Through The Storm

EXCITED TO BE BACK — SO INCREDIBLY THANKFUL FOR NPC

I LOVE TO WIN — I GET COMPETITIVE WITH GAMES — NO ONE LIKES TO LOSE BUT I LOVE TO WIN

Following Jesus — I WANT TO WIN! — Feel victorious

The problem is, how do I feel victorious when storms hit? How do I become better, closer to God when storms come to take me out. What’s your response when life hits you? Our minds usually go negative. THEN WE START TO FOCUS ON WHY WE ARE FACING THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE INSTEAD OF SEEKING GOD FOR HOW HE’S GONNA GET US THROUGH IT.

And this is often where we get stuck. Life hits us. Whether we caused what happened or not. And we have two options. Seek God or question God. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe it’s wrong to question and be confused and ask God “GOD WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?”. But it becomes a problem when it becomes your personality. No longer am I someone who seeks God through hard times, I become someone who just sits back and questions. Becomes a victim of the storm. BUT HERE IS A TRUTH THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

NO ONE IS IMMUNE FROM STORMS

A French philosopher, Paul Ricoeur, in the early 1900s, said that life is a series of three movements. First, you've got Orientation, which is before a storm where life makes sense, life is good, but then you transition into Disorientation. Now you are in the storm. Life doesn't make sense. God doesn't make sense. Chaos, pain, and confusion. But then hopefully you come through that and you make it to Reorientation, where you're on the other side of the storm, and this is where life makes sense again, God makes sense again, but now in an entirely new, fuller and deeper way.

SO IF NO ONE IS IMMUNE FROM STORMS: Then the question isn’t how do i avoid it… cause you cant. The right question isn’t “God Why”, because if you knew why would it really erase the pain or the hurt?

THE RIGHT QUESTION IS “WHAT NOW?”. God the storm is here. What now? What do I do? How do i reach the other side of this a better person and closer to you? How do i get through this? How do I help someone else through this?

THERE’S NO HOW TO VIDEO ON STORMS OF LIFE… BUT THERE IS A HOW TO STORY.

INTRO JOB

JOB WAS A MAN WHO HAD IT ALL — The money — Cover of Forbes — TV Show about wife and 10 kids. — Blameless man of God. — Full of integrity

Job 1:6–12 NLT

6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” 8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” 9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” 12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

DID I MISS SOMETHING? DID GOD JUST ALLOW SATAN TO HARM JOB?

That’s exactly what God did. Why? I have no idea. But God does allow people to go through storms. The right question though is WHAT NOW?

WHAT WOULD YOUR RESPONSE BE? HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THIS?

JOB — Fell to the ground and worshipped

Job 1:20–22 NLT

20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” 22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Worship is interesting — Easy when the lights, the temp, the volume is all perfect. The songs I know.

WHAT ABOUT WHEN EVERYTHING IS GONE? HOW DO WE WORSHIP THROUGH THAT?

TRUST

Trust is interesting. Because real trust means you don’t know for sure. But you’re trusting.

AIRPLANES — Im trusting the pilot knows how to take off, how to fly, and how to land. I’ve never asked for credentials.

JOB HAD TRUST IN GOD AND HIS PLAN NO MATTER WHAT CAME HIS WAY

Now the Devil see’s Job’s response & it wasn’t what he was expecting. Asks God to take his health. Covers him in sores. Now trust is tested. And this happens.

Job 2:9 NLT

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

That’s cold ladies…

JOB’S FRIENDS — SMALL GROUP — SIT WITH JOB 7 DAYS

Job 3:11 NLT

11 “Why wasn’t I born dead? Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb?

NOT PLOTTING TO END LIFE — BUT HE’S NOT OKAY

IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY

FRIENDS START QUESTIONING — DID YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG?

WE LIKE TO PUT GOD IN A BOX LIKE THAT — TRY TO UNDERSTAND MORE

Because if Job did nothing wrong then that means it could happen to anyone… and I don’t like that

God is sovereign — Rain and blessings on the righteous and the unrighteous — WE cannot understand His ways

Job then starts to question God and ask questions. And God responds to him — and this is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. God responds:

Job 38:2–4 NLT

2 “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? 3 Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.

God asks him over 70 questions to get the point across. And here is Job’s response back:

Job 42:1–6 NLT

1 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

And this changes everything. WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH A STORM — You need to realize there is a bigger battle going on. For who you are going to trust and worship. WHEN YOU PRAISE YOU SILENCE THE ENEMY

NONE OF US ARE EXEMPT FROM STORMS — BUT WE HAVE A CHOICE TO WORSHIP AND TRUST THROUGH IT ALL

AS YOU KNOW I’VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A STORM

I would like to say that I’ve had to perfect worship filled response the entire time — But it’s been hard — The hardest part is not knowing why.

I’ve searched for answers. Hopeful, upset, angry. Cried.

Over these past couple months i’ve been surrounded by amazing friends, this amazing church. Amazing pastors. Counselors. So far no one has told me to curse God and die so that’s nice.

It’s been hard but I’ve realized that God is still Good no matter what.

WEDNESDAY — PRAYING AT STARBUCKS — SERMON FOR TODAY PLANNED BACK IN OCTOBER — JOB — GOD HAS SENSE OF HUMOR

CAME HOME — KNOCK ON DOOR — DIVORCE PAPERS

NO ACCIDENTS — PREPARING THIS MESSAGE — GOD KNEW

IM HERE TODAY SHARING THIS AS SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS JOB MORE THAN EVER

Through all of this so many amazing friends and pastors have reached out to me — One called me yesterday and asked how I was doing.

I NOW UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST CAN DO

GOD IS STILL GOOD — HE IS STILL WORTHY OF OUR WORSHIP — HE’S STILL ON THE THRONE — HE STILL HAS A PLAN

New season of NPC

WHERE IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY

Where people can come and see what God can do

Where people can be healed and weather the storms that come their way

Where we can come together as messed up people who serve a perfect God who is always good even when life isn’t

Where we silence the enemy with our praise

Genesis 50:20 NLT

20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

NOT EVERYTHING IS GOD CAUSE BUT EVERYTHING IS GOD ALLOWED — IF GOD ALLOWED IT HE CAN USE IT