Spiritual power is not through political power. Political power will never give us spiritual power. Therefore, what happens if we put our hope in political power more than spiritual power? We will end up disappointed or we’ll end up deceived.

I’ve been in the ‘disappointed’ camp quite a few times in my life. Both in the UK and in the US, I’ve put my trust in a political party or political leader as my hope for transforming