Epping Forest Community Church a worshipping community a

Epping Forest Community Church a worshipping community a relational community a healing community a sending community

a worshipping community • We put God first a relational community • We are committed to church family • We need God’s presence • We warmly welcome everyone • We devote ourselves to daily spiritual disciplines • We have attitudes of gratitude • We press through apathy, difficulties & distractions • We are generous towards one another • We are there for each other • ------------ a healing community • We have high expectations of our miraculous God • We pray for people to be healed and delivered • We discern & encourage God’s purpose for each other • We are honest with each other • ------------ a sending community • We are disciples not church-goers • We tell people about Jesus • We bring God’s Kingdom wherever we go • We get into God’s slipstream • ------------

Psalm 107 All kinds of people get themselves into all kinds of fixes… and the kindness, grace and forgiveness of God leads them through. .

I am never alone God is always with me whatever happens wherever I am however I feel

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…. • I will fear no evil • For you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me

And be sure of this: I am with you always even to the end of the age Matthew 28: 20

And I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate who will never leave you – He is the Holy Spirit, who leads you into all truth John 14: 16

NUMBER 1 Put God in the centre of your difficulty or crisis

Exodus 34: 5 -7 God describes his goodness to Moses… Isaiah 40: 12 -31 Who or what compares with God? Job 38 -41 The answer to: “What have I done to deserve this? ” Ezekiel 34: 11 -31 How God cares for his people… Psalm 23 God’s constant presence, guidance & protection Check out Jesus’s seven “I am” statements (in John 6, 8, 10, 11, 14 & 15)

NUMBER 2 part a Give up your need (right? ? ? ) to understand

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight Proverbs 3: 5 -6

NUMBER 2 part b Don’t use your circumstances as a measure of God’s acceptance, approval or love…

NUMBER 3 (really important) Don’t get out… be led out

• Don’t complain or resist when God uses hard times to train, equip, mature or disciple you… • he’s doing it because you’re his son or daughter and he loves you… • and because he wants you to be the best version of yourself… Hebrews 12: 1 -12

• all good parents do this… • and God is the best parent! • he doesn’t want any of us to be weak, disabled or confused, but strong and healthy Hebrews 12: 1 -12

If you’re finding it all a bit much, fix your eyes on Jesus… He knows what it’s like to go through a hard time for the sake of something really worth having! Hebrews 12: 1 -12

NUMBER 4 Choose Hope

Hope… the springboard of faith (also love) renews your strength is the anchor for your soul Colossians 1: 5 Isaiah 40: 31 Hebrews 6: 13 Hope does not disappoint! (Romans 5)

NUMBER 5 Do all of this in community

Summary… Knowing that God is with us is the perfect foundation to navigate through a hard time

• Put God in the centre (and live from the knowledge of who he is) • Give up your need to understand (embrace the mystery) • Use the right measuring stick (not your circumstances) • Don’t get out, be led out (it may be part of God’s plan) • Choose hope (and have a “bottom line”) • Do it all in a healthy community (two are better than one)