SPEAKER_00: Um that's so awesome.
SPEAKER_00: Um, I don't know if y'all yeah, yeah, there were snapshots of the worship there.
SPEAKER_00: They always put us adults to shame.
SPEAKER_00: Like I just it's so cool to see the kids just going after it and not caring about what everybody else thinks.
SPEAKER_00: And just, I mean, it's it's amazing.
SPEAKER_00: And seeing and hearing, you know, we're still hearing those stories of kids' lives who are transformed to know Jesus that didn't when they walked into camp.
SPEAKER_00: And so what a what an awesome experience and continued ministry of our church.
SPEAKER_00: So just super, super blessed.
SPEAKER_00: And I say that because my own family got to be a part of it, and all of them were old enough to serve this year, which was a which was a new milestone.
SPEAKER_00: So that was cool.
SPEAKER_00: Um, well, we're gonna hard turn like to our material, to our uncomfortable material.
SPEAKER_00: Um, my name is Jeff Letter.
SPEAKER_00: I'm the care pastor here at Spring Lake, and so I get to oversee areas like um biblical care mentoring, our G4 ministry, as well as uh congregational care.
SPEAKER_00: And uh we get to tackle a fun subject today.
SPEAKER_00: We're continuing our uncomfortable series, which is kind of the land that I kind of live in most most weeks, like every day of the week.
SPEAKER_00: I'm usually sitting in uncomfortable spaces, so this feels very like safe.
SPEAKER_00: I'm like inviting you guys in.
SPEAKER_00: Let's let's have this talk.
SPEAKER_00: But we're gonna we're gonna talk about mental health uh today and just really how we think about um that topic biblically, theologically, and just consider some things.
SPEAKER_00: So I know this is one of those areas where um it touches all of us in some way, shape, or form.
SPEAKER_00: And so um the stats even demonstrate that.
SPEAKER_00: Um, I got this from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
SPEAKER_00: Um, one in five adults experience mental illness each year.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, one in 20 experience what would be serious mental illness, one in seven youth experience a mental health disorder each year, and then 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
SPEAKER_00: And so it starts young, and then suicide is actually the second leading cause of death for kiddos uh or individuals 10 to 24.
SPEAKER_00: And so um, I know it's like that's such a heavy turn from kids' camp.
SPEAKER_00: But when I say mental illness or mental disorder, what means what this means is around 61 million individuals were diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or it's called the DSM, if you guys have heard that before.
SPEAKER_00: Essentially, this means one-fifth of people were dealing with a cluster of symptoms that lasted a considerable amount of time and rose to such an intensity that it inhibited their ability to do life the way they desired to.
SPEAKER_00: Now, this doesn't include those who are struggling with symptoms in areas like depression and anxiety that never come and get help.
SPEAKER_00: These are just those who fall and come and actually fall into a diagnostic category.
SPEAKER_00: This wasn't a blood test, this wasn't like a biological exam where you took a blood test and it came back positive for like generalized anxiety or major depressive or bipolar disorder.
SPEAKER_00: That rather, this is a cluster of symptoms that often appear together that helps counselors and care professionals kind of understand how to come alongside folks who are struggling in these types of ways.
SPEAKER_00: Now, there are certainly biological and physiological factors at play, but I just want you to understand the difference between what will be called a mental illness or disorder versus say cancer or diabetes that has like defined tests or biological markers that tell us exactly what's happening.
SPEAKER_00: Now, we can argue all day long about the wording, the definitions, the helpfulness of words like illness or health or disease or disorder or syndrome, but suffice it to say, this area affects all of us.
SPEAKER_00: And I like I said earlier, I don't I would imagine there's not a person in this space that doesn't know someone who is struggling with mental, emotional, or spiritual issues like depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, a host of relational issues like grief.
SPEAKER_00: The question for today that I want us to understand and kind of like explore is like how do we understand this biblically and theologically?
SPEAKER_00: How do we respond when we enter into those seasons or others we know?
SPEAKER_00: And then what can you expect from our care ministries when you step into those spaces?
SPEAKER_00: How do we approach this topic?
SPEAKER_00: So, in order to understand this rightly, we have to really first understand who we are and what the root problem is, and then really what God has provided for his people in areas like this.
SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna go into Genesis 2 verse 7 and 1 Corinthians 6, 19 through 20.
SPEAKER_00: If you guys want to get your Bibles out or the UVersion Bible app, um, I especially mentioned the UVersion app this week because there are some quotes and some diagrams.
SPEAKER_00: Um we'll have them up there for a little while, but there's a lot of detail in it.
SPEAKER_00: And so if you want to consult those, go to the UVersion app, go to like I think it's Discover churches and then events, and then you find Spring Lake Lawrence.
SPEAKER_00: It's like multiple steps.
SPEAKER_00: But um all the quotes and diagrams and things are there if you want to look at them later.
SPEAKER_00: But uh let's start in Genesis 2.
SPEAKER_00: Uh we'll start in verse 7.
SPEAKER_00: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
SPEAKER_00: And then 1 Corinthians 6.
SPEAKER_00: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God?
SPEAKER_00: You are not your own, you were bought at a price.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, honor God with your bodies.
SPEAKER_00: Church, let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Father, we thank you that um even as we approach topics like these that can be uncomfortable at times, because either we're personally wrestling with it, or we know we have loved ones who who are in that space, that you have a word for us, you have wisdom that we can apply to help us understand both ourselves better, but also to see you clearer and how you meet us in that.
SPEAKER_00: And I pray, Lord, you just instruct our hearts, allow us to listen, to hear what you have for us from your word, and ultimately consider how best to love in response to it.
SPEAKER_00: And pray this in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: So the the interaction of like the body and soul has been one that philosophers and theologians have been batting around for ages.
SPEAKER_00: There's there's one quote that's attributed to C.
SPEAKER_00: S.
SPEAKER_00: Lewis a lot of times that says, You do not have a soul, you are a soul and have a body.
SPEAKER_00: The problem is, C.
SPEAKER_00: S.
SPEAKER_00: Lewis actually never said this.
SPEAKER_00: And scripture speaks against this as we just read.
SPEAKER_00: The mystery is that we are both body and soul.
SPEAKER_00: Theologians have most often used the term embodied souls to describe the unity of body and soul that we are.
SPEAKER_00: And so even in our Genesis text, we see that God uses dust to form man materially or physically, and then breathes into him the breath of life.
SPEAKER_00: And oftentimes the words for breath and spirit, those are interchangeable in the Hebrew and the Greek.
SPEAKER_00: And it's only upon being breathed into by the Lord that Adam became an afesh in Hebrew, which is that a living being.
SPEAKER_00: The similar word in Greek is psyche, and it would later get connected with this word for spirit or soul, which is ruach in the Hebrew and Pneuma in the Greek.
SPEAKER_00: So when you hear that word psyche, which is the soul word, is where we get the word psychology, the study of the soul.
SPEAKER_00: As we head into the New Testament, specifically for those in Christ, as 1 Corinthians shows, we get the idea that our bodies and souls are united to Christ and represent him in ways that mirror the temple of the Old Testament, where God's people communed with him, made sacrifices.
SPEAKER_00: And this text, among others, is why what we do with our bodies matters to the Lord, because it involves him.
SPEAKER_00: When we place our faith in Christ, we become united to him in the midst of it.
SPEAKER_00: And so whatever we're whatever we're uniting with our body is also involving the Lord in that process.
SPEAKER_00: In addition to the text we read, we've also learned over the ages that our souls have the ability to affect our bodies.
SPEAKER_00: And our bodies do, in fact, have influence and affect our souls as well.
SPEAKER_00: Both matter and both have to be a part of any conversation on the subject of mental health.
SPEAKER_00: Now, we know that sleep deprivation can affect your emotional capacity, like patience, or if you think about anxiety.
SPEAKER_00: Poor nutrition affects your mood.
SPEAKER_00: Has anyone had hanger hit them really hard?
SPEAKER_00: Like blood sugar shoots low.
SPEAKER_00: You need something in you because you are starting to be not particularly kind or patient with those around you.
SPEAKER_00: Exercise has been proven more effective than any medication for struggles like depression.
SPEAKER_00: And physical exhaustion can make temptation harder to resist.
SPEAKER_00: So areas like depression or uh addiction and pornography to name a few.
SPEAKER_00: So um, one example cited by Paul Tripp was a counseling experience with a guy who had a huge personality change.
