WEBVTT 00:00:08.619 --> 00:00:11.679 Hello church, today's topic is experiencing loss. 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:14.439 Whether it's loss of a loved one or something 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:17.379 or someone you valued; loss can be difficult. 00:00:17.500 --> 00:00:20.059 And a lot of times people don't know how to respond 00:00:20.059 --> 00:00:23.219 to it, therefore responding to it in the negative 00:00:23.219 --> 00:00:26.920 way. Our first scripture today is Psalm 34 verse 00:00:26.920 --> 00:00:31.059 18. And it says, the Lord is near to the brokenhearted. 00:00:31.379 --> 00:00:35.340 He saves those crushed in spirit. It's inevitable 00:00:35.340 --> 00:00:38.539 that we experience challenges. And before we 00:00:38.539 --> 00:00:41.259 are ready for encouragement sometimes, we need 00:00:41.259 --> 00:00:44.320 a comforter and a shoulder to cry on. Even Jesus 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.619 was grieved when Lazarus, his friend, died. So 00:00:47.619 --> 00:00:50.960 no, it's not sinful to be sad or to experience 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.380 grief, but we have to understand we shouldn't 00:00:54.380 --> 00:00:57.079 wallow in depression. Jesus experienced grief 00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:59.780 too. Instead of acting like we aren't sad, we 00:00:59.780 --> 00:01:02.000 should bring it to God because he knows how we 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:06.280 feel. Our next scripture is John 14 verse 27. 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:10.150 It says, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.109 to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. 00:01:13.609 --> 00:01:15.870 Don't let your heart be troubled or fearful. 00:01:16.530 --> 00:01:19.930 God is peace and he gives his peace to us. When 00:01:19.930 --> 00:01:22.670 we go through challenges we can lean on God and 00:01:22.670 --> 00:01:26.069 have his peace and strength in the midst of struggles. 00:01:26.349 --> 00:01:28.870 It's unchanging and it's better than anything 00:01:28.870 --> 00:01:32.689 else we can ever experience in the world. And 00:01:32.689 --> 00:01:36.700 his peace... never fails and his peace never 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:41.500 goes away because it's permanent. Our last scripture 00:01:41.500 --> 00:02:04.890 is John 3 verse 16. heaven is a perfect place 00:02:04.890 --> 00:02:08.330 where there will be no death pain crying or darkness 00:02:08.330 --> 00:02:11.710 so, we can take heart and be encouraged because 00:02:11.710 --> 00:02:14.310 of this fact we want to make sure that we're 00:02:14.310 --> 00:02:17.710 telling the word to everyone God says in his 00:02:17.710 --> 00:02:20.530 word he doesn't intend for any of his children 00:02:20.530 --> 00:02:24.610 to go to hell, he wants them to go to heaven people 00:02:24.610 --> 00:02:28.509 have to make that choice for themselves our responsibility 00:02:28.509 --> 00:02:32.349 is to tell them Our points for today are one, 00:02:32.810 --> 00:02:36.150 it isn't a sin to grieve. A lot of people think 00:02:36.150 --> 00:02:40.349 that it is a sin to grieve or to be sad about 00:02:40.349 --> 00:02:43.909 something, but it isn't a sin. However, we shouldn't 00:02:43.909 --> 00:02:46.069 wallow in the depression and we shouldn't let 00:02:46.069 --> 00:02:50.569 our feelings control us. Two. God will give us 00:02:50.569 --> 00:02:53.810 His peace in every situation. When we have His 00:02:53.810 --> 00:02:56.889 Holy Spirit, His peace is in us and it never 00:02:56.889 --> 00:02:59.849 comes out of us. And so, His peace, it's like 00:02:59.849 --> 00:03:02.530 a light switch. We turn it on, and it stays on. 00:03:02.650 --> 00:03:05.590 We shouldn't allow other things to hinder the 00:03:05.590 --> 00:03:08.729 Holy Spirit in our lives. And three, in hard 00:03:08.729 --> 00:03:12.349 times, Jesus is the one and only solution. He's 00:03:12.349 --> 00:03:14.270 the one and only person that we can count on 00:03:14.270 --> 00:03:17.110 because He never leaves. And Jesus came on earth. 00:03:17.229 --> 00:03:20.669 He experienced everything we experienced, so 00:03:20.669 --> 00:03:24.550 he knows what it feels like to grieve. But there 00:03:24.550 --> 00:03:28.189 is a right godly way to do it. Jesus is the solution 00:03:28.189 --> 00:03:32.210 because he leads us in the positive way. So, if 00:03:32.210 --> 00:03:35.270 you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 00:03:35.770 --> 00:03:38.370 then this message will help you. But if you don't 00:03:38.370 --> 00:03:41.150 have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:43.490 then I invite you to give your heart to the Lord 00:03:43.490 --> 00:03:46.849 today. To receive Him into your heart, go to 00:03:46.849 --> 00:03:50.449 Romans 10, 9 -10. It says that if you confess 00:03:50.449 --> 00:03:52.689 with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in 00:03:52.689 --> 00:03:54.789 your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, 00:03:55.150 --> 00:03:57.729 you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes 00:03:57.729 --> 00:03:59.909 unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession 00:03:59.909 --> 00:04:03.409 is made unto salvation. If you said this prayer 00:04:03.409 --> 00:04:06.210 with sincerity, you are saved and now have eternal 00:04:06.210 --> 00:04:09.110 life with Jesus. You are saved from all your 00:04:09.110 --> 00:04:12.210 sins, past, present, and future sins you may 00:04:12.210 --> 00:04:15.250 commit. This truth is not a free past to sin 00:04:15.250 --> 00:04:18.750 anytime. Instead, Jesus gives you power over 00:04:18.750 --> 00:04:21.290 all wrong choices and empowers you to spread 00:04:21.290 --> 00:04:24.350 the gospel to others. You are saved forever and 00:04:24.350 --> 00:04:26.350 your name is written in the book of life.