Let’s face it—our world is a messy place. People get hurt, cause hurt, live with hurt, and often ask God why they hurt. And it’s not just random people—people that you know, who you do life with—those are often the ones who have to deal with so much pain and pressure. Actually, chances are you are living with some hurt, pain, disillusionment, disappointment (just to name a few) and you wonder, does God even care? Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
In this sermon series that launches Journey Church into the fall calendar, you are invited to join us as we talk about how God Himself responds to our pain, our problems, and our issues. Pastor Rob and the teaching team at Journey will deal with some major painful topics from a biblical perspective, and look at how Jesus interacted with people who struggled, and how our friends (and we) can find hope, healing, and practical help in the middle of the challenges. Join us for I Have a Friend Who… beginning October 3rd!
Week One—October 3
I Have a Friend Who Is Mad at God
“If God is so good, then how come the situation I cared about went so bad, even when I prayed?” The question rings loudly in the minds of people who wanted so badly for God to help, to heal, to move—and yet God said “no.” Join us this week as we meet two women from John 11 who were angry and upset with God, but then met Jesus in the middle of their anger. They learned that God is trustworthy through the anger and the pain—and you can learn how to find joy even when circumstances are not what you’d hoped.
Week Two—October 10
I Have a Friend Who Is Running from the Past
Some people are running with their present pain because they’re running from the past mistakes they’ve made. They’ve learned how to COPE in life, but they’ve never experienced HOPE in life. In John 5, we’ll interact with a man who dealt with these very same challenges: the challenge of the PAST and its failures, and disappointment with God that comes with these things—but then he met Jesus. Join us as take real, practical steps to get past our past.
Week Three—October 17
I Have a Friend Who Has Big Questions about Life & Faith
Some people think that their questions about faith make God distant. Others figure that if there is a God, He can’t be bothered by them because they’ve made too many mistakes that they simply can’t change: that they are too insignificant. In John 4, the sweet interaction between a woman who was trying to hide from everyone but yet comes face-to-face with Jesus the Messiah should change the opinion of anyone who thinks that God can’t be bothered. Join us as we learn how the search for significance is found in Christ.
Week Four—October 24
I Have a Friend Who Really Hurt Me
One of the hard parts of life is when someone you love and trusted betrays that trust, whether knowingly or unknowingly. The wounds caused by people who violated your trust can powerfully and negatively transform your view of life and make you hardened, bitter, and unwilling to open up to others. But as we’ll learn this week, this doesn’t have to be the final outcome. Join us as we look at Matthew 18 and talk about a section of the Bible that people wish they could cut out, and how it can transform the life of every person who walks in its truths.
Week Five—October 31
I Have a Friend Who Is Preoccupied with the Occult
Horoscopes, Ouija boards, auras, ghosts, numerology, etc.—all of these topics are very much on the rise, especially this time of year. Our culture is fascinated with the occult, but the dangers of engaging with the occult are marked by demon engagement, oppression, and possession. This is nothing new—Jesus Himself (as we’ll see in Mark 9) combated the forces of darkness and helped those who were preoccupied or dabbling in the occult get free from its bondage. Join us as we talk about breaking the chains of demonic oppression and discover freedom in Christ.
Week Six—November 7
I Have a Friend Who Is Ready to Give Up
Anxiety, depression, dark thoughts, and dark places—so many experience these things without ever getting help. Yes, they get medication, but they don’t ever deal with potential thoughts and feelings that make them feel so isolated, alone, and ready to throw in the towel. On this weekend as we pray for the persecuted church around the world, we will look at two of the Bible’s most famous men—John the Baptist and Elijah—and see how they handled dark places, and even more so, how God led them into places of truth and victory over the darkness.