Divine Intercession: Strength in Our Weakness

### Summary

In today's reflection, we delved into the profound and somewhat mysterious passage from Romans 8:26-27. This scripture reveals the incredible truth that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness with groanings too deep for words. This passage is both comforting and challenging, as it invites us to acknowledge our vulnerabilities and lean into the divine help that God offers. The idea that the Creator of the universe prays for us is mind-blowing and deeply encouraging.

We also explored the creative process and how it parallels our spiritual journey. Just as a song needs a clear vision, our lives need a central focus on God's truth. This focus helps us navigate our weaknesses and find strength in God's promises. The creative process involves asking questions, seeking understanding, and finding a central theme, much like our spiritual journey involves seeking God's will and understanding His word.

Moreover, we discussed the importance of community and vulnerability. Sharing our struggles with trusted friends and allowing them to pray for us can be a powerful way to experience God's help. The Holy Spirit works through our community to provide comfort and support, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles.

Finally, we touched on the concept of groaning in our spiritual lives. Groaning represents the deep, often wordless prayers that arise from our hearts in times of distress. The Holy Spirit translates these groans into prayers that align with God's will, ultimately working for our good and helping us become more like Christ.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Divine Help in Weakness**: Admitting our weaknesses is the first step to experiencing God's divine help. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, providing strength and comfort in our most vulnerable moments. This divine assistance is a profound reminder that we are never alone in our struggles. [02:28]

2. **The Power of Community**: Sharing our burdens with trusted friends and allowing them to pray for us can be a powerful way to experience God's help. The Holy Spirit often works through our community to provide comfort and support, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles. [21:03]

3. **The Mystery of the Trinity**: Understanding the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—can be challenging, but it reveals the depth of God's nature. The Holy Spirit's role in interceding for us highlights the interconnectedness of the Trinity and God's intimate involvement in our lives. [13:33]

4. **Groaning in Prayer**: Groaning represents the deep, often wordless prayers that arise from our hearts in times of distress. The Holy Spirit translates these groans into prayers that align with God's will, ultimately working for our good and helping us become more like Christ. [17:42]

5. **Transformation Through Struggle**: Our struggles and weaknesses are opportunities for God to refine us and make us more like Christ. The Holy Spirit not only comforts us but also works to transform our character, helping us grow in spiritual maturity and strength. [24:25]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[02:28] - Divine Help in Weakness
[04:19] - The Power of Music and Vulnerability
[05:31] - Volunteering and Ministry Beginnings
[06:27] - Pursuing Dreams and Overcoming Fear
[07:38] - The Creative Process and Central Vision
[08:44] - Understanding Paul's Message
[09:50] - The Central Theme: Divine Help
[11:17] - The Challenge of Self-Reliance
[13:33] - The Mystery of the Trinity
[14:36] - The Holy Spirit's Role in Creation and Prayer
[15:57] - The Spirit's Intercession
[17:42] - Groaning in Prayer
[18:56] - God is For Us
[21:03] - The Power of Community Support
[22:35] - Faithful Presence in Times of Grief
[24:25] - Transformation Through Struggle
[26:26] - Encouragement to Pray and Share
[27:46] - The Hope Beyond Groaning
[29:33] - Interactive Worship Experience
[31:24] - Long-Term Vision for Worship
[33:22] - Song Selection Process
[36:05] - Upcoming Volunteer Event

### Bible Reading
- Romans 8:26-27 (ESV): "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

### Observation Questions
1. What does Romans 8:26-27 say about the role of the Holy Spirit in our prayer life?
2. How does the Holy Spirit intercede for us according to Romans 8:26-27?
3. In the sermon, what examples were given to illustrate the concept of "groaning" in prayer? [17:42]
4. How does the sermon describe the relationship between our weaknesses and God's divine help? [02:28]

### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with "groanings too deep for words"? How might this change our understanding of prayer?
2. How does the idea of the Holy Spirit interceding for us challenge or comfort you personally? [02:28]
3. The sermon mentioned the importance of community in experiencing God's help. How does this align with the role of the Holy Spirit as described in Romans 8:26-27? [21:03]
4. How does the concept of the Trinity, as discussed in the sermon, deepen our understanding of God's involvement in our lives? [13:33]

