we are concluding our Teaching series “Grace is Greater” 

This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and author Kyle Idleman. 

Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world. 

We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace. 

Today we want to experience the greatness of God’s grace in the places of our weakness. 

While we do our best to hide our weakness, the bible says we should brag about it. 

The pain we might be trying to hide, the limitation we cant get over, the suffering we don’t understand. Those places might be the place God desires to do his greatest work. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭7‬‬ 

I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 

As we get into 2 Corinthians Chapters 10 through 12, Paul is trying to set the record straight. Not to defend his reputation or his credentials, but to help people see the power of Jesus at work in his life. 

He doesn’t want to enter into the power game, or the one-upmanship that was going on. He has learned that the best place to experience God’s power, is in weakness. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬-‭8‬‬ 

or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 

The word for thorn here is not like a small briar, or the prickly’s on a blackberry bush or rose stem. The word thorn here is more like a spike or a spear. This was not a minor ache or pain, not even an inconvenience. Whatever it was, brought suffering into his life. 

The bible never says what Paul was dealing with and I cant help but wonder if that was intentional. By not naming his thorn, he invites us to think about our thorn in this text. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬-‭9‬‬ 

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

Paul pleaded that it would go away, and the Lord said “Paul, I got you. I will be with you in this, I will give you the strength you need. My grace is grater than your weakness. That was enough for Paul. He goes all in. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭10‬‬ 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

In just a few short verses, Paul completely flips the script on weakness. Rather than something to be photoshopped out, to be hid behind fake smiles. We are invited to see our weakness, even our pain, as an opportunity for the Lord to do his greatest work. To experience his grace in a whole new way. 

When we begin to be honest about our limitations, when we trust the Lord to do his best, in our weakest places, we are no longer limited by our strength- we experience God’s power 

God’s grace is abundant, powerful, and available for you in the midst of your weakness. No fake smile, no coached grin required. 

This message for you today might just be the beginning of a journey. 

A journey to stop denying or hiding your weakness. A Journey to seek help with a physical issue, or something going on in a relationship in your life. 

For some of us, experiencing God’s grace in our weakness will mean that we have to surrender our idea of how God can work in a difficult place. 

The promise of this scripture is that God’s grace is there for you IN the weakness, no matter what happens, he is strong enough. 

His grace is greater. 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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  

Part 1 

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.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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.” 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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.”  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

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 

https://www.bible.com/events/49505375

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

Grace is Greater Part 6 

Grace is greater than despair. 

Today, we are continuing our Teaching series called “Grace is Greater” 

This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and author Kyle Idleman. 

Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world. 

We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace. 

Today we want to experience the greatness of God’s grace in the places of our despair. 

Despair. The complete loss or absence of hope. 

Characterized by a loss of faith and trust in God’s promises. 

Perhaps an overwhelming feeling that God has forgotten about you, or that everything has been taken away. Marked by a complete loss of desire to do…anything 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬ 

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 

This is King David, who lived about 1000 years before Jesus, he was the King of Israel. 

As a boy, he had fought wild beasts defending his fathers sheep. He was a mighty warrior who took down literal giants. He had his flaws and battles with sin, and yet, the still bible calls him a man after God’s own heart. 

This great man of God and fearless leader, was not immune to feelings of despair. His life got messy on more than a few occasions. 

In his younger days, before he was king, His boss king Saul tried to kill him several times. Many years later, even His own son would turn on him. 

We know that David dealt with despair, because we have some entries from his prayer journal. Prayers like Psalm 13. 

As David prays in this Psalm, he says that he feels as if God has forgotten him. Like he couldn’t see the Lord, as if he was hiding. 

That’s what despair does. It takes our minds and our focus off of the faithfulness and goodness of God. 

How long do I have to wrestle with these thoughts, how long do I have to carry this sorrow God? God how long are you going to hide from me? 

How long is this anxiety, these run-away thoughts, this grief in my heart- God how long do I have to stay in this place. 

These are questions of despair. 

That you experience despair, is not necessarily a reflection of a lack of faith, it doesn’t automatically mean we have done something wrong. It simply means that we are here, where life is hard, and the battles are real. 

The greatest men and women of faith in the bible delt with it too. 

We might not be able to control the thoughts or the feelings that come into our mind, but friends, we do have a choice in what we do with them. 

The reflection of our faith in the Lord, our confidence in his grace, comes in what we choose to do with those feelings. 

We can choose to believe that God’s grace is greater than that despair. 

The Lord is working all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. The Lord is doing that, and he doesn’t want you to miss it. 

Don’t allow despair to become your destination. Press on to hope. 

HOPE- From Psalm 13 

H-Honest with your struggles. (Vs. 1-2) 

O-Open up to God. (Vs. 3-4) 

P-Preach to yourself.(Vs. 5) 

E-Engage in worship. (Vs. 6) 

God’s grace is greater than despair! 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭6‬‬ 

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.