SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT: EMPOWERING

We begin a new series this Sunday, Seek Peace and Pursue It.  We are enduring one of the most traumatic times in recent memory.  Turmoil seems to be all around us, and it causes us to be distressed and discouraged.  We feel so powerless to impact anything around us.  God does not want us to feel powerless, instead God wants to empower us with a timeless peace.  In the sermon, Empowering we begin with Psalm 34: 11-22.  It contains the title of this series, but it also helps us find the strength of God’s peace for our lives.  These words share with us a strength that will overcomes doubt, despair, and discouragement and lead us to the quiet waters of eternal hope.  May God give you the gift of His peace as you read Psalm 34:11-22:  ¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. ¹² Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, ¹³ keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. ¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. ¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; ¹⁶ but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. ¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. ¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; ²⁰ he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. ²¹ Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. ²² The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. (NIV)