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt weak or overwhelmed. How did you experience God's help during that time? How can you be more open to admitting your weaknesses and seeking divine help in the future? [02:28]
2. The sermon emphasized the power of community support. Do you have trusted friends with whom you can share your struggles? How can you cultivate such relationships if you don't have them? [21:03]
3. How can you incorporate the practice of "groaning" in prayer into your daily spiritual life? What might this look like for you personally? [17:42]
4. The sermon discussed the creative process and having a central vision. What is the central focus of your spiritual journey right now? How can you align your life more closely with God's truth? [07:38]
5. Think about a recent struggle or weakness you have faced. How might God be using this situation to transform you and make you more like Christ? [24:25]
6. How can you be more intentional about allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede for you in your prayer life? What steps can you take to be more aware of the Spirit's presence and guidance? [15:57]
7. The sermon mentioned the importance of sharing our burdens with others. Is there someone in your life who might benefit from your support and prayers? How can you reach out to them this week? [21:03]

Day 1: Divine Help in Weakness
In our moments of weakness, we often feel isolated and overwhelmed. However, Romans 8:26-27 reveals a profound truth: the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. This divine assistance is not just a comforting thought but a powerful reality. The Creator of the universe is actively involved in our lives, praying for us and providing strength and comfort when we need it most. Admitting our weaknesses is the first step to experiencing this divine help. When we acknowledge our vulnerabilities, we open ourselves up to the transformative power of God's Spirit. [02:28]

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV): "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

Reflection: Think of a specific area in your life where you feel weak or vulnerable. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to intercede for you in this area today?


Day 2: The Power of Community
Community plays a crucial role in our spiritual journey. Sharing our burdens with trusted friends and allowing them to pray for us can be a powerful way to experience God's help. The Holy Spirit often works through our community to provide comfort and support, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles. When we open up about our challenges, we create opportunities for others to minister to us and for the Holy Spirit to work through them. This interconnectedness strengthens our faith and helps us navigate difficult times with the support of those who care about us. [21:03]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

Reflection: Identify a trusted friend or family member with whom you can share a current struggle. How can you ask them to pray for you and support you in this season?


Day 3: The Mystery of the Trinity
Understanding the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—can be challenging, but it reveals the depth of God's nature. The Holy Spirit's role in interceding for us highlights the interconnectedness of the Trinity and God's intimate involvement in our lives. This mystery invites us to explore the richness of God's character and to appreciate the unique ways each person of the Trinity works in our lives. The Holy Spirit's intercession is a testament to God's love and care, showing us that we are deeply known and supported by the divine. [13:33]

John 14:16-17 (ESV): "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Reflection: Reflect on how you have experienced the different persons of the Trinity in your life. How does understanding the Holy Spirit's role as an intercessor deepen your relationship with God?


Day 4: Groaning in Prayer
Groaning represents the deep, often wordless prayers that arise from our hearts in times of distress. The Holy Spirit translates these groans into prayers that align with God's will, ultimately working for our good and helping us become more like Christ. This concept of groaning in prayer acknowledges the raw and honest emotions we experience in difficult times. It reassures us that even when we cannot find the words to pray, the Holy Spirit understands our deepest needs and intercedes on our behalf. This divine translation of our groans into meaningful prayers is a powerful reminder of God's intimate involvement in our lives. [17:42]

Psalm 38:9 (ESV): "O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you."

Reflection: Think of a recent time when you felt overwhelmed and couldn't find the words to pray. How can you trust the Holy Spirit to intercede for you in those moments of deep emotion?


Day 5: Transformation Through Struggle
Our struggles and weaknesses are opportunities for God to refine us and make us more like Christ. The Holy Spirit not only comforts us but also works to transform our character, helping us grow in spiritual maturity and strength. This process of transformation through struggle is a testament to God's redemptive power. Instead of viewing our challenges as setbacks, we can see them as opportunities for growth and refinement. The Holy Spirit's work in our lives during these times helps us develop resilience, faith, and a deeper understanding of God's love and purpose for us. [24:25]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: Consider a current or past struggle in your life. How has this experience shaped your character and faith? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to continue transforming you through this challenge?

Sure! Here’s the cleaned-up transcript:

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Kind of dive a little bit deeper on how you found your way to Menlo.

Totally. Yeah. Well, I am Josh, and I'm the creative director here at Menlo Church. So I get to work with all, I would have worked with Mark and lots of different talented people all across our multi-site church, which is really fun. And worship leaders, our production team, communications, digital. It's really cool.

So anyway, yeah. So this last weekend, we talked about this incredible passage from Romans 8, verses 26 and 27. And it's this really actually kind of mysterious passage. It's like, whoa, what is Paul saying here? I'll just read it for us real quick.

"Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we don't know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what's in the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

So it's this wild passage. It's really hopeful on one hand because it's like, man, we've got this incredible strength available to us that's like outside of ourselves, but it takes this willingness to admit that we have weakness. It takes this willingness to kind of wade into the vulnerability and say, hey, there are areas of my life that I'm deeply overwhelmed by or deeply flawed, and I really need help.

And when we do that, this incredible promise is that God floods in and just brings that help for us, which brings a lot of hope to us. So anyway, and it got this weird groanings thing going on. I mean, there's all kinds of wild stuff happening in this verse, but I thought it was coming off the heels of the week prior where Phil talked about just the reality of suffering and how we've got this passage that's like, hey, God is with us and he's praying on our behalf.

So it's pretty cool. Just kind of a mind-blowing thought that the God of the universe who created us and gave us this amazing gift called prayer is actually praying for us. It's just...

Like, and in ministry?

Totally. No, great question. So I was just getting into music after a breakup with a girl, actually. Yeah, just raw emotions. And a good friend of mine is like, dude, don't you like singing? And I'm like, kind of. He's like, yeah, I've sat next to you in church and I could hear you sing. I'm like, okay, that's weird. But he's like, no, we should get together and we should play some songs or maybe even try writing some songs. I'm like, I've never done anything like that, but okay.

And started writing songs with this friend of mine. And really, actually, it was this opportunity to share some of the pain that was in my heart. I think that's where the best songs maybe come from, is those places of hurt or pain or loss or heartbreak. And so all of a sudden, this music started flowing. It was very therapeutic in a way. I was like, wow, I've never felt these feelings before.

And it was this conduit, this ability, this medium that I could just share these emotions that I might not feel comfortable saying to somebody in words, but I could sing it to a stranger in a melody. And so that just became this really neat outlet for me. And then it was like the love of music and the outlet emotionally, and then combined with just something that God was putting on my heart in terms of wanting high school students in particular to know that God sees them, cares for them, loves them.

So I was living in San Diego at the time, and I was reading this book called "Who's Listening?" And it was journal entries of high school students. And it was their raw experiences of the heartbreaks of life. And I'm like, gosh, and God was just putting it on my heart. I want them to know that I'm with them, I hear them, I'm listening, and I love them.

And so that led me to volunteer with a church in San Diego called Skyline. Skyline Wesleyan Church. It was pastored at the time by a guy named John Maxwell. And I volunteered with their high school students and got to know the students. And just like, it was really cool to just be with them, listen to them, let them know that God's listening, God loves them.

And that led to music because the youth pastor's like, hey, we don't have a worship leader. We know you love music. Man, can you lead worship? I'm like, I've never done that. And he's like, don't worry, we've got a bunch of students that will help you. I'm like, okay, let's go. Anyway, that's where I kind of started. Sort of a train wreck worship set after another, until we got to a place where we could actually sing through a song.

Yeah, pretty wild. Crazy.

I know. It was one of those decade-long, multi-decade.

Yeah. So yeah, just, I mean, our listeners probably, you might resonate with like a dream you might have had in your life, and then COVID hit. And sometimes, well, COVID did a lot of crazy things for all of us. In me, it unearthed that dream. And I was like, oh, I've never really pursued that. And I talked with a mentor of mine named Steve Clifford. I'm like, yeah, I'm thinking about doing this. He's like, you've been talking about that for over 20 years. And if you weren't so afraid, you would have already done it.

Wow.

And he said, if your wife will let you go, you ought to go. But he said, I don't know if it's God's will for you to live there and be a songwriter, but I do know it's God's will for you to stay married to Danielle. So why don't you go check it out? And if she's all right with it, then cool.

That's wise, dude.

So, yeah.

Ah, yeah, yeah. And truths about this verse that we've read. How different or how similar was that?

That's great. That's a great question. Ah, this is fun.

Yeah. And for those of you thinking about the creative process or things that... I feel like this idea of a central vision is clear for almost any creative or anybody working on anything, almost like, what are you trying to say? Or what are you trying to make? Or what are you trying to communicate? And with a song, there's that central song vision. That's one of the keys to great songs.

The great song has a central song vision that's so clear. It runs like a through line through it. And it's like, that song is about that thing. I mean, what's coming to my mind right now is Beatles, like, "Help," right? "Help me if you can, I'm feeling down." I mean, every line of that song is like, it's all about help. It is. And it's such a clear vision.

So when I'm thinking about a song, I'm thinking about, what is this song wanting to say? And when I think about this passage or this message, I'm looking at the text first, right? Because we're always looking at the Bible going, all right, what's the author? What was in their heart and mind as they were saying these words? Because every author was trying to communicate something by the words they were using.

So it's like, what was the message they were trying to communicate with these words that they're using? What's Paul trying to say to this fledgling group of new Christians in Rome that would help them? And so I'm looking at the passage going, okay, what was Paul's central song vision? What was his through line? What was his theme?

And so I'm looking at that way and I'm going, all right. And once I try to wrestle with that, of course, that's like, first off, it starts with asking lots of questions. What do I not understand? What's confusing? What's unclear? Which is a lot. And then I'm digging through commentaries and, you know, tons of different sort of background resources going, okay, what did these people think? What did these people think? What was going on in the first century? What was happening in Rome? What was happening in Paul's life? What were the issues?

And then I'm sort of trying to, again, all of that work is like, what is the central message that Paul's trying to communicate with this particular passage? So in that way, it's kind of similar. It's like you're digging for that through line. You're digging for that central song vision or that central message vision.

And once you have that, it's like, okay, that's what everything should hang on, right? So if you're creative and you're listening, you're like, oh yeah, that makes sense. Once you find that central vision, everything should hang on that vision. If you're a painter and you've got a series of paintings, everything has kind of a cohesive look and feel to it, similar to other artists in their works.

But with this one, it was like, what is the central thing? And I kept coming back to, in our weakness, God himself offers divine help. And it's just like, in our weakness, God himself offers divine help. Everything should just... If I was writing a song, that should be like, I'm gonna say that. But anyway, that's kind of one of the similarities.

Probably the difference is there's just more information, right? With a song, you've got three and a half minutes. So every word, every phrase has gotta be really packed full of meaning. It's like every word is sort of pregnant with possibility of what could be conveyed. With a message, instead of three and a half minutes, you've got 33 minutes or whatever. And so you've got a little more room, you've got a little more content, but you're...

You're still trying to shape all that content and trying to make every word, every phrase at least intentional.

Yep, yep, yep. Totally. Yeah.

It is so challenging.

It really is.

It's so difficult. Yeah. And even as a follower of Jesus, it's like, I think we start off with saying, okay, God, I finally admit I need help. I need you to save me. And then if you're anything like me, I then grab it and be like, okay, I got it from here, Lord. That was enough. That was humiliating enough that you had to forgive me and wash me clean. And now it's like, I got it.

And then I can live that way. And then I get exhausted.

Yeah.

I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm doing it on my own. And God's like, wait, I didn't just help you to...

That's good.

No doubt, man. Well, I mean, yeah, gosh, this is like this theological conundrum, right? It's like, how do we grapple with three in one and like a Western modern mindset? And there's really no simple solution to it. But we're talking about Trinitarian theology.

We're talking about if you're listening and you're like, what the heck is that? Our God, we believe is one God, but made up of three persons. So God, the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit, equal, and yet they have different sort of roles or functions within who they are. And so it's kind of a wild thought. Wait, God is one and God is three. And the answer is yes.

It's like, oh, wow. Okay. Can I smoke what you're smoking? It's so weird. And yet it's kind of, I guess it's kind of awesome too, because I think... I think in many ways as Western culture, we wanna sort of dissect God. And once we figure God out and push little pins into different parts of who He is, we can say, ah, now I've mastered Him, right?

It's just like we dissect Him and master Him. And God is so other than us. And this is just sort of one expression of His otherness. It's like, well, I can't quite grasp three in one. And it's like, oh, that's because I'm not Him and He's not me. And so anyway, it's kind of a... It's beautiful that we can't fully grasp it.

Yes.

Although we see hints of it throughout. And that's why we have this Trinitarian theology that we have. And so, yeah, you mentioned the Holy Spirit, you mentioned Jesus, you mentioned the Father, and all throughout Scripture, you see them play different roles.

It makes me think of a couple of things. There's a picture of the Holy Spirit at creation hovering over the waters, hovering over the chaos as God is creating the heavens and the earth. And the Holy Spirit's there hovering over and God is creating. And then in John 1, you see, it says the word made through Jesus.

And so all of a sudden, it's like, okay, God is creating, the Father's creating through Jesus and the Holy Spirit's hovering over. It's like, they were all involved in creation. It's like, whoa, okay, there we got all three at one. Another picture that comes to my mind, the Holy Spirit hovers over the waters, hovers over the chaos, literally.

And then I think of Jesus walking out on the Sea of Galilee to the disciples and a storm comes up. And in the Jewish mind, they would have thought, you know, the sea represented like danger and fear and scary, and chaos, really. And so Jesus comes out walking on the chaos. And it's like, oh, wow. It hearkens back to the Holy Spirit hovering over the chaos.

