In Psalm 139, David prayed: search me, know me, test me, and lead me. Those simple requests are at first beautiful, but can you see how they may also be frightening. That’s really what you want God to do for you? Those prayers only become beautiful again when you learn to pray them for the same reasons David did: you belong to the Lord. Your life is his. Your times are his. You are his. And you can trust his plan in making you just the way he did. Of all the places to get to answers about who God is and what he’s like, you’ve come to the best place: his Word. We’re so glad you’re with us.
It's one thing to know the "why" of suffering, but even if you manage to get that answer (which many don't), it still leaves you with the "how" question: how do I get through this? The answer is, of course, comfort. Job helps us get the “why” but even more he helps us get the “how”—how do I find comfort? Is your question right now, how do I give comfort? Either way, we’re glad you’re with us, fellow comfort-seekers, to gain from our encounter with the living Word of God. If there’s any way we can serve you, we’d be honored to. Feel free to use your Connection Card to let us know how.
Song of Songs doesn't show up on many lists of preaching texts, but it's in the Bible so it shows up at St. Andrew. We're in a worship series on the Poetical Books of the Bible and that includes Song of Songs. As you read the love poem that is Song of Songs, you learn that God is not anti-sex at all. God created sex, not Satan. Sex isn't dirty, filthy, and disgusting. God intended his gift of sex to be a thrilling, physical, biological happening that's also spiritual. Yes, it's personal and private but we are not ashamed to discuss that which God was not ashamed to create. It's a discussion that's healthy for men and women, married and single, young and old. Oh, you're worried that you haven't gotten it right and might feel out of place for this one? You'll be in good company; no one here today has gotten it right all the time. That claim belongs only to Jesus. And no one here today has out-sinned the grace of God. Our thanks for that goes only to Jesus.
Solitary confinement is used as a punishment for a reason. Research has linked it to extreme negative effects. This doesn’t mean that ever being alone is bad, but God created us with a yearning and need for community. God’s Word in Ecclesiastes 4 gives us insight on the benefits of relationships. Today let’s look into four of those benefits.