SPEAKER_00: He became a very angry man, and that he discovered that it was the result of an accident that affected the limbic area of his brain that was swollen.
SPEAKER_00: They call it the rage center of the brain.
SPEAKER_00: So he got medication and actually was fine.
SPEAKER_00: But by then his church had already disciplined him for sins against his wife and family.
SPEAKER_00: Paul had heard what was going on, he immediately sent him to a major hospital for a multidisciplinary examination, and they found out what was wrong with him.
SPEAKER_00: And it was like a light switch was turned off and on for the change to occur in him.
SPEAKER_00: Now, this doesn't mean that he's not accountable for those sins against his family, and there's probably going to be a process of building trust back in that in that family.
SPEAKER_00: But it's an important context for what was happening and really how healing needed to occur and all the facets that were involved.
SPEAKER_00: In addition to a situation like we just described, the medical community even has a category for dying from a broken heart, where someone who loses a precious loved one and their heart begins failing from the grief.
SPEAKER_00: So this really is our first point that God made us as embodied souls.
SPEAKER_00: And this is why when you step into one of our G4 groups, don't be surprised that when we ask you about sleep or diet or exercise or medications taken or the last time you saw a doctor or daily hygiene type habits that need to be stewarded well before we end up talking about depression or anxiety or trauma.
SPEAKER_00: You can do all the things, you can check all of the spiritual, emotional boxes, and perhaps still feel lousy if you're getting, say, like three or four hours of sleep every night instead of like seven or eight.
SPEAKER_00: And I know there's a crowd who's like, I only need five or six.
SPEAKER_00: I don't understand you people.
SPEAKER_00: Like that's I don't function on that.
SPEAKER_00: That's like a that's like a long nap for me.
SPEAKER_00: But we don't stop there.
SPEAKER_00: We we know that like part of good stewardship is also your connection or your abiding in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: So prayer and scripture and worship, Sabbath, community, these things matter too.
SPEAKER_00: And it's also why Jesus says, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
SPEAKER_00: This is the first and greatest commandment.
SPEAKER_00: Good stewardship is holistic.
SPEAKER_00: Love God with all of you, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, because you belong to the Lord and He desires only good for you.
SPEAKER_00: And here's a diagram that we use that kind of tries to put some of these pieces together.
SPEAKER_00: Um, we use in G4 to seek understanding.
SPEAKER_00: Now I know there's a lot up here, which is why I mentioned the U Version app.
SPEAKER_00: Um, we're gonna we're gonna unpack what's going on in this.
SPEAKER_00: So from the outside, we start with who God says we are, and the goals developed in biblical care arise from our understanding of ourselves in relation to the God who made us.
SPEAKER_00: As we we start with God the Father, Christ as our Savior and hope, the Holy Spirit who applies the person and work of Jesus to our lives from the inside out, as we as revealed in God's Word.
SPEAKER_00: And then the outside pieces are really the foundation of our identity, our authority that helps us understand the difference between truth and what's false.
SPEAKER_00: It's how we determine goals and determine what true healing or freedom looks like.
SPEAKER_00: And then, as you can see, as we move towards the middle, struggles have multiple factors, like we mentioned earlier.
SPEAKER_00: There's physical, bodily struggles such as pain or illness, or how God made our brains to function and work.
SPEAKER_00: There's volitional things, which is like the habits, the choices that we've cultivated over time, and how God made us as beings who settle easily into habits, and that's both good and bad.
SPEAKER_00: And then there are circumstances and environments that have shaped or influenced us, like our family of origin, our work environments, there's support systems, there's trauma, there's the cultures that we reside in, even family cultures and church cultures.
SPEAKER_00: And then there's the reality, of course, that we are spiritual beings.
SPEAKER_00: We are made in the image of God.
SPEAKER_00: We have a real spiritual enemy who is seeking to speak lies and to keep us entrenched and isolated.
SPEAKER_00: And then we have this internal battle of our flesh and our spirit and who's calling the shots.
SPEAKER_00: Am I living into the spirit?
SPEAKER_00: Am I living into the flesh and not fully trusting in Christ?
SPEAKER_00: And meanwhile, all of that, you got the person in the middle who has to then interpret all of these avenues and decide what meaning they're going to assign to each area.
SPEAKER_00: How do they understand who they are as one who is pressed by all these factors?
SPEAKER_00: Have they begun to form their identity around some of these different areas?
SPEAKER_00: How do they understand God, his role in our lives?
SPEAKER_00: Is he near?
SPEAKER_00: Is he present?
SPEAKER_00: Um, is he punishing me?
SPEAKER_00: Am I starting to believe those things?
SPEAKER_00: And then what does it look like to steward these areas in the healing process holistically?
SPEAKER_00: Because it can involve all these things.
SPEAKER_00: Paul Tripp is known for pointing out that we are revelation receivers and interpreters.
SPEAKER_00: We're not computers who receive raw data in and then have raw data come out.
SPEAKER_00: Like, like it's not like we get a set of stimuli and then we get an action that comes from those things coming upon us.
SPEAKER_00: No, we have to like actually receive the revelation from different sources, like God, and then we have to really assign the meaning to each area, which is, I think honestly, where some of the dysfunction can come in.
SPEAKER_00: We start to believe lies based on our interpretation.
SPEAKER_00: And we need the Holy Spirit, we need others, that's where counselors and care group leaders can be helpful to help us see what we can't see, because oftentimes we're just too close to our situation.
SPEAKER_00: And then we also have emotions that kind of like get that are heightened that gives us information, but sometimes it can muddy our ability to see reality.
SPEAKER_00: And I say all of this because issues are complex, and I am intentionally trying to make it sound complex, because I think sometimes we try to simplify these situations to better understand cause and effect.
SPEAKER_00: And we say things like anxiety is sinful or it's caused by sin without unpacking what we mean or nuancing any of it, especially when something like that that is the same word is used differently, whether you're in a counseling context, if you're in popular culture, or if you see it mentioned in the Bible.
SPEAKER_00: Can something like worry turn into sin when we don't trust God?
SPEAKER_00: Sure, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00: Is every experience of anxiety because of sin?
SPEAKER_00: Well, if you mean sin with a big S, as in because Adam and Eve sinned, our bodies are now fallen, they're not functioning the way God originally intended them to, then yes, technically all anxiety is caused by sin.
SPEAKER_00: But if you mean is anxiety always present because you personally sinned as like a cause and effect situation, no, not necessarily.
SPEAKER_00: To reduce a complex issue down to that creates a host of problems, including what do we do with texts like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, who demonstrates all the markers of like an anxiety or a panic attack.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know of any faithful believer or theologian that would want to say Jesus sinned or that the reason he was feeling sorrow to the point of death is because of the sin bubbling up in his own heart.
SPEAKER_00: No, no one would proclaim that.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus rightly experienced fear.
SPEAKER_00: He then invited his closest community to pray with him and for him, and then he runs to the Father for hope and salvation.
SPEAKER_00: It's actually a beautiful picture what to do when like anxiety and the heaviness of life hits us.
SPEAKER_00: Now, was he immediately relieved from that anxiety, that sorrow that he was describing in Gethsemane?
SPEAKER_00: We we aren't told, honestly, but his prayers seem to indicate that despite what he felt, God was enough to sustain him for what he was about to endure.
SPEAKER_00: The sinful rebellion of Genesis 3 is the root of every form of evil, sin, and suffering in our world, like bar none.
SPEAKER_00: We had perfect communion, we had a secure relationship with our Maker.
SPEAKER_00: There was no fear, there was no shame, there was no suffering, and we traded that in for our own rule and reign, for our ability to determine good and bad for ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: And in the wake of that, you see the first appearance of like the fight or flight instinct show up as Adam and Eve hide when they hear the sound of the Lord coming.
SPEAKER_00: Instead of being delighted and embracing that in the cool of the day like they used to, there's a disruption in that relationship with God.
SPEAKER_00: And as a result, God would then also inform them that their choice, that there was a curse involved, that would create enmity, it would create disharmony between the two of them, between people, as well as a struggle to be fruitful in their labor, their work, and the formation of their families that wasn't there before.
SPEAKER_00: And so throughout, if you track Genesis, infertility becomes a huge part of the Genesis narrative throughout the entire book.
SPEAKER_00: So Genesis 3, this is the root of our problems cosmically, but we have got to stop assuming that someone's personal sin is the cause of their suffering.
