CONNECTION LUNCHEON

Our Thanksgiving Connection Luncheon is after church today! On the Menu: Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Baked Apples, Dinner Rolls, Pumpkin Pie, Drinks. Invite a friend to join you, anyone new to North Main eats for free! Cost: $7/adult $5/child and a max of $20/household. There will also be a QR code available you can scan with your phone to pay online!

The Blessing of Grief
(Matthew 5:4)
Yearly Theme: “Patience is…”
Series Title: “Good Grief”
November 6th, 2022

We begin a new series today entitled “Good Grief,” and our subject matter is… you guessed it: Grief. But what is grief in its simplest form according to the dictionary?

As A noun grief means – “keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret.”[1]

As we explore grief today, I thought it fitting to look to Jesus’ words of blessing and comfort in the Sermon on the Mount, specifically the Beatitudes:


[1] “Grief Definition & Meaning.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Accessed October 27, 2022. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/grief.

The Gospel of Luke also has a rendering of this same verse. Luke writes that Jesus proclaimed:

In the same vein, Luke seems to tie this beatitude to what Jesus had said when He first started out in His ministry. Following His baptism and initiation into the purpose for His coming to earth, Jesus returned to His hometown of Galilee. Luke records His return this way:

Jesus was reading the scroll of Isaiah, and more specifically from chapter 61 which reads:

So, what is all of this, and why does it matter that we understand what it means?

Here’s the takeaway this morning:

Key Point: “Our brokenness reminds us of our need for GOD who is the great Comforter.”

So, how does our brokenness lead us to the Great Comforter? Here are a few things to consider:

Something to take home:

In your sorrow, have you found comfort in Christ? Have you grown stronger or weaker? Have you gotten so stuck in the valley of grief that you cannot find a way to the other side of hope? The journey is a difficult one, but we know that we can walk through that valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil for GOD is with us!

Key Point: “Our brokenness reminds us of our need for GOD who is the great Comforter.”

What kind of sufferings do we face in the present time? What glory will be revealed to us?

How can creation, which doesn’t have a soul or a conscious mind, long for something? What does the revealing of the sons of God refer to?

What is the main point of verses 24-25? Do you wait eagerly for the redemption of your body? Explain the importance of
combining perseverance together with eagerness.

What does the word “intercede” mean? Why do you think it says we don’t know how to pray as we should? What does the Holy Spirit’s intercession on your behalf mean to you?

JOURNAL
Paul is convinced of victory are you? If you are convinced too, what effect will this knowledge have on your life? If you could summarize the teachings of this passage in one word, what would it be?

APPLICATION
The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts and guides us in our lives. If we are in the will of God He will bring peace to our hearts. If we are out of the will of God He will show us this too. Spend some specific and intentional time in communion/prayer with God the Father. Listen to what the Holy Spirit reveals to your heart and act accordingly.

MEMORY VERSE
Philippians 1:6
“And I am certain that God,
who began the good work within you,
will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day
when Christ Jesus returns.”

OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Thursday
9:00am - 4:00pm