And here's Jesus coming out, the chaos. You see Jesus sort of playing similar roles, I guess, throughout the scriptures. And so in this passage, we see the Spirit in us because when Jesus ascends to the Father, He says, I'm gonna send you a gift that's gonna come. And don't try to do ministry without the gift until the gift comes, and the gift is the Holy Spirit.

So the Holy Spirit comes and resides in a believer when you place your faith in Jesus. And so now you got the Spirit of Christ in you or the Holy Spirit in you. And so now when you're praying and you're like, I can't even pray, I'm so distraught, that's what Paul's saying, the Spirit of God starts praying on our behalf.

And then the passage is like, God hears the groans, and it's like, oh my gosh, wait, the Father's hearing the Spirit groaning, and the Father knows the most powerful, most powerful, most powerful, most powerful, most powerful, most powerful, most powerful, mind of the Spirit, so knows exactly what is on the Spirit's mind and can translate it, and then answers those prayers in accordance to His will.

And it's like, ah, because His will is that I become more like Jesus. So it's a little confusing, but you can see all three at play there. The Spirit in us, praying on our behalf, God the Father, answering those prayers. What are the prayers? Well, the ultimate prayer is that we would become more like Jesus Christ.

So it's like, whoa, okay, all three at work, super interesting and confusing and maybe not totally understandable, but we can kind of see it and play with that passage in our lives. So, yeah.

Message where it's just like, okay, well, let's dive into groaning. No doubt. That's such a weird concept. It really is. What's that word? Stenagmi or whatever. It's like, yeah. I'm like, what is going on there, man? Creation is groaning. We are groaning. Stenagmo is we are groaning and the Holy Spirit's groaning. It's like, life isn't a groaning. It's like, we're groaning. We're grinding. It's a groan.

I'm like... And sometimes I think that's just our existence. We all have felt times where we're like, I just can't... I don't know. I can't even pray. I mean, I've been there even the last month. I just can't even pray. This is so overwhelming. I don't even know what to pray. Whether it's...

Yeah. Things in our lives that are personal, that are difficult. And it's just like, oh, I can't... I don't even know how to pray. Or we're so anxious. Our youngest son swallowed a quarter.

Oh, yeah, man. A week ago. And it's like, oh, no. And he's like, I swallowed a quarter and it's hurting me right here. I'm like, can you breathe? He's like, yeah, I can breathe. I'm like, okay, you're probably okay. We go to the doctor and he's got an x-ray and it's stuck in his esophagus. So we're like, God, Lord, help.

It's just so anxious that we didn't even have words, right? So it's just knowing the Holy Spirit is praying right now for us in the midst of that. Something you said actually really hit me when you're like that God is for us. And I think that's so important, that the Holy Spirit is not there to point out all the ways we're failing and go, gosh, can't you get that right? Or you really are screwing up there.

But instead, what you said, God being for us, the Holy Spirit is always for us. And praying on our behalf, He's on our team, I think is how you put it. And I love that. I'm like, ah, because I know that I can struggle with that. Struggle with feelings of shame or feelings of failure or feelings like I'm not good enough or that God is whatever, not happy with me.

And it's like, wait, I gotta remember God is for me. And even when He's working out some of the character flaws in my own life, He's doing it for my good and loves me. So that's just helpful. If I don't know that God loves me and I can trust Him, I am so not open to... I don't wanna be vulnerable. I don't wanna ask for help because I'm like, ah, He's just gonna kick me in the shins.

I'm like, no, that's not who God is. And so that's a journey I'm on. I'd probably be on that journey my whole life. But continuing to learn and grow that, wait, God's for me. He loves me. This is for my best.

Anyway, be struggling with anxiousness?

That's great. Or anxiety.

Yeah. Yeah. Two things that come to my mind are one of the first stories I shared was about getting into music and I was so distraught, so heartbroken. And it was a good friend who was like, man, what are you feeling? And Josh, this is safe. I'm a safe space, basically. I don't know if he said those words, but he let me know, I'm gonna be your friend no matter what. What are you feeling right now?

To the point where I'm like, I don't even know... Do I even believe in God anymore? Why would I go through this pain? Can I even make it through this heartache? You can feel such deep emotion. And this friend was just like, dude, that's cool. Just share what's going on, really. And I was like, so that to me was like somebody creating a safe space where I could just share my honest struggle and allowed me to step into a vulnerable place and like, okay, I could receive...