SPEAKER_00: This is an emotional prosperity gospel that teaches if you check all the right spiritual obedience boxes, then you should not be struggling mentally, emotionally, and spiritually the way you are.
SPEAKER_00: And that's just not true, biblically or historically.
SPEAKER_00: Those things can correspond, and sometimes repentance from sin is what is needed, but we've got to be able to approach people as sufferers and sinners while recognizing that as believers we're always carrying these realities intention.
SPEAKER_00: Mike Emlet beautifully captures this reality.
SPEAKER_00: Says that Scripture reveals that God ministers to his people as saints who need confirmation of their identity as children of God, sufferers who need comfort in the midst of their affliction, and sinners who need challenge to their sin in light of God's redemptive mercies.
SPEAKER_00: Saint, sufferer, and sinner.
SPEAKER_00: All three of these are simultaneously true of every Christian you meet.
SPEAKER_00: If this is the way God sees and loves his people, then we should do the same, using these broad biblical categories to guide our overall approach to the people in our lives.
SPEAKER_00: They are signposts for wise love.
SPEAKER_00: This is why, as part of our G4 ministry and in the care ministry in general, one of our big points is we must recognize there's a difference between sin and suffering.
SPEAKER_00: Now, I could I wish I could say that the church or God's people have always done an historically awesome job of handling this topic in people's lives, but it just wouldn't be true.
SPEAKER_00: And it's not because God's left us defend for ourselves to figure these things out or that he hasn't equipped us well, but rather it's our interpretation of these issues where hurt and damage have occurred.
SPEAKER_00: To highlight one mistake we can make, I want us to use a case study from the oldest written book of the Bible in Job.
SPEAKER_00: If you want to turn to Job 2 in your Bibles, if you'll remember, like just to set the stage again, the book of Job starts off with a righteous man named Job who honored God in his life and family, and then he's attacked mercilessly by Satan.
SPEAKER_00: First with the murder of his family, then the robbing of his wealth, and then the robbing of his health.
SPEAKER_00: Job, through all this, doesn't sin against the Lord in his response, but instead he mourns in sackcloth and ashes, and he utters the famous line that we actually now sing The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
SPEAKER_00: Blessed be the name of the Lord, which is such a beautiful truth to rest in.
SPEAKER_00: And this is where we pick up as Job's three friends come after hearing what happened in Job 2.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 11 When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Namathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.
SPEAKER_00: Remember that that's their aim, to sympathize and comfort, when we get to their actual words.
SPEAKER_00: When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him.
SPEAKER_00: They began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads.
SPEAKER_00: Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights.
SPEAKER_00: No one said a word to him because they saw how great his suffering was.
SPEAKER_00: Now at this point, this is beautiful, like embodied, this is incarnational, this is the Jesus with flesh on ministry to someone who has just endured tremendous suffering.
SPEAKER_00: Like there's a coming alongside, there's no pat answers, there's no let me throw these quick biblical proof texts to cover over your hurt, but rather just to acknowledge, as we so often see in the Psalms, that this situation hurts.
SPEAKER_00: And the best thing I can do initially is be present with you to let you know you're not alone while you're processing, while you're healing from this.
SPEAKER_00: The problem with our friends come when they open their mouths and they try to start diagnosing and offering their perspective of why this happened and what Job needs to do.
SPEAKER_00: So here's a highlight of the best fits from their voices, starting with Eliphaz.
SPEAKER_00: So here's uh Job 4, verse 7.
SPEAKER_00: Consider now who being innocent has ever perished.
SPEAKER_00: Where were the upright ever destroyed?
SPEAKER_00: As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.
SPEAKER_00: So Eliphaz starts out strong with basically, you had to have done something wrong, Job.
SPEAKER_00: Basically, like things just don't happen like this unless you do something to deserve it.
SPEAKER_00: Like you must have done something to bring this on, which we know from our text he didn't.
SPEAKER_00: So next let's hear from counselor number two, Bildad.
SPEAKER_00: Then Bildad the Shuhite replied, How long will you say such things?
SPEAKER_00: Your words are a blustering wind.
SPEAKER_00: Ouch.
SPEAKER_00: Remember their motivation to sympathize and comfort him.
SPEAKER_00: Does God pervert justice?
