Mud to Mercy

The mud is no match for mercy.

Intro:

Introduce yourself.

Tell everyone that there is a huge issue in this world, and you need to be honest. Be very heated and dramatic about it.

Say something about donda.

Story about the muddy blazers. BRING UP SPIDER WEBS.

Guys listen there is nothing that makes me more angry and annoyed than ruining a beautiful pair of shoes. It’s heart breaking.

I was sad for myself and for my friend. But at least we had each other.

Tension:

I learned something from that story though. Well I learned many things. Like maybe I could practice more, and also not wear such nice shoes.

But even more so as we were talking about the mud on our shoes we started to talk about how sometimes things just don’t go your way. Like have you ever seen one of those cartoons with the guy who walks outside and like slips on a banana peel, then loses something, he has the cloud like over his head only him though, etc.

As we were talking about just everything going on in the world and even some of our shortcomings and hurts. I realized something.

Life is muddy, and people live a muddy lives.

What do I mean by this? Well look around, there are awful things going on. We make mistakes, others make mistakes. It’s because people are broken and life is muddy.

The mud represents brokeness, it represents sin, it represents hurts and pains, it represents all of the things that can make us feel completely and totally lost.

Sometimes life can just make us feel like we are in a giant pit of mud.

Address audience and ask them if they are there.

If you have been here, you are not the only one. In fact, the Bible talks about this situation too.

Psalm 69:2 I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing; I have come into deep waters, and a flood sweeps over me.

Remind people what David had done.

Maybe today you feel muddy, maybe today you feel like you’re in a pit sinking, maybe today you feel broken. Maybe today you know you are making decisions that are making you sink more and more no matter where you are tonight. Tonight I want you to really think about where you’re at right now. There are three attributes of a muddy life, that I want to break down, as I do I want you to really think if you are struggling in one fo these areas, because I believe there is an answer for you that can set you free tonight. But first let’s get muddy.

Truth:

Mud is fun.

Let’s be honest we all have wanted to play in the mud before.

Tell Personal story about the dirt mound.

The dirt mound was fun until kids took it over and started charging 5 dollars. Still salty about that. But everyday I would come home and I would shower. Why? Well because I needed something wash the mud off of me.

Hebrews 11:25 “choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”

Wait what, sin is pleasing? Who knew? We all did. But there is a reason why this verse says FLEETING. Because the mud might be fun for a little while. But it doesn’t last. I will never forget coming home from the dirt mound or the outside thinking man I need a shower. I need something to clean me, because this feels so bad.

Tell people what is actually fun.

Mud is sticky.

The mud will try make you feel stuck.

Are you stuck in the mud? Has life wrecked you into the dirt and now you’re wondering how to get out?

Mud tries to make you feel stuck so you will go stagnant and not move. It tries to make you forget who you are, it tries to make you forget who God says you are.

I know I have been in this place before.

This can be things that aren’t so fun, this can be unforgiveness, depression, anxiety, something you cause yourself like a repeated sin. Maybe you feel like you’re in a constant cycle.

Quicksand idea

Outer banks worst scene.

There is alligators in the mud. If you stay stuck there just might be an alligator that eats you.

Refer back to Psalm 69:2

Mud is messy.

The mud will try to make you feel too dirty to be worthy.

Do you feel like you are too dirty for God? Do you feel like you’ve been so bad that you are too far gone? That everywhere you go leaves a track behind you?

I’ve been there. It sucks. But the reality is, mud is messy and when you live a muddy life, things get messy. Things get messy fast.

Mom Story

Mud Illustration - Use a personal story?

Put on White Jacket and have someone put mud on me as I explain things that make people feel muddy in life. Try to even clean it on my own, but just spread it all over the jacket. Point is, decision we make and even thing outside of our control can make life muddy. After this, go over how Jesus pulls us out of the mud and cleanses us. Put on new jacket.

Imagine:

Mud is no match for mercy.

Psalms 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

This is what Jesus does. he restores us. He gives us a new life. He doesn’t care what we have done, the sins we have commited, the failures we’ve had. All he cares about is loving us and making us new.

It’s time to move from the mud to mercy by allowing God to lift you out. TO restore you, to show you forgiveness.

Go over gospel and Invite people to altar for any prayer need.