Join us online! - Next online service starts Sunday at 9 AM • Watch Live  →

    Prayer Wednesday
    July 29, 2020
    Prayer Wednesday

    Uncertainty around big issues like health, economy, employment, justice and social connections is creating quite a ripple effect in all of our lives.

    For some, the effect might be more like a wave pool where it’s hard to keep our heads above the water and we feel really out of sync––where one more wave has us gasping for breath. We wonder, when will this stop?

    This summer I’ve been meditating on Psalm 37. The title in the ESV translation is He Will Not Forsake His Saints. I love this reminder: regardless of what’s going on in the world or in my life, God is on his throne; he is our salvation and our stronghold in times of trouble (Ps. 37:39).

    Two themes in this Psalm are helping me to stay focused in this season: 1) do not fret yourself; and 2) attach yourself to God (abiding in Jesus).

    Appearing three times in the first eight verses, “fret not yourself” is in the context of not worrying about evildoers or evil (people and things that aren’t good). The dictionary describes fretting as eating or gnawing away at us, consuming our thoughts, bringing emotional strain and anxiety, and becoming frazzled––a state of extreme physical or nervous fatigue. The only thing fretting will do, according to scripture, is lead to even more evil (8)––causing harm to ourselves and others; bringing sorrow, distress and calamity. Fretting is not a good seed to sow. What are you fretting about?

    The antidote to fretting is attaching ourselves to God: to trust in him (3); delight in him (4); commit our ways to him (5); be still in him (7); and to turn away from evil and do good (27). These choices produce much different fruit in our lives––calm, quiet, settled, refreshed, revitalized––and lead to well-being for ourselves and others, even in the midst of uncertainty.

    Whatever is troubling you, bring it to Jesus. Talk with him about it. Scripture says that as you commit your way to the LORD and trust in him, he will act (5). He loves justice (28), knows what you need, and delights to be your Helper (40).

    On the journey with you,

    Sharon Simmonds


    Share with a friend

    Recent Sermons

    The Story | Could God Still Love Me? | Chapter 19

    February 9, 2025
    Ezra 3:10-13 - The book of Ezra tells the story of the return of God’s people from exile. The account details the extra care that was taken by the returnees in doing their best to reproduce what they once had. Very quickly, they got the old altar operational and began to rebuild the temple. Our story is about what they chose to do on the day the foundation of the new temple was in place. There was a party that didn’t feel like a party for everyone, and that’s just honest!

    The Story | Can Your God Rescue You? | Chapter 18

    February 2, 2025
    Daniel 6:1-24-The book of Daniel is all about the Sovereignty of God. The God of Israel proves himself sovereign even in faraway Babylon: boys receive foreign favour and are released from having to eat rich and potentially unkosher food. Young men are saved from a fiery furnace, and old man Daniel doesn’t get eaten by a den of hungry lions. God proves he’s not limited by international borders, arrogant kings or wild beasts. All of this points forward to Jesus, who demonstrated his sovereignty (he is God, after all!) in different ways.

    The Story | Does God Ever Give Up On Us? Chapter 17

    January 27, 2025
    Ezekiel 36:22-28- The people of God deserved to be in exile in Babylon. They had betrayed their relationship with God by worshipping idols and committing horrible acts of violence. But instead of giving up on his people, God goes with them into exile. He shows up with a message of hope: he will bring them back, clean them up, and make them new. It was good news for the Israelites, and it’s good news for us today.

    The Story | What Do I Do With Sin In My Life? | Chapter 16

    January 19, 2025
    Isaiah 6:1-10 - Most of Isaiah’s writings don’t have a timestamp on them, but one event does. The day that he had his most profound encounter with God was shortly after King Uzziah died. King Uzziah would have been on the throne long before Isaiah was born and would have been the only king that Isaiah knew. That’s a big loss. Sometimes, God is able to meet us best when we’re tender from loss or grief.

    The Story | Who Are You Following? | Chapter 15

    January 12, 2025
    1 Kings 18:16-39 - Elijah lived at odds with his culture. An evil king (and queen!) wanted him dead, so he went into hiding. After 3 years, God prompted him to set up a showdown: Yahweh vs. Ba’al, good vs. evil, a battle to the death. Sadly, good’s triumph barely left a mark on the life of his country. Thankfully, there was another good vs evil showdown years later, and its impact is still being felt around the world.

    The Story | Whose Advice Should I Take? | Chapter 14

    January 5, 2025
    1 Kings 12:1-16: King Rehoboam continues the descent that has been the story of the kings since the throne was established. No one seems to be able to get it right. Leadership is tough. It requires listening to God and keen self-awareness. Rehoboam’s legacy is that he divided the people of God. May that never happen again.
    All Sermons
    Share by: