A Hope That Holds Us

Pastor Matt Cottrill's message from our second session on Sunday, December 7th 2025

In times of profound loss and uncertainty, we discover that comfort is not the absence of pain, but the presence of divine strength in the midst of it. Drawing from John 14:1-6, we encounter Jesus' powerful command: 'Let not your heart be troubled.' This isn't denial or emotional suppression—it's spiritual authority in action. Jesus doesn't dismiss our grief; He speaks directly into it, reminding us that while our hearts may feel the weight of sorrow, they don't have to bow to it. Our hearts bow to Him. The sermon explores how Jesus is not just the way to heaven someday, but the way through our darkest seasons today. He is the truth that steadies our minds when confusion reigns, and the life that animates our hope even when our own strength feels thin. Through 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we learn that God is 'the God of all comfort'—not occasional comfort for the strong, but constant comfort for every variety of sorrow, every depth of grief, every moment we whisper 'I don't understand.' And remarkably, we're comforted not just for our own sake, but so we can become vessels of that same comfort to others. Our testimony of making it through becomes a lifeline for someone else watching. This is why gathering together matters, why we resist isolation when times get hard, and why the church remains vital in seasons of uncertainty. We are people who sorrow, yes—but we do not sorrow as those who have no hope.