Jeremiah 29 is one of those passages that many point to as an inspiring passage about the way God is at work for our well-being. However, it’s also one of those passages that is often misunderstood. It is indeed inspiring and encouraging, just maybe not in the way you think it is. God promises a “future and a hope”, but it needs to be said that it is not exactly the future that Judah was hoping for. This is a stark reminder that our future and hope is best placed in God’s hands, not our own, and come what may, the peace of being part of God’s plan far outweighs whatever future we might try to make of our own accord.

The series that we have been walking through has been wonderful for my soul and I hope for yours too. The source of encouragement and inspiration over these weeks has been twofold: the Word of God and the witness of God's church. Hebrews 12 encapsulates well what has been happening over these months. In it, the author writes about the “great cloud of witnesses” that encourage us to run with endurance the race that is set before us. May you continue to be encouraged by remembering God’s goodness in your life and in the lives of all who bear witness to God’s goodness.

When push comes to shove, what is it that you trust in? Who do you rely on? Yourself? A parent? A friend? Proverbs 3:5 reminds us that, above all else, our trust should be in the Lord. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” The outcome of a life led in full-hearted trust of God is not necessarily an easy life, but it is a good life. May you learn today what it means to truly trust in God.

The inspiring hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, was written as a reflection on Lamentations 3:22-23, where the author writes, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” While this passage and the song inspired by it are relatively well-known, what is perhaps less appreciated is the dark canvas on which this beacon of light is found. The whole of Lamentations is, as its name suggests, a lament. It is a dark and desperate work because of the destruction and desolation that Judah has faced. But in the sadness of Lamentation the author finds hope and possibility as he recognizes God’s faithfulness, even in the darkest of times. Let us look to God with that same hope.

James 3 is most known for its call to tame the tongue and its remarkable insight on all the various ways that our mouths and words can get us into trouble. The chapter ends, perhaps appropriately, with a call to wisdom and to peace. Neither wisdom nor peace, it seems, are possible with an untamed tongue. Today, as we study the final verses of James 3, may we seek a wisdom that is not of this world but is from on high, a wisdom that is, in the words of James, "pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, fully of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

There is so much to love about this passage from Isaiah 43. In it we find that though Israel is in a place of exile, God is still for them; and if God is for them, who can be against them? These same truths hold for us today. We should not fear because we have been redeemed by God through Christ. He has called us by name. And even though we may walk through fire and water, God will be with us. What, then, is left to fear?

Throughout this encouraging word series, we have discussed passages that you, South Run Baptist Church, turn to when you need encouragement. It has been beautiful to dig into the promises of Scripture that we can hold to as we weather the storms of life. Today’s passage from Romans 12 is walking map, of sorts. Rather than focus on what we should “think,” Romans 12 reminds us of what we should “do.” When the terrain of life gets difficult, Romans 12 offers a series of steps to take as we walk our way out of it.

As we continue to hear encouraging words from the Word, this week we turn our attention to the last verses of Isaiah 40. It is another popular passage, this time because of the imagery supplied by the verse—namely, that of an eagle soaring over the heights, escaping whatever trouble and storm that may lay below, and flying effortlessly to its destination. Oh that God may renew our strength that we too may mount up with wings like eagles.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This is one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture, in part because of the hope that it holds out. Paul says that it is Christ’s strength that gets him through the lows and the highs of life, through plenty and hunger, abundance and need. This morning we fix our eyes on the truth of Christ’s strength for any and all circumstances.

What is a passage of Scripture that encourages you and lights your way forward? A week or so ago, a friend passed along today’s passage, Psalm 20, as a form of encouragement. I found it deeply meaningful, and I hope you do too. In the weeks to come, I plan to preach through passages that inspire us and guide us. Whether in times of peace or in times of difficulty, these are passages that you have found fill your soul and act as a compass. As you feel comfortable, please share such passages with me that I might be able to encourage others as you have been encouraged.

