We all want to see our lives on a path to a deep and abiding joy that can not be taken from us. Often, the path to that joy takes us through dark valleys. When we travel through the valley well, we can experience joy on the other side. Join us as we encourage each other to go “Through the Valley to Joy.”
Through the Valley to Joy
Date Text Title Theme
1/3/10 Psalm 23 Introduction
1/17/10 1 Samuel 30:1-6; Psalm 126 Don't Stop at the Beginning The Psalm expresses it best: "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." The path to joy often takes us through sorrow. But too often, we try to go around the sorrow. This message encourages us to go through the sorrow for the sake of joy.
1/24/10 1 Samuel 20; 2 Samuel 1:17-27; Psalm 4 Don't Leave Your Treasure in the Wrong Place There are a wealth of emotions in life - including anger - that arise when we walk through the valleys. Rather than burying them and acting as if we shouldn't be feeling them, we should instead bring them BEFORE GOD (as opposed to lashing out in anger at others) with honesty and with passion so that we can grow in our relationship to Him.
1/31/10 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51 Don't Fight the Truth Before we accept the loss as final, we try everything we can to keep the inevitable from happening. We even make vows to God and try to bargain with Him. In the end, we will not be able to continue our journey through the Valley until we stop trying to change God's mind.
2/7/10 2 Kings 12; Psalm 42 When You Hit the Wall
2/14/10 Matthew 26:36-56; Psalm 40 Keep Walking Jesus gives us the best example of how to walk through the Valley when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. This sermon will summarize where we've been while also looking ahead to where we're going - Lent.
