You either have been hurt or you will be hurt.
Chances are good that you were face to face with someone today, who was hurting.

Hurt/Trouble is something that Jesus promised we would experience in this world, but He also promised that we would have peace because of Him.

We like to avoid hurt. We like to hide hurt. God wants to heal hurt.

God heals hurt..
1. Through people
2. In His presence
3. By growing us in the hurt

Costumes 4 – Hiding Hurt
sermon notes by Chris Fluitt
Redemption Church Plano Tx
**Vid bumper HURTING

Welcome to the final week of our Costumes series.  My name is Chris Fluitt. I am the lead pastor here at Redemption Church…   We have been really pumped about costumes!  (Introduce Robert)

This is my Halloween costume memory…

Ghost for Halloween I wanted to be a spooky ghost but I kind of just was miserable.  My mom worked hard on my costume but costumes never quite turn out like you think they will as a kid. I pictured being this very scary ghost monster that would scare everyone… but instead it was hard to walk in it. I kept tripping on my costume and it kept coming a part. What I remember most was that it was very cold this Halloween night and I just wanted to go home..  There is nothing scary about this ghost..

Over the last 3 weeks you have shared your costumes. Someone shared this last week that they had a werewolf mask and that year after year they were differently dressed wolfmen.  They were football playing wolfman.. a gangster wolf… a teen wolf…  When they were football wolf they wore their school jersey and went trick or treating and knocked on their math teacher’s door by chance.  They kept the mask on hoping not to be recognized but as they turned to leave the name on the back of the jersey gave them away… The teacher referred to them as wolf the rest of the year.

A costume is something you wear that hides your true identity.

Over the past 3 weeks we have tried to be very transparent and real..

Week 1 - We talked about our fear and why it compels us to hide. We hide, but that God seeks us out.

Week 2 – We talked about self-deception. We might not even be aware of our costume.

Last week – We talked about financial fakers and how we place more value on an image than we do the truth.

This final week I want to talk about Hiding Hurt

 

NFL Coach Bum Phillips said there are 2 types of coaches in the NFL. Those that have been fired.. and those that have been fired.

Today we say.. In life there are those that have been hurt… and those that are going to be hurt

 

* When you bump into someone at the grocery store..
* When you stand in the line at Starbucks..
* When you are cut off in traffic..
* When you share pleasantries with someone at the work watercooler..
* When you are visiting family..
* when you greet someone at church..

CHANCES ARE VERY GOOD THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT SOMEONE THAT IS HURTING.. THAT IS WEARING A COSTUME TO HIDE THE HURT.

 

* Maybe they got bad news at work and are in danger of losing their home.
* Maybe someone close to them just tried to take their own life.
* Maybe their child has a dangerous illness and they are devastated.
* Maybe someone’s marriage is coming to an end.
* Maybe a teenage girl found out she is pregnant and is scared.

These are big scary hurtful happenings… Maybe they could be on a smaller scale but still hurtful..

* A Student scared that they won’t pass a class.
* Someone stuck in a job they hate.
* Someone hurting because of what someone said about them.

I promise you today that you know someone who is hurting.  You might not realize that they are hurting…

 

God gives hope to hurting

God has hope for you today. You do not always have to hurt.

Psalm 62:5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.(NIV)

Psalm 62:6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.(NIV)