The Grief of God

Friendship Community Church

The Grief of God

April 1, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames

Have you ever found yourself grieving something that everyone else seems to be celebrating? Maybe you were a teenager who went through a horrible breakup and you were devastated, even though your parents and everyone else said it was a good thing. Or maybe you possess a specific skill that upgrades in business and technology have rendered somewhat obsolete. Everyone cheers what is new, but it likely means a mandatory career change for you. In these situations, the grief you feel from the loss is multiplied by the fact that no one else seems to know, or care, how you feel. This has to be how the God who desperately wants a close relationship with us feels when we are celebrating that which He grieves. How many churches in western civilization are happy, healthy, and rich, but they are celebrating things that make the Lord weep? This week at Friendship, we'll talk about "The Grief of God" and discuss some of the events surrounding the original Palm Sunday. As crowds cheered for Him, Jesus looked upon Jerusalem and wept over their rejection of Him and the coming destruction. Understanding the Lord's heart and what grieves Him will help us understand our own grief, and how we must grieve with hope in His victory over sin and death. As grief affects every human being, we don't want you to miss this message.

Suffering Servant, Exalted King

April 9, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames

Stories of success and glory are always made even better when we get to hear about the suffering and setbacks that were endured to get to that point. Michael Jordan was put on the junior varsity basketball team in high school because his coach said he needed to develop more. Albert Einstein couldn't speak fluently until the age of nine and was later expelled from school. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple early in his career. Walt Disney was fired from a Missouri newspaper because he "wasn't creative enough". The reward that each of these individuals experienced was even sweeter considering what they endured. This weekend at Friendship, we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. But it's important that we first consider His suffering. The title of this week's message is "Suffering Servant, Exalted King", because the exalting is always preceded by some form of suffering. Jesus suffered more than any of us, and then He was exalted higher than any of us. He is our example, our light, and our hope. Because He endured it all and overcame the devil's attempts to thwart God's will for Him, you and I can also endure whatever comes our way. And we trust that God will lift us up according to His timing. Join us for this uplifting message that will motivate you to press on no matter your circumstances!

The Jealousy of God

March 26, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames

When we think of the word "jealousy", there probably aren't too many positive thoughts that come to mind. Chances are that you've either been entrenched in a vicious battle with this emotion in your own heart, or you've been a victim of someone else's battle with it. Like with anger, feelings of jealousy can dominate the human heart and drive us to cause immense pain for the ones we love. But what if I told you that jealousy, by itself, is not a bad thing? As a matter of fact, it's one of the best things. It has to be, because Scripture says that God is jealous, and that in fact His NAME is Jealous. If we think only in terms of the horrible way some humans have responded to the feeling of jealousy, it's hard to separate that from the pure, raw emotion that exists even within our Father. But if God can be provoked to anger and jealousy and still be without sin, then we must consider what's good about it, so we can see God's original design for these emotions He gave us, so we can then repent of our sin. So, this week at Friendship, we will indeed dig into this complex topic of "The Jealousy of God" and consider how He feels when His people turn aside to idols. If there is no jealousy in God, can there be true love in Him? We'll answer that question and much more. Consider joining us and opening your eyes to Biblical truth you may not have considered to this point.

The Righteous Anger of God

March 19, 2023 • Associate Pastor Ben Sorbello

"I am so angry with you! If I told you once, I have told you a thousand times!" How often have we used or heard those phrases? These would have been great phrases for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to use on His disciples, and certainly on the Pharisees and Sadducees and other children of God, when He came to teach them over 2000 years ago. He could have expressed great anger toward them, and it would have been righteous anger. Instead, Jesus used grace, mercy, forgiveness, and patience, along with the great ability to show them that, even though they knew the correct path, they chose not to take or remember it. He would often remind them of wise Scripture from the Old Testament and say, “You should already know this.” On Tuesday, the verse of the day for one of the devotions the Holy Spirit of God has me reading was from Deuteronomy 6:5, which says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength". For followers of Jesus, that should sound very familiar because it is the first of the two greatest commandments that Jesus taught us in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. If you have anger that is not righteous, or if you or someone you know has a temper issue, then they need to hear the message that the Holy Spirit of God has prepared for you on "The Righteous Anger of God". Join us as we encourage trust and obedience of our omniscient and infinite Creator!