Concordia Lutheran Church
Grief Detours
Loss brings grief. This is true for Christians and non-Christians alike. The difference is that Christians grieve with hope. Grief is real, but hope is greater than grief.
Locations & Times
Concordia Lutheran Church
16801 Huebner Rd, San Antonio, TX 78258, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
Sunday 9:30 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
https://live.concordia.cc
Sunday 8:00 AM
Sunday 9:30 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
Worship Online
Worship with us online live every Sunday morning, or on demand 24/7 throughout the week!
https://live.concordia.ccGiving Link
https://concordia.cc/givingIntroductory Story – The first time I watched The Empire Strikes Back
It’s a horrible ending to the movie: Luke gets clobbered by Vader, gets his hand chopped off, finds out the bad guy is his dad, and Han Solo gets frozen in carbonite. And I remember thinking as a kid, “What a horrible ending!” I was incredibly relieved to find out there was a third and final movie. That was not the end of the story. And that’s it! There are three movies in the Star Wars franchise.
Introduction to series – Detours
Reasons why we grieve
The text – Jeremiah 29:1-14
Jeremiah 29:11--a verse we often quote out of context
We know this verse; we use it often. We don’t often consider the context of Jeremiah 29:11.
Context for the book of Jeremiah. The tumult of Jeremiah’s time. Lamentations and The “Weeping Prophet”
It’s a horrible ending to the movie: Luke gets clobbered by Vader, gets his hand chopped off, finds out the bad guy is his dad, and Han Solo gets frozen in carbonite. And I remember thinking as a kid, “What a horrible ending!” I was incredibly relieved to find out there was a third and final movie. That was not the end of the story. And that’s it! There are three movies in the Star Wars franchise.
Introduction to series – Detours
Reasons why we grieve
The text – Jeremiah 29:1-14
Jeremiah 29:11--a verse we often quote out of context
We know this verse; we use it often. We don’t often consider the context of Jeremiah 29:11.
Context for the book of Jeremiah. The tumult of Jeremiah’s time. Lamentations and The “Weeping Prophet”
Context for the book of Jeremiah. The tumult of Jeremiah’s time. Lamentations and The “Weeping Prophet.”
A message to exiles.
Background to what’s happened to these people. They’ve lost their homes, their livelihoods, their city, their nations, many of them have lost loved ones, they’ve seemingly lost their entire future. The siege of Jerusalem and beginning of exile 597 BC. God’s plan even through something terrible like Babylon. What are the people feeling? What’s God’s plan? How do you move forward?
Background to what’s happened to these people. They’ve lost their homes, their livelihoods, their city, their nations, many of them have lost loved ones, they’ve seemingly lost their entire future. The siege of Jerusalem and beginning of exile 597 BC. God’s plan even through something terrible like Babylon. What are the people feeling? What’s God’s plan? How do you move forward?
An unexpected message from God. Life doesn’t go backwards. God’s message is to move forward in the present. Plant gardens, build houses, have children and create new life in the detour, in the grief of exile. Lives of grief and hope. The most profound part of this message: God’s not done with His people. He is still present with them, even in exile. He still has plans for them. Grief is not the end of the story.
It was not the end of Israel’s story, even after all they’ve lost. After exile. After unbelievable tragedy. Grief is not the end of your story.
The shock of grief, the isolation, and trusting God with the plan. Often, we don’t know the plan. And often, even when we do know, we don’t like the plan at first.
The best way to grieve is by grieving within a community. Don’t isolate. Consider joining something like GriefShare. If you know someone grieving this morning, in the midst of a detour, please be the friend that reaches out. Grief is not the end of your story because your story is eternally secured in Jesus. Trusting God’s plan, even when it isn’t your own.
It was not the end of Israel’s story, even after all they’ve lost. After exile. After unbelievable tragedy. Grief is not the end of your story.
The shock of grief, the isolation, and trusting God with the plan. Often, we don’t know the plan. And often, even when we do know, we don’t like the plan at first.
The best way to grieve is by grieving within a community. Don’t isolate. Consider joining something like GriefShare. If you know someone grieving this morning, in the midst of a detour, please be the friend that reaches out. Grief is not the end of your story because your story is eternally secured in Jesus. Trusting God’s plan, even when it isn’t your own.
Wherever you are this morning, God has you, and it’s an opportunity to be a blessing.
It’s not a promise of no detours.
It’s not a promise that the detours will be quick.
It’s a promise that God is with them; God is with you.
The promise of a plan comes in the middle of chaos, in the middle of grief, in the midst of the detour. It’s a promise that when we seek God, even when our life is sidetracked by detours, even when we’re overwhelmed with grief, when we seek Him with our hearts, we will find Him. He won’t hide Himself from us. If you are grieving this morning, the most important thing you can do is seek God where He promises to be found:
In Scripture
In Prayer
In Jesus
It’s not a promise that the detours will be quick.
It’s a promise that God is with them; God is with you.
The promise of a plan comes in the middle of chaos, in the middle of grief, in the midst of the detour. It’s a promise that when we seek God, even when our life is sidetracked by detours, even when we’re overwhelmed with grief, when we seek Him with our hearts, we will find Him. He won’t hide Himself from us. If you are grieving this morning, the most important thing you can do is seek God where He promises to be found:
In Scripture
In Prayer
In Jesus