Good Grief! Ecclesiastes 7: 2-4

We need healing conversations this morning! Solomon says grief brings joy! American culture tries to pass by death! We want to avoid conversations about it! Solomon says in verse four that the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning. John 11: 32-35. Jesus knows how to grieve! In fact we see in this scripture that Jesus gets blamed for Lazarus death! Where have you buried him? Jesus wept! Why did Jesus stop and weep when He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead? We cannot skip over the sad places in our life! Jesus was fully man and fully God and is illustrated so plainly in these events! We cannot celebrate the miracles without paying attention to the process! Psalm 137. Two third’s of the Psalm’s are complaints and lamentations. The Jews were taken captive and taken to Babylon! The Babylonians took the best of the population back to Babylon and left the sick and elderly in Israel. Many of the grandchildren never saw their grandparents again! As the Jews sat by the rivers of Babylon they remembered Zion and wept! How do we grieve properly? First we must admit a new reality! Something is new about my life! Everything has changed about my life! It may be from a loss of a spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, job loss, sickness, financial loss, home or something else. I lost my dad in 2005. I miss dad but now a new reality. Second take time to weep. They wept in Babylon! Jesus wept! Slow down and grieve! Grieve properly! It is decompressing! Third remember the past! I have many good memories of my father! My father developed a barbeque sauce! He always wanted to get a patent on it. What my mother did not tell us for years is that she added some ingredients to the sauce so we could eat it! Tell the stories that make you smile at a funeral! See God’s imprint on our lives! Tell the stories that heal us and carry us on! What happens when we grieve properly? Our pain is confronted! We cannot ignore pain! In fact there is more pain for avoiding pain! Drug addiction is caused by trying to avoid pain! Invite the Holy Spirit into our pain! Jesus invited His Father into the pain in the Garden of Gethsemane! When we grieve properly we become available again! Your story matters! Millions of American’s have lost loved ones in battles of war in American history! Their stories matter! God is not finished with you yet! Your story is not over! Your final chapter is not the last one! God needs you available again! God will heal your heart! Even Jesus own disciples thought it was all over for them as Jesus went to the Cross! They scattered and went back to their old jobs! They could not look forward? God needs you available again! God knows what it is to grieve! Life was never the same when I lost my father! Storms are not forever! As we prepare for Communion let us remember the grieving of our Lord He has gone through for us on the Cross! Because He lives this morning we can live! He suffered so that we could have victory! He conquered death for us! Joy comes in the morning! He has Risen! Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens!

Ray Lewis started the Superbowl in Faith and ended it in Faith in God! At the beginning of the game during the coin toss he called heads! Why? Because the Bible says we are the head and not the tail! After the Raven’s won the super bowl he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Ray ended his 13 year career in the NFL with a victory! His Faith in God is a living Faith and his life a testimony to God’s Faithfulness to him! Thankyou. James Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

It is Finished!

Man’s work is never done! There is always one more dinner to make, one more bed to make, one more doctor’s visit, one more car to fix, one more class to attend, one more child to raise, one more house to build and then repair, one more hospital stay, one more vote to cast, one more day behind bars, one more probation, one more drug high, one more bill, one more day of unemployment, one more shot to be fired, ect. God’s work has been completed never to be done again! One time, that’s all! Christ on a Cross to give death a Victory! One day soon all our work here on earth will be completed! God has given us work to bring out our giftings He has placed in us! Christ’s work is Eternal and will last forever! The redemption of our soul’s is eternal! The question today is are you going to trust in your own work or on Christ’s work? My work and your work is temporary. His work is permanent! His work is lasting! After I am gone someone else will have to carry on my work! Someone else will have to fix the car, take out the trash, ect. But those who follow after me will have the same opportunity to make a decision for Christ as I have made and Trust His Work! Love demands a choice! You have made a choice about Christ! What is your choice? Either for Him or against Him? Christ chose the Cross for you! A work that will last forever! Christ’s completed work has brought fulfillment and meaning to my life!We cannot be dependent on our own works but on His work. When you leave this world someone else will have to continue your work! His work continues on in me forever! Happy Easter! Please read Book of John Chapter 17, Verse 4. James Sasse GodWhoisGod.com