Today’s message is about the edges of hope. Not the hope we have when all is well, but the hope we cling to with white knuckles when life is not going how we think it should. Paul certainly shows us the way when he describes his own life as a frail, clay jar. He says that he is afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, but in all of this, the imperishable life of Christ shines forth all the more. Christ’s presence and life sustains Paul in his dark hours. Let us cling together to the hope we have in Christ our Lord.

It is indisputable that we live in a hurried world, and it is easy to be swept up in it. We are frequently rewarded for keeping up with the hurry, though often with more tasks and requests and needs that cause even more hurry. Such a life, however, is at odds with the pace of life Jesus seemed to live at. His pace was of a walking sort. It lacked the anxiety and pressure that seem to mark our age. So if Jesus, God-incarnate, was able to live at a slow pace and trust that what will get done will be enough, what’s our rush?

Prayer is perhaps the most essential of spiritual disciplines. In Scripture, Jesus is said to pray regularly. He goes off to pray alone. Some of his prayers are even captured by the gospel authors (e.g. John 17). In today’s passage he is even asked to teach the disciples how to pray. The result is a rendition of the Lord’s prayer, a reflection on why we pray, and perhaps most importantly, it is a reminder of the goodness of the God to whom we pray. God is the Father who loves to give good gifts.

This week we return to the story from two weeks ago, the story of the man possessed by a legion of demons in Luke 8. The passage is not done with us yet as there is still gold to be mined. In it, a man is enslaved in mind, body, and spirit, and Jesus is there to set him free. The freedom Jesus offers, however, is not exactly the surprising part of the story. What is surprising is the man’s response. Initially, he pushes Jesus away. He tells Jesus, “Do not torment me,” when in reality it is not Jesus who torments, it is our sin, our anxiety, our fears, our doubts. These are the instruments of evil, and Jesus is here to set us free.

In today’s gospel reading Jesus meets a man who is enslaved within his own mind. He is trapped by an army, a legion, who will not release him nor allow him to be fully human. The man is an outsider in his home town. He lives not in a house but among the tombs. He is not in his right mind. But his encounter with Jesus changes everything. In a word, he is given freedom.

Today is Trinity Sunday on the church calendar. The day is less celebrated than other days of the church year, perhaps because it feels too “theological.” You might even be asking, Does the Trinity matter anymore? I believe it does, and here’s why. God’s triune nature tells us a host of things about God, our world, and about our very selves. As Timothy Keller says, “if this world was made by a triune God, relationships of love are what life is really all about.” So today we talk about what “life is really all about.”

Today is the day of Pentecost. It is a day where the Holy Spirit shows up in mighty and powerful ways in the lives of the first church members. It is a day of excitement and mystery. It is a day with tongues of fire and the rushing of wind. On this day we celebrate that not only is Jesus our Lord sitting at the right hand of God, but today the Spirit of God dwells in us through the outpouring of the Spirit. The Spirit is calling out to you. What will you say?

We have reached the final week of Easter and the end of 1 Corinthians 15. The chapter has been a slow crescendo to the declaration of the death of death, the truest and most important meaning of Jesus’ resurrection and Easter Sunday. Death is indeed swallowed up in victory. Its stinger has been removed. And thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Today we talk about a passage in which Paul explains the resurrection body. He walks right up to the place where angels dare not tread and puts his foot on the line. Paul, just chapters before, reminds us that he is looking into a dim mirror as he talks about that which is to come. However, here, he speaks about what he is able to glimpse and what we are able to know about the resurrection. As we continue our exploration of 1 Corinthians 15, let us be mindful that there are many things we still do not know, and yet there is much hope to be found in what we do know.

In our reading today from 1 Corinthians 15, Paul situates the gospel in the larger story of the whole of Scripture—and even more importantly—in the whole span of history. The resurrection is an event that the world has been longing for since the day the Garden of Eden was closed. Christ’s death and resurrection is an answer to the most fundamental problems of the world. The problem of evil, sin, destruction, abuse of power, illness, and so much more, the rotten fruit of which is death. As Paul puts it, this is the last enemy to be destroyed.