Sermon Tone Analysis

1. Be a friend of God

Trials are opportunities to find God’s goodness and show God’s goodness when it really matters.

Trials become giants when we don’t believe God is our friend.

2. Choose the path of joy

Pursuing patience - slow down and plant

Nate Thornton

Trusting Wisdom from God - we’re with God

Avoiding self-deception - Seek what you lack

When God wants to work on you

Seeking the reward of God - Go for a walk

Are you God’s friend?

I want to take you on a hike.

Not just any hike...it's a hike with God... a journey he's inviting you on.

He wants you to get to know Him on this hike.

He wants you to see the beauty of His creation and to know - just like that beauty - the amazing beauty of His character in his redemption, his goodness, his mercy, his help and so much more.

He also wants you to participate with Him on this hike...in the challenges of the hike to find out what it means to be His friend.

In one sense, it's to be drawn into His presence in worship- to see His majesty and glory combined with His goodness reflected in the golden hues and green trees so that you delight in seeing all He has done.

In another sense, it's to walk beside Him and participate in the process of friendship, knowing one another and doing things together.

It's like finally being back in the garden of Eden, daily walking with God and filling up the world with beauty and goodness.

This is a story of your life as His child.

Sometimes, it will feel dull and boring.

Seeing the same trees and grass over and over again, handling the same challenges day after day, never seeing an end in sight - but eventually, after walking faithfully with Him, it opens up to grand vistas of how great His plan is.

Yes, it will involve twists and turns, difficulties and hardships.

But God has designed it so the twists and turns open up your ability to know more of His glory and grace - more than you would have known otherwise.

It might seem barren and fruitless at times.

But God will show you His fullness as a result.

Some of you will say, "But my life doesn't feel like a hike right now.

I feel more like I'm drowning in a flood.

There is too much pain or sorrow or doubt."

And yet, what you're seeing on this hike on screen was created by at least one big flood and by many smaller ones too.

Water carves out rock like this only when it gets high enough and strong enough.

The floods you're experiencing are carving out things that when they recede will show God's glory in more beautiful ways than before - beauty you will experience because you have been through the floods rather than avoided them.

Why are you on this hike?

Because you are God's friend...He wants you to know Him.

He wants you to see that He is your friend - that the God of the universe who is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good is walking beside you creating something even more beautiful than what you see around you.

Will you trust Him?

Because you are also on this walk with other people...some who are helping you as well... some who are wandering off the path and are headed for the cliffs.

As God's friend, what will you do for them?