And the help that he was giving me was like a safe place, acceptance. And he actually, by really introducing what a cool gift. I don't think he knew he was doing that, but he's like, hey, let's do this song or anything. And all of a sudden, it became this cool therapeutic medium. So that was a cool way that somebody... God used someone else to help me.

And then oftentimes, it's just my wife praying for me. I'll be really distraught and I'm like, I can't sleep and I'm stressed out about this thing or that thing. And Danielle would just be like, let me pray for you. I'm like, okay. And I'm just like, I don't know what to pray. I'm distraught. And she just put her hand on me and starts praying. And in those moments, it's like, oh, okay. My wife's praying for me. I know that God's praying for me and it really helps.

So those are a couple moments. I have a friend who lost their child. It's kind of a heavy story, but this whole sermon is kind of heavy. I'm like, gosh, why is this one so gnarly? But it's kind of like the reality of life. And I remember he had several friends that just came up to his house and they would just sit next to him and they wouldn't say anything.

And for days, people would take shifts, actually. They would go and just sit with him and just sit next to him and just look out. And they would spend hours. And I remember going up there once and there was a friend that was sitting with him and the friend walked out and I came in and just gave this guy a hug. And I was like, wow. It was just the faithful presence of a friend and different friends actually that just took time to sit with this guy who was basically groaning beyond what anybody would.

It was a powerful image for me of like, wow, that's what help looks like sometimes. And that's what the Holy Spirit does for us in those moments. He's praying for us in these groanings that are wordless. So yeah, a couple pictures.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And there's other times of groanings where it's like, I think the Spirit's working stuff out of us, like character flaws and temptations and sin and whatever. So sometimes in those moments, it's like He wants us to grow, right? So like, what is it? The church isn't a hospital for the sick, but... Or the church is a hospital for the sick, not a country club for saints.

That's like a quote that is often used at Menlo. But at the same time, the goal is not to stay in the hospital forever, right? So sometimes I'll... Like, well, I'm just always gonna have this sin habit. I'm just always gonna have this addiction and I'll never overcome it. And I had a friend recently, he's like, Josh, that's not true. What are you saying? You're not never gonna overcome this.

You have the Spirit of God in you and He wants to grow you and there's some training that He may wanna do in your life. And as you go through training, which looks like maybe some different spiritual disciplines of prayer or solitude or giving or Sabbath or... God begins to form and break some of those habits and strengthen us.

And some of the strength comes supernaturally, but it also comes from us stepping into that sort of co-laboring with God to grow in some areas. So I found that kind of, I think, important to that Romans 8 thing too. It's like, oh yeah, this isn't just about when difficult things happen in our lives, but it's also God transforming us and...

Oh, what's the word? Refining us in some of those areas where it's like, oh, He wants us to grow. And that means we need to take some steps to grow. So anyway.

That's... Yeah, that... You know, I do wish maybe we had had... Like if we had... I think we got 30 more minutes to that day. I would have loved... I would have loved to just have a time of prayer together like that.

I would encourage people even this week to call up that friend and go, hey, can I share some things with you? And just share some of those real struggles and then take some time to actually pray for one another. I think that would be powerful. Or even in the room, I wish we had had more time to just go, hey, we're gonna take 10 minutes. Let's grab a few people next to you.

Of course, that would make some people feel really uncomfortable and want to leave. But I think for most people, if they had that experience, it would be really powerful just as a way to tangibly offer the help of God through community, through one another, or even just putting your hand on someone's shoulder and just praying over them.

I would have loved to get into a little bit more of death is not the end. I think that would be powerful. I think that's on Paul's mind here a bit that the Spirit's groaning in us and we're waiting for a redemption of our bodies and just to kind of dwell a little bit.

I mean, we did that last week though, so that would have been a little bit redundant, but just a little bit more talking about, man, what's that gonna be like? And knowing that death is not the end. Your groans are not the last thing you're gonna be saying. Your eternal life is gonna be celebrations and cheers and embrace and welcome and hellos with no goodbye.

And this is our future and our groaning is so temporal, but in the moment, it can feel like it's never gonna end. So just to encourage people like, hey, this too will pass, even if that means we're done with this life, move into the next, which is wild to think about, but that's true.

That's great. Yeah, the creative team in our inception brainstorm meeting we have, as we're kind of thinking about the next teaching series, we get all of our creatives together and just like brainstorm ideas like, all right, what should we do? How can we help people learn?

And some people learn best through auditory learning. Some people learn best through visual and some people are kinesthetic, like they learn by doing stuff. And so we wanted to create some sort of interactive doing stuff kind of element where people could respond and interact with the text.

