Beyond Sunday with Pastor Nic

Enduring Goodness: Finding God's Grace Amidst Life's Storms

Nicholas Williams

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Can God's unwavering goodness truly shine through the darkest of storms? Join us as we explore this poignant question, reflecting on the community spirit that emerged in Sarasota, Florida, following Hurricane Milton. With heartfelt stories of neighbors becoming friends through acts of kindness, we discover the profound impact of faith and compassion in times of adversity. Drawing from biblical passages like Lamentations 3 and Isaiah 43:2, we delve into the comforting presence of God as both a refuge and a guide, providing hope and strength when it’s needed most. Experience firsthand accounts of resilience and the transformative power of God’s enduring presence, likened to a lighthouse guiding us through turbulent seas.

In this enriching episode of Beyond Sunday, we shift our focus to finding joy amidst life’s inevitable trials. God's mercies, renewed daily, offer a steadfast anchor amidst challenges, and we discuss how His goodness actively pursues us, offering peace through surrender. We invite you to anchor yourself in these truths, allowing them to uplift your spirit and strengthen your faith each day. Excitingly, this conversation sets the stage for our upcoming discussion on John, chapter 16, where we'll explore how to embrace joy even in difficult circumstances. Join us to carry these uplifting messages forward, transforming trials into opportunities for spiritual growth and connection.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to Beyond Sunday, where faith meets life every day of the week. I'm your host, nick Williams, and today we're diving deep into a topic that touches every one of us who have ever faced adversity the enduring goodness of God, especially in the aftermath of the storms of life, or, for those here in Sarasota, florida, the actual storm, hurricane Milton. I don't know if you've kept up with the news or maybe you live here locally and experienced it, but it has been a crazy week and a half, honestly a crazy two months, as we've had multiple storms come through hurricanes, but this last one definitely took a toll on the city, and so I preached a sermon two weeks ago and have not had time to do a podcast with all the disaster relief that's been going on, and so I wanted to take a moment and just revisit that message a little bit, but give you a little bit of a different perspective on it as well. Have you ever stood amidst the aftermath of a storm, literal or metaphorical, and wondered where God was in all the chaos? If so, you're not alone in this. Today, we're going to explore how God's goodness is not just a fair-weather friend, but a steadfast promise in the stormiest times. Just last week, as winds howled and rains lashed against our homes, the reality of our vulnerability was starkly illuminated. In today's session, we'll explore how, amidst such trials, the goodness of God acts as both a refuge and a guide. As we reflect on the recent hurricane, it's crucial to remind ourselves of God's unfailing mercy and presence, which remain constant even in the most turbulent times. Consider Lamentations, chapter 3, where we read because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed First. Compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. It's still happening Neighbors helping neighbors, strangers becoming friends.

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The amount of people that showed up to church this weekend that said, we came because we wanted to see and meet the people that jumped in and helped us when they didn't even know us it was startling. I was excited to see the fact that our church got so involved in the community. And it wasn't just the staff, it wasn't just the main volunteers that run the church day to day. It was a little bit of everybody. Just the main volunteers that run the church day-to-day, it was a little bit of everybody. And it's in these acts of kindness and mercy that we see the tangible expressions of God's compassion and faithfulness mirrored in humanity.

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I talked to the staff this morning as we met for our weekly staff meeting. We always start the staff meeting the same way, talking about what have we seen God do in the last week that we wanna celebrate, and I think that's important to keep those celebration moments in front of us, because sometimes life can get hard and sometimes we can forget those moments. So, as a staff, we try to celebrate them every week, and this morning was no different, except there was a lot to celebrate. I heard stories of different homes that were touched, different people that we were able to help, and the amount of supplies that went out of this church from donations that we got from around the country was absolutely incredible. On that thought, I want to encourage you to start each day by recognizing and acknowledging God's mercies. Whether it's the safety of your home, the support of a friend or even a moment of peace amidst chaos, recognizing these moments can significantly shift our perspective and strengthen our faith.

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Now, moving beyond mere acknowledgement of God's mercies, let's consider how his presence guides us, much like a lighthouse guiding ships through stormy seas. Isaiah 43.2 reassures us when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers. They will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze.

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Think about a lighthouse for a moment. I don't know when I saw my first lighthouse in life. The one I probably remember the most is in St Augustine, florida, only because I saw it a few years ago. But they always amaze me because I always wonder how that small little building on the edge of the sea with a light just circling around is enough to keep a ship out of danger. So think about a lighthouse standing firm amid the storm. It's light, a constant guide.

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God's word and his presence serve a similar role in our lives, guiding us through life's darkest moments. So, for you, consider a current challenge or fire in your life, if you will. How can you more concisely rely on God's promise to be with you? Perhaps start each day with a prayer for his guidance and presence to be evident in your life. Bring God, hey, today. Be my guide, be that lamp before my feet. God, allow me to know, and be very evident, that the direction I'm headed is the direction you've called me to. And if it's not, god redirect me In the darkest valleys of life. Our understanding of God's nature profoundly affects how we endure and overcome hardships. Psalm 23, 4 offers comfort Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff. They comfort me.

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There was a time when I faced a personal loss so deep that it felt like walking through a dark valley. In that season, feeling God's comforting presence as a father and a friend brought solace and strength that I couldn't have found anywhere else. And it wasn't like in those moments I didn't still pray God. Where are you, god? Why is this happening? I still had the normal prayers that people pray, but I wouldn't have survived that season without the understanding of God as my father and as my friend. So for you, reflect on a recent trial where you felt alone. How might your experience change if you viewed God not as just as a sovereign creator, but as close as a friend or a father?

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See, god's goodness isn't just a passive attribute. It actively seeks us out, especially when we are most in need. Psalm 23, 6 promises surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever After the storm as the sun broke through the clouds. It was like a visual reminder that God's goodness penetrates our darkest moments, chasing after us. There's a great song by Aaron Jeffries that was a father-son duo back in the 90s and they talked about after the rain, we will look to the sun again, and I think that's how we find the goodness of God is once we're through that storm. But honestly, in the middle of the storm we should be looking as well. So what I want to encourage you to do is, this week, try to recognize and document these moments of divine pursuit, be it through an unexpected kindness, a resolved conflict or a moment of unexpected joy. Share these experiences with others to encourage them with how God's goodness is actively at work.

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Finally, surrendering to God's will can bring peace and hope, even when everything around us is anything but peaceful. Romans 12, one urges us, therefore. I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship. When I finally let go of my desperate attempts to control the recovery process post-hurricane and instead focus on being present and faithful in the moment, I find peace that surpassed all understanding. So what is one area of your life where you struggle to let go? Set a daily intention to surrender this area to God, seeking his will above your own. Observe how this act of surrender can transform your approach and your spirit.

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As we close today's discussion on the goodness of God, remember that his mercies are new every morning. His guidance is like a lighthouse in the storms, his nature as father and friend brings comfort. His goodness actively seeks us and his peace comes through our surrender. Carry these truths with you as you navigate the days ahead and let them anchor you in the assurance of his unchanging goodness. Now, because I'm a little behind on this podcast, I'm actually gonna drop another one this week talking about what we talked about this last Sunday, which is an incredible story in Scripture John, chapter 16, towards the end of that chapter, and talking about how do you and I actually have joy in the moments of these trials. So, if that speaks to you, jump back on in about two days. Otherwise, thank you for joining me on Beyond Sunday. May you find strength and comfort in the goodness of God this week, no matter what storms may come your way. Until next time, keep living in faith, hope and love.