We welcome you to Stone's Hill today!

A typical Stone's Hill service has:

* music (so feel free to sing out);

* some announcements (things that are upcoming that you can be a part of);

* a message out of the Bible (God speaks to us through his Word);

* and an opportunity for you to respond to the message (either immediately in the case of a decision that needs to be made OR in the future as you live out the message in your daily life.)

So relax and enjoy your morning! We're so glad you are here!

MESSAGE TEXT
Psalm 139:1-24
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Introduction
Psalm 139 links us with God. This song, like few other passages of Scripture, connects us with our Creator. It answers four of the most frequently asked questions that come to our minds about God:
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1.How well does God know me? (139:1–6)
2.How close is God to me? (139:7–12)
3.How carefully has God made me? (139:13–18)
4.How much will God protect/help me? (139:19–24)
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MESSAGE OUTLINE
Psalm 139 clearly divides into 4 stanzas of 6 verses each in our English text.
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Omniscience (v.1-6) How well does God know me? Inside and out – every thought and motive known. He knows what I do, what I think, where I go, and what I need.
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Omnipresence (v.7-12) How close is God to me? Death, distance, and darkness cannot evade His presence. In and around – no escaping.
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Omnipotence (v.13-18) How carefully did God make me? Custom and unique – designed for a purpose.
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Omnicompetent (v.19-24) Malediction (a cursing as opposed to benediction, a blessing) – How much does God protect me?
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PROPOSITION
This Psalm takes on all of your unmet longings and walks you into a warm personal relationship with your Creator who can meet them. Psalm 139 takes on your feelings of not belonging, of being unwanted, of being chronically misunderstood by others.
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This Psalm takes on the lack of affirming and loving words you should have heard from your earliest memories in life. This Psalm takes on your fears and insecurities. David comes against statements like “You’re not good enough” or “Something is wrong with you” or “You don’t fit in” or “You don’t belong.”
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After reading this Psalm, you can feel valued, capable, lovable, important, understood, embraced, and secure. But by the same token, if these longings go unmet, our sense of loneliness deepens and results in hurt, feelings of betrayal, and in unhealthy behaviors because we’re trying to deal with an unmet longing.
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David ultimately takes all these longings to God and that’s what we have to do. Unmet longings and unresolved hurts lead to unwanted behaviors and sins which ultimately hinders our intimacy with God and others.
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That’s why David prayed: 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Unmet longings and unresolved hurts lead to unwanted behaviors and sins which ultimately hinders our intimacy with God and others. Spiritual growth happens when we learn to meet these God-given longings in a way that let’s us be free and thrive without all the bondage.
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APPLICATION
Our seven longings... They're nestled within the phrases that David writes in Psalm 139... [the spoken sermon will point this out]
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Acceptance – “I’m valued.” This will be a struggle if dad never said “I love you”, your siblings teased you, and Grandpa never wanted to spend time with you like he did the other grandkids. “Something is wrong with me.”
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Appreciation – “I’m noticed and capable.” This is a struggle if you never heard mom say “I’m proud of you, great job!” Or if no one ever acknowledged how much work you put in around the house. “I’m not seen.”
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Affection – “I’m loved.” This is hard if no one ever held you and read a book to you. “I’m unlovable.”
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Access – “I’m important.” If your parents were always gone and your family avoided you, that’s hard. “I don’t matter.”
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Attention – “I’m understood.” If no one ever came to watch you play or compete in something special to you, that’s hard. “No one gets me.”
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Affirmation – “I’m embraced and validated.” It’s hard if the stuff that was important to you got brushed off as insignificant. “I’m not a priority.”
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Assurance – “I’m protected and defended.” It’s hard if you’re not sure your parents will still be together next week, or if you were sexually abused, or you were picked on and no one helped. “I can’t trust anyone.”
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Do you have a marriage that’s about to implode? If you’ll walk it back to the unmet longings and address that, perhaps therein lies part of the solution. Somebody in the marriage didn’t feel affirmation.
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Do you have a child in your family that’s doing annoying or even self-destructive things? Walk it back to the unmet longing. They’re craving your attention.
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Do you have nagging addictions and behaviors that you can’t seem to shake? Walk it back to the unmet longing. Someone is craving acceptance but have met rejection instead.
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Do you tend to overshare and promote your accomplishments and achievements? It’s a craving for appreciation.
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Do you struggle with nervous habits and hangups and insecurity? Someone is craving for assurance that it’s going to be okay.
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Are you afraid of being left out and not included in a group that is really important to you but you aren’t invite into? You’re craving access, to know you’re important.

CONCLUSION
David couldn’t escape Gods presence. A son of David hanging on a cross couldn’t find God’s presence. Why’d he do that? So you would never be in jeopardy of losing God. There’s no refuge from God; there’s only refuge in Him. He carried the boat and the logs. So what happens if we follow David’s lead and invite the Lord to search us, to know our hearts and thoughts? What is at risk? Nothing! There is nothing in our hearts that could be uncovered that hasn’t already been paid for by Jesus on the cross. There is nothing he could find that would disqualify us from receiving his mercy. The Lord searches our hearts not to find reasons to condemn us, but to reveal every nook and cranny that has already received his mercy.