So we just made a giant eight out of wood and corkboard. And what we did was we passed out three by five cards. If you weren't here, this is kind of how it went down, but people would write down on a three by five card, and they would write down on a three by five card, and they would write down on a three by five card, what is a promise or a truth that they've learned through this series through Romans eight, and write that down and then come up to the eight and pin it to the eight.

And basically for the next four weeks, we're gonna do this. And by the end of the four weeks, we're gonna have these eights filled with all these cards, and it'll be a visual representation of what God's been saying to our community through Romans eight.

So our hope is that that could be kind of a cool and fun and important and powerful kinesthetic moment where people are like, oh, pinning their word, their truth to the eight, and then also reading some of the others and just going, wow, look at what God's saying. He's speaking to us.

So anyway, that was a creative attempt at making the scripture stick.

Yeah, we've got three more weeks of the series. Last week will be fun because we're doing kind of a wrap up. We'll put all of our creative bumpers together, which will be cool.

Oh, yeah.

So yeah, our video bumpers, you'll see the whole thing. So you can't miss that. Last one, everybody. Come to it.

Totally. That's great. That's great.

Well, a few things guide that process. One of the things that guides that process is we try and think of like a 20-day process. So we try and think of like a 20-year span. Like if you were to hang with Menlo for 20 years, kind of a long time, but if you were to hang with us for 20 years, what would you, after singing songs at Menlo for 20 years, what would you think about God?

Interesting.

What would you say? What would stand out to you? What would you have learned about God? I think of worship leaders or pastors, I think, especially worship leaders, I think of them as sort of art docents. Like a curator, you're walking into a gallery and that curator, that docent is walking you around and saying, look at this attribute of God.

And you're seeing this painting and you're like, whoa, that's really cool. Oh, wait, but there's more. Look at this other attribute of God. Look at this other attribute. Look at what God did here. Look at what God did there. And by the time you've sort of gone through the art gallery, you're like, whoa, I'm getting a robust, biblically informed view of who God is, which is really important.

Like what we think about God is, some argue, the most important thing about us. And so as worship leaders, I like to think of that 20-year thing. Hey, if someone's with us for 20 years, what's been the diet? What's been the theological diet? How are they viewing and thinking about God by the end of that time with us?

I mean, obviously 20 years is a long time, not everyone's with us, but it kind of helps you think through, gosh, let's make sure we're getting themes that really cover the span of scripture. Let's make sure we're really getting themes that cover all the different attributes of God. And we're asking ourselves, what's missing, right? Like, what have we not been singing about?

So that's one of the things that kind of informs the process, I should say.

Yeah.

Another thing that informs the process is, let's make sure we've got songs that are vertical, songs that are like pointed right directly to God, as well as songs that are horizontal, that are songs about what God's doing or that kind of a thing. Let's make sure we got songs that talk about God's actions throughout human history and highlight different things throughout the scriptures of what God has done miraculously and how he's continuing to work today.

So these are just some things that kind of underpin, undergird the process. From there, we pick about...

There's more?

From there...

Okay.

We've got... We've chosen a playlist. We've got like between 45 and 50 songs in a playlist. It's sort of the goal. And we introduce songs by... I mean, there's a lot of things that... Well, we'll get to song introduction in a second. But we've got this playlist, okay?

And songs stay in that playlist for about maybe a year and a half, two years. And then once a song's been in that playlist for about that time, we put it on the shelf. And every month, we introduce a new song, and every month, we take a song and put it on the shelf. So that playlist is constantly refreshing.

Yep.

That's kind of our strategy. It's worked pretty well, I think, overall. I mean, you can never satisfy everybody.

Of course.

We do have hymns that... Songs are written... Timeless. Five, 600 years. We can pull those in at any time, right? We've got songs that span a couple thousand years of the church. So I love like, let's pull the best of the ancient, the best of the past, and the best of the current, and what's happening so that we can shade the future.

So I love this sort of ancient future modality.

Yeah. As we're talking about song picks. Once we have that song list, like I said, we rotate one new one in every month, rotate one out. And then as we're looking from week to week, we're definitely looking at that teaching theme, right? I believe the teaching is really the rudder of the ship.

So it's like, okay, where is God taking the ship? And for the weekend service in particular, what song can really reinforce that weekend service vision, right? If you will, that central theme of the whole day. What's that... What are songs that are gonna help enforce that? Not that every song's gotta connect to the theme, but if you get a couple of songs that connect to it, it really helps people have a cohesive experience with everything you do that day, whether it's prayer, songs, spoken word, videos, and then of course the message.

