On Sunday we are exploring a real necessary topic: how do you survive darkness? How do you survive the deep darkness of depression, bankruptcy, health failures, death, or persecution?
On Sunday we are going to be examining the letter written to the church in Smyrna who is going through a deep time of persecution and darkness. Even though Jesus promises that the darkness will continue for a moment, the letter gives deep hope in the midst of the dark. The question we will be exploring is what gives hope in the midst of darkness?
That is a good question to reflect on today. What has given you hope when you’ve gone through tragedy? What has helped shed light when you’re in the darkness of depression? When life seems to crumble, what helped you carry on?
The reason I think it’s so important to reflect on it is because in the darkness we just want to get through it, and we often forget what got us through it. But if we are going to be a community that supports one another we will need to remember what helped us through, so that we can help others.
So what’s helped you move through difficulty? Is there someone you can help today?
Because one thing is for sure. We do not get through difficulty alone. We only get through it together. So who can you support? Or if you are in difficulty who can you reach out to? Because the promise of Scripture and of Jesus is that in the end darkness doesn’t win. Life wins. And that can give us hope no matter where we are at.
And so come Sunday we will explore two little words that Jesus says that gives people facing persecution, death, and darkness new hope and how it can help us. And if you haven’t guessed what they are…it’s simple…life wins…
Plattsville Church 