SPEAKER_00: Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
SPEAKER_00: When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.
SPEAKER_00: But if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he'll rouse himself in your behalf, restore you to your prosperous state.
SPEAKER_00: So Bildad takes it a step further.
SPEAKER_00: So he's insinuating not only was Job's suffering brought on because of his sin, but also his children's sin led to their own deaths as well.
SPEAKER_00: And what Job needed to do was humbly repent and plead with God to restore him.
SPEAKER_00: Once again, counseling someone who is in deep suffering, having been sinned against, that repentance from their own sin was what was required.
SPEAKER_00: So let's round out the three friends and see how Zophar responds to Job.
SPEAKER_00: Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand, allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then, free of fault, you will lift up your face.
SPEAKER_00: You will stand firm and without fear.
SPEAKER_00: So to put skin on this, imagine inviting your closest friends in a hard season of suffering.
SPEAKER_00: And then each of them progressively just starts kind of investigating your life and your loved ones' life, going on a sin hunt to determine what you did wrong to bring this upon you.
SPEAKER_00: Not only is this not helpful and it heaps shame upon the trouble you've already got, but it also has never been true of God's people.
SPEAKER_00: This is prosperity gospel at its finest.
SPEAKER_00: Obey Jesus, check all the spiritual health boxes, and you'll have health, wealth, and happiness all the days of your life.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, Scripture gives us a completely different picture.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes obedience is actually a path through suffering where you find God sustain sustain you and demonstrate to everyone that this world and its pleasures are not your greatest treasure and goal.
SPEAKER_00: He is.
SPEAKER_00: And it's seen most vividly in Jesus' Beatitudes.
SPEAKER_00: Do you remember the Sermon on the Mount?
SPEAKER_00: Blessed are those who mourn.
SPEAKER_00: Blessed are the poor in spirit.
SPEAKER_00: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.
SPEAKER_00: Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
SPEAKER_00: These are the blessed ones.
SPEAKER_00: These are the joyful ones.
SPEAKER_00: This is the good life.
SPEAKER_00: Every one of the disciples outside of John, we know dies a martyr's death in faithfulness to Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Not because they messed up somewhere along the line.
SPEAKER_00: Multiple prophets dealt with rejection, poverty, and despair while faithfully proclaiming God's word.
SPEAKER_00: Again, not because they made some bad choice.
SPEAKER_00: Matter of fact, God actually said, they're probably not going to listen to you.
SPEAKER_00: Church history is also filled with individuals who found God in the midst of their struggle rather than because they had none.
SPEAKER_00: Somewhere in the Middle Ages, you see this term coined, the dark night of the soul.
SPEAKER_00: So just sort of try to explain this heaviness that a number of them were feeling, even while faithfully walking with the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Job's response later to the book to his counselor friends sums it up well.
SPEAKER_00: Miserable comforters are you all.
SPEAKER_00: And I don't blame him.
SPEAKER_00: We even see later that God's anger burns against these three friends for their words.
SPEAKER_00: This is textbook treating a suffering issue as if it was a sin issue.
SPEAKER_00: Now, this doesn't mean that those who walk through suffering cannot respond sinfully to what's come upon them, but we don't counsel them as if they are to blame for what has happened to them.
SPEAKER_00: We also recognize that for some sin issues, there are contexts, there are stories of suffering that give us a fuller picture of how that sin became an idol when it comes to areas like substance abuse or addiction or anger or pornography, just to name a few.
SPEAKER_00: There could be trauma that's a part of those stories.
SPEAKER_00: This is where each person's story is unique, and often their path of healing may look different, even if freedom in Christ is the same goal.
SPEAKER_00: So, in short, Christ is the same destination for all, but the path is often unique.
SPEAKER_00: We recognize that each person that comes looking for godly and biblical counseling in our care ministries has a unique story.
SPEAKER_00: Even though there may be similarities to the struggles that are encountered, like if they're in a group space, we recognize that the specifics of why a struggle becomes stuck for each person can be unique to them.
SPEAKER_00: And then I honestly wish many times, I you know, I've I say this because I've done this, that I could copy and paste someone's healing journey onto the next person who's struggling in that area.
SPEAKER_00: And I have tried that and it does not work well.