So anyway, so as we're picking songs on a weekend, we're thinking through what songs tie in, but then we're thinking through the whole experience and what journey are we taking people on, right? The engagement funnel, as some people call it. What journey are we taking people on and how do these songs help people take that next step in the journey of encountering God?

That's our big goal for the weekend. So gosh, picking songs is difficult, right? Because there's thousands of songs that are written, and it's like... And there's so many good ones. So it's like, how are we picking this new song this next month? Well, look at your playlist. What are you missing, right? In terms of like, what are we singing about God?

And then is there anything we're missing in terms of what the church specifically needs right now? What does this church in this moment, in this time, need to sing to the God who's leading them, right?

Anyway, so we're prayerful and trying to think that through.

And then everybody throws all their opinions at you.

Of course.

And then you've got to sit through.

I want to hear this song.

I want this one.

I hate that one.

And so you're always like, there's just, nobody's ever always satisfied.

So you're constantly in that realm.

August 17th. Who's invited?

Yep. August 17th, everybody. If you're listening, we would love, if you're already volunteering with us in some way, shape or form in any ministry, this is going to be a great day for us. We're all going to come together.

Yep. August 17th at each of our campus locations. So whichever campus you serve at, that's the campus you'll attend this event. It's going to be a kickoff launch event. We're going to have some vision casting. We'll have a time of worship together. We'll hear about where we're going as a church, as Menlo.

It's exciting. All the things that, boy, there's a lot coming that's going to be great for us ahead, what God's leading us to do. And we're also going to do some breakouts where we get some specific training on, hey, what does it look like to be a healthy volunteer team? That's vision led and how can we care for each other and all the, all the things that not all the things, but a lot of great things that will help us as volunteers.

So definitely check that out. And if you're listening and you're like, you know, maybe it's time I should like get involved and like jump in and do something. We would also love to have you come to this because you could learn about, hey, what does it look like to serve on a team?

And you could meet other people and connect with them so that you got friends on the journey serving together. There's nothing like getting involved, right? Like when we get involved with the mission. All of a sudden, like our hearts in it and it's, it's, we get to experience the thrill of God using our lives, right? To be about something bigger than ourselves.

So come check that out. August 17th, please, everybody do not miss that time. It's going to be awesome.

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Let me know if you need any further adjustments!

### Quotes for outreach

1. "It takes this willingness to kind of wade into the vulnerability and say, hey, there's areas of my life that I'm deeply overwhelmed by or deeply flawed, and I really need help. And when we do that, this incredible promise is that God floods in and just brings that help for us, which brings a lot of hope to us." [02:28] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "It's just kind of a mind-blowing thought that the God of the universe who created us and gave us this amazing gift called prayer is actually praying for us." [02:28] (10 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "I want them to know that I'm with them, I hear them, I'm listening, and I love them. And so that led me to volunteer with a church in San Diego called Skyline." [05:31] (9 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "If I don't know that God loves me and I can trust Him, I am so not open to... I don't wanna be vulnerable. I don't wanna ask for help because I'm like, ah, He's just gonna kick me in the shins. I'm like, no, that's not who God is." [18:56] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "There's nothing like getting involved, right? Like when we get involved with the mission. All of a sudden, like our hearts in it and it's, it's, we get to experience the thrill of God using our lives, right? To be about something bigger than ourselves." [37:45] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for members

1. "In our weakness, God himself offers divine help. Everything should just... If I was writing a song, that should be like, I'm gonna say that. But anyway, that's kind of one of the similarities." [09:50] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "The Holy Spirit comes and resides in a believer when you place your faith in Jesus. And so now you got the Spirit of Christ in you or the Holy Spirit in you. And so now when you're praying and you're like, I can't even pray, I'm so distraught, that's what Paul's saying, the Spirit of God starts praying on our behalf." [15:57] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "I think the Spirit's working stuff out of us, like character flaws and temptations and sin and whatever. So sometimes in those moments, it's like he... He wants us to grow, right? So like, what is it? The church isn't a hospital for the sick, but... Or the church is a hospital for the sick, not a country club for saints." [24:25] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "I would encourage people even this week to call up that friend and go, Hey, can I share some things with you? And just share some of those real struggles and then take some time to actually pray for one another. I think that would be powerful." [26:26] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "What is a promise or a truth that they've learned through this series through Romans eight, and write that down and then come up to the eight and pin it to the eight. And basically for the next four weeks, we're gonna do this. And by the end of the four weeks, we're gonna have these eights filled with all these cards, and it'll be a visual representation of what God's been saying to our community through Romans eight." [29:33] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)