Our deepest wounds are frequently caused when we’re caught up in someone else’s chaos. But God sees you in your pain, and He doesn’t just wait for you to call out to Him. God comes looking for you!
Notes 📓✏️:
Genesis 16:7-13: “The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied. The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.” Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”
Broken places often begin with someone else’s decisions.
When people discard you, God comes looking for you.
God speaks to both your pain and your potential.
Naming God changes how you see yourself and the perspective you carry toward Him.
Luke 5:20: “When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 7:13-15: “When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, “Don’t cry.” Then He went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”
Luke 19:5: “When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to Him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
Luke 22:61-62: “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.”
Luke 23:39-43: “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
- Pastor Kyle talks about how Hagar was caught in someone else’s broken plan. How have you experienced being caught in circumstances that weren’t of your own making, and how did God meet you in those moments?
- The sermon emphasizes how God sees and finds us even when we’re not looking for Him. Can you think of a time when God found you in your “wilderness” moment?
- How does the way we name and see God affect our perspective on life’s challenges?
- Looking at Like 5:20, what does the story of the paralyzed man and his friends teach us about the importance of community in bringing our needs to Jesus?