Point of Grace Online Worship - August 17, 2025

Point of Grace Worship 8.17.25 Seeking Wisdom – Part 6 “Discovering the Love of God!”

Job 28
Where then does wisdom come from?    Where does understanding dwell?
23 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,
28 And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

“The Fear of the Lord” Is a relationship of awe and reverence with deep love, trust and submission.

To Discover the Wisdom of God is to discover the Love of God!

A Prayer for Discovering God’s Love

Ephesians 3:14-19

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may
             strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 
                    so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 
             may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, 
            to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 
                  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—
            that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Discoveries:

I need “help” knowing God’s love and how to live as a Beloved child of God
            so I ask and keep on asking for myself and others!

God’s love is where I sink my roots and spread my wings – “my foundation and my adventure”
                        so I immerse in His Presence and Love everyday!

A life of exploring and experiencing God’s love in Jesus fills us with God’s fullness
                        so I look no further for “fill-ups” of life but return often for deep dives in the ocean of His love.

Jesus, I love being loved by You.   ………
This time in your word and presence immerses me in Your deep love!.........  I love being loved by You! 

I love how deep your love is so I can swim freely,
I love how eternal it is so there is no rushing with you, 
I love how gracious your love is so my shame, guilt or that  haunting “not enough” feelings don’t exclude me,
I love how strong you love is so I can come tired … weak, overwhelmed
I love how cleansing your love is so I can come dirty, 
I love how patient your love is never tiring of my talking,
I love how visionary your love is filling my life with purpose beyond imagination
I love how wide your love is inviting even me to the table of Your presence treating me like I belong
I love how sacrificial Your love is serving me with a new life which what paid for by Your death.

Jesus I love being loved by You…….  Amen

Point of Grace Online Worship - August 10, 2025

Point of Grace Worship 8.10.25 Seeking Wisdom – Part 5 “ Job – It’s ‘Still’ Not That Simple!”

“It’s ‘Still’ Not That Simple!”

Why is Job suffering?

The 3 Friends + 1 make long winded attempts at answering the question. (As if their answers would help.)

                        Chapters        Summary

Eliphaz           4-5,15, 22        Job is suffering because of some secret sin.  (Retribution Theology)

Bildad             8, 18, 25          Job won’t admit he has sinned so he is still suffering.

Zophar            11, 20              Job’s sin deserves even more suffering than He is experiencing.

Elihu                32-37              God is using suffering to mold and train Job for the future.

Job Replies   

“Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong. Do you think I am lying? Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong? (6:29-30)

“I loathe my very life; therefore, I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. 
I say to God: Do not declare me guilty but tell me what charges you have against me”. (10:1-2)

“ As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself. As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks.  If only you could be silent!
That’s the wisest thing you could do.  “Listen closely to what I am about to say.  Hear me out. I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent. Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and reply. Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin.
Why do you turn away from me?” (Job 13)

God Speaks   Chapters 38-41
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? (38)
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?  Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
2 Do you count the months till they bear?  Do you know the time they give birth?
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. (39)

The Lord said to Job: 2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”  (40)

Job Replies    40:3-4 3 Then Job answered the Lord:4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.  I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”
Job 42
Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.

            “In the end it is not Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar with their ‘retribution’ theology who are right but Job with his ‘lament’ theology who is right. He addressed God.  He came to God with his hurt and his grief, his pain and his desire to get an answer.  The friends never addressed God.” – Chad Bird (1517 Podcast) 

10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him, all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.

12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.

Five Wisdom Gifts from Job

·       In suffering as well as all life’s twists and turns, the path of hope is complete surrender to God in trusting faith that He is all powerful, filled with grace and functions in ways beyond our understanding.

·       God knows the path of “Why _____?” does not lead to peace but is only resolved (not necessarily answered) as we take refuge in His Presence.  “Lament” is a gift that helps us process pain in the Presence of God.

·       It is not wise to make up things about God and the way He runs the world as we feel the pressure to make sense of our own suffering and that of others.  It’s usually not that simple.

·       When walking with people suffering, our ears are often more helpful than our mouth.

·       In Job’s stark but gracious encounter with God he was jolted out of the “wise in your own eyes” mindset and began to learn that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom” (Job 28)

Point of Grace Online Worship - August 3, 2025

Point of Grace Worship 8.3.25 Seeking Wisdom – Part 4  “ Job  – It’s not that simple!”

“It’s Not That Simple!”

The Book of Job

-        Sits in a class by itself

-        Ancient Story

-        Sophisticated poetry bookended with narrative prose

-        The characters and land is not “Israel” but filled with ancient Israel’s understanding of God

-        Helps the reader, of any era, wrestle with important questions about God’s wisdom in running things especially concerning human “suffering”

Job 1:1-3:1

The Setting
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. 
This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 
2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

Job is a really good guy, does things right and is morally and spiritually pious. 
He seems to hold the keys to the good life with his future secure! (Does piety = prosperity?)

The Setting from the “It’s Not That Simple” View
6 One day the angels (sons of God) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (adversary/opposer) also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”     Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Round 1 – “Is God’s relationship with Job that simple?’
13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

Job’s Response to Unspeakable and Instant Loss
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Round 2 “Is God’s relationship with Job that simple?”

2 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.  And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 
8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

Job’s Response to Unspeakable Loss and Suffering
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth…. For sighing has become my daily food;
my groans pour out like water. What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.”

Job takes his lament, his anger, his pain, his questions to God - the only One who can help!    
Believing in an all-powerful sovereign God is scary unless “it’s not that simple”. Unless, the One who is sovereign over us is actually “for us”.  The One who Job cries out to, we now know chose the “It’s not that simple!” path of love even though it led to the cross.