Psalms 23:4 NIV‬
[4] 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.
Has anyone here ever been caving?
Caving is so much fun! If you are not afraid of the dark.
We imagine caving as we see it in movies. Big open spaces with luminescent moss and rocks. It’s usually not like that though. Every time I have been caving except one the caves were small and tight and there were the longest insects you have ever seen in your life on the ceiling, and it was dark, very dark.

I was in one cave once that was so small you could not turn around. Once you started you had to continue until the end or else stay there forever.
Life is like a cave. Once you are born there is no going back. In the beginning you often have more good days then dark days, you’re a child in a child’s world, every pony was once a unicorn, every speck of dust a faery, then you begin to grow up and the cave gets darker. You start to see bits of this world that you would rather not. It can seem like the older you get the more dark you see. Bad times and hard days come and you wonder if it’s possible to turn around. But it’s not.
The most important thing you carry when caving is your flashlight. Or headlamp in most cases.
You know where this is going.
Jesus is our headlamp. When the doctor wants you for more tests. When the news seems like it can’t get bleaker. When you lose your job. Your family is hurting. You feel lost. Don’t forget your headlamp.
Those without Jesus will fall and get going down the wrong tunnel because they have no light. Those with Jesus will find their way to the end. You have to remember to turn on your headlamp.

Sometimes you are going through a bad time and you know you are going to have to fight, and you call out to God and He tells you to March and sing.  One loop around a wall and then blow a trumpet and you think, ‘this is nuts.’ But you do it. And nothing happens. Then the next day God calls you to do it again. So you do it again. You do it for six days! Then day seven comes.

In the hospital zone

It makes me laugh when people complain that they have been hurt by people in church or offended by people in church. It makes me laugh because most of the people in church are broken, hurting people who need Jesus. People go to church and assume they’re going to meet a bunch of perfect, put together Saints. And then when they don’t and they meet bad mouth, rude, aggressive, sometimes very offensive people. They are shocked. But Church isn’t a health club. It’s a hospital. And it’s not even a big hospital with all the proper equipment, it’s more like a hospital in the trenches in Afghanistan. You ever seen Mash think of church as a Mash unit. It’s the place where those who have been wounded, where those who are sick, where those who nobody else wants, go. Because church is the place where they can be healed and loved by the few there who are there as representations of Jesus. By the few who have already been healed. I remember seeing recently a little comic strip with a little dinosaur. And the dinosaur was saying to his friend, I feel really sad today. And the friend said well why don’t you try yoga. So the little dinosaur went to try yoga but there was a big sign on the door that said no bad vibes welcome here. So in discouragement the little dinosaur went away. And I wanted to shout to him come to church. Bring your sadness and your hurt, we want all of that. Bring your disease your pain your need. Come to church where you can be healed. Jesus is the only one who can fix you. I was standing there going like “bring it in here for the real thing little brother.” Have you ever been to yoga Club? It’s not a place you go to be fixed or healed from your pain or your illness. And now I’m not talking physical at this moment. There are few more put together people then you will find at a yoga Club. Not because yoga has helped them heal from their trauma. Because they were already pretty good to go and a few deep breaths just made it even better.
Church is where you need to be to be fixed. No I’m not slamming yoga for physical stretching and toning. I do yoga myself for toning and stretching. I was simply using it as an example. Church is where you go, not to be amongst a bunch of perfect people who can show you how to be perfect, but to be around a bunch of unperfect people who show you the love of Jesus. Once you know Jesus, once you’ve come to know him, then even death will not scare you anymore. Because once you’ve given your life to him, once you have chosen which side you will stand on, the sides of the world or the side of Jesus, then you will have someone who will be with you even past death. Heaven is reserved for those who love the savior. And not just those who know him or know of him or trying to be good people, but those who have given their lives to him those who have prayed and said please Jesus Take me out of this life I’m living and change me so I can live like you. We’re all on a ladder trying to climb rung by rung through this life. But are you on the ladder that will eventually lead you into Paradise or are you on a ladder that will lead you nowhere. Christians know which ladder we are on. And even better some of us helped put runs into the ladders on either side of us to help those around us reach Jesus. You need to remember that Jesus loves you too because until you know Jesus you’re not going to get very far. This world and this life is a poor substitute for heaven and Eternity.