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, okay, ABCD helped this person.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe just apply A B C D to this person and I'll fast track their healing.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that doesn't go well at all.
SPEAKER_00: Like, I and honestly, the reason is that holistic healing and transformation, it's something the Holy Spirit does as each individual gets personal with the God who made them and he meets them in that space.
SPEAKER_00: The specific areas of our hearts where lies take root, where strongholds become entrenched, where hopelessness can abound, it varies a ton from person to person.
SPEAKER_00: And also the time it takes for healing to happen.
SPEAKER_00: It can't be put on a clock.
SPEAKER_00: It can't be force fed, and that time and what needs to be healed, it looks different for each of us, which is why most of our G4 groups are ongoing.
SPEAKER_00: There's not a set number of sessions when you connect with a biblical care mentor.
SPEAKER_00: We're not going to kick you out of that space while you're healing.
SPEAKER_00: Our desire is truly to help you walk in faithfulness with God and others, progressively growing over the course of time.
SPEAKER_00: Now, the hard thing about progress is that it rarely comes in the timing and the speed we desire.
SPEAKER_00: And it's very rarely a steady, straight line.
SPEAKER_00: And this diagram I hope illustrate what I mean by this.
SPEAKER_00: And I know this is busy, so let me explain this.
SPEAKER_00: Now, as you can see on here, progress in many ways can be like sound waves in terms of frequency, intensity, and duration.
SPEAKER_00: So when oftentimes when people step in, everything's intense.
SPEAKER_00: It's out of 10 in terms of how intense the struggle hits.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe they don't feel like they can even stand up underneath it.
SPEAKER_00: Also, how long it lasts, what's the duration of it?
SPEAKER_00: And then how often are those feelings or those temptations hitting in terms of uh that's the frequency and then the duration.
SPEAKER_00: For some, the change is immediate.
SPEAKER_00: Like that, like I've had those situations where like the Holy Spirit like zaps the person, they come in, they're like, I'm not struggle with this anymore, I don't have a desire for this anymore.
SPEAKER_00: And amen, awesome, God can do that thing.
SPEAKER_00: But for many more of us, myself included, it is a slow process that ratchets down over time.
SPEAKER_00: And so it ratchets down to where things are not as intense as they used to be.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't last as long as it did when it does hit, and it's not coming as often as it used to.
SPEAKER_00: And so a lot of times it's heavy, it's coming a lot, it's maybe daily, weekly.
SPEAKER_00: And when you see this over time, you start to see, okay, yeah, now it's it's coming.
SPEAKER_00: I I still it's still heavy, but I feel like I could, God's enough for me in the midst of it, but then it doesn't last as long, and honestly, it's not coming as much as it used to.
SPEAKER_00: And on top of that, our goal is helping individuals walk in the fullness of Christ, that he might be enough for you while you continue to grow in your dependence, your love, and your surrender to him in these different areas.
SPEAKER_00: Now, as I've heard many testify, we walk with the strongholds or things that used to own them, they're no longer in control.
SPEAKER_00: And they feel the freedom to walk in faithfulness to the Lord in these areas, even as symptoms can come and go over time.
SPEAKER_00: We live in Wisconsin, it gets dark for vast portions of the year.
SPEAKER_00: And so that means like seasonal type situations can be affected.
SPEAKER_00: People who struggle with depression and anxiety can feel it a little bit heavier.
SPEAKER_00: And we know that there's a lot of biology involved with that, and sun and vitamin D and those kind of pieces.
SPEAKER_00: The beauty is being able to look back and see that your worst days now are better than your best days used to be.
SPEAKER_00: And the peace of knowing God is working in and through you, is increasing while you continually ask the question of what faithfulness looks like for you in each season.
SPEAKER_00: Chronic pain and illness is another group we offer at G4.
SPEAKER_00: That's one where days are just hard and heavy.
SPEAKER_00: And then they're exploring what does it look like for Christ to be enough for me, even while these things come and go.
SPEAKER_00: It's the combination of all these things that we seek to understand and approach each individual who steps into our care ministry, offering the grace and mercy we've received to those seeking help.
SPEAKER_00: And really, this is the heart of it.
SPEAKER_00: The heart is really 2 Corinthians 1.
SPEAKER_00: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that then we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
SPEAKER_00: I share that to let you know that each of us, those who lead in counsel and care ministry, we bring our own testimony of Christ meeting us in our seasons of struggle, which enables us to be gracious towards whatever you may be walking through, whether that's addiction or pornography or trauma or abuse or depression or abortion or anxiety, just to name a few.
SPEAKER_00: If you step in to get help at Spring Lake, you will not be ashamed, and we will testify of the ways that Christ met us in our hardest moments.
SPEAKER_00: I tell men of my own battles and freedom from pornography and sexual sin.
SPEAKER_00: I tell couples about lessons that Kara and I had to learn over time, learning to love one another as Jesus loves us, even when the feelings weren't always there, and all we could see was our rightness and the other person's wrongness.
SPEAKER_00: And the same holds true for our G4 leaders, our care mentors.
SPEAKER_00: Nobody is nailing this 100%.
SPEAKER_00: And healing happens in community.
SPEAKER_00: So my hope today really is two things.
SPEAKER_00: One, that those who are hurting would know that Spring Lake is a place where it's okay to not be okay, and we will walk with you as Jesus meets you where you are.
SPEAKER_00: Don't suffer in isolation.
SPEAKER_00: We want to help connect you to real care and healing, even if that may be in partnership with other care providers outside of the church that we often recommend and refer to.
SPEAKER_00: And they refer to areas like G4 with us too.
SPEAKER_00: The other plea I want to make is for those of you in here who have been freed, you've been healed, you've been transformed in your own journey of embodied soul struggles.
SPEAKER_00: Revelation says we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
SPEAKER_00: And your testimony could be a ministry to someone else just by walking with individuals or groups, testifying how Christ met you in the struggle while facilitating a study like G4 or gospel-centered marriage.
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna have a biblical care mentor training event starting in August.
SPEAKER_00: It'll be in August 4th.
SPEAKER_00: It's on the events page right now, you can register for it.
SPEAKER_00: And our goal there is to equip you to minister to others out of the comfort you receive from Christ in some area of suffering or sin.
SPEAKER_00: Or if you're like a lot of our folks who go through that training, in a lot of areas are suffering or sin.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the hardest thing is like, actually, God's healed me from a lot of these different things.
SPEAKER_00: Out of that, you'll have the opportunity to serve in an area like G4, individual care mentoring, using your testimony to minister to others while facilitating a gospel-centered resource.
SPEAKER_00: What you walk through and how God met you was purposeful.
SPEAKER_00: And there are a few things better than seeing God use your story to encourage and minister to someone to walk in the light, to trust Jesus to heal those broken areas, because some of them may have already given up hope that things could ever change.
SPEAKER_00: And we've all been there with something in our lives.
SPEAKER_00: We're all in this together.
SPEAKER_00: And as the body of Christ, we are better together than apart.
SPEAKER_00: So whether you need help or you could be a helper in areas where body and soul hurt, take a step and consider what the Lord could heal in you, but then also maybe through you as you live into the realities of what does it mean to be a new creation, a new creature in Christ, that you were saved not just from something, but also saved to new life in Him.
SPEAKER_00: Church, let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Father, we recognize that so much of what comes at us, we are ill-equipped and feel unable to step into.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, you say, abide in you, that we can do nothing apart from you.
SPEAKER_00: Nothing is beyond your ability redeemed to make beautiful in its time.
SPEAKER_00: And your faithfulness is endless.
SPEAKER_00: Your love pours out and meets us in these heavy spaces, bringing healing and saturating and reminding us of who we are in you for those moments where we doubt it because of what we're struggling through.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, you never asked us to perform or to act out in those things.
SPEAKER_00: You have asked us to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and live from that approval.
SPEAKER_00: And I pray that for those who may be struggling in one area of shame.
SPEAKER_00: And Lord, for a whole other set, you have already worked miracles in their lives.
SPEAKER_00: You freed from them from different different situations, and they're wondering how can I minister?
SPEAKER_00: How can I share the gospel?
SPEAKER_00: How can I be an influence in others' lives?
SPEAKER_00: And I pray, Lord, you would give them a very clear next step.
SPEAKER_00: What does it look like to take that next step in faithfulness and use what you did in their lives to bless others?
SPEAKER_00: And for all these things for your glory and our joy.
SPEAKER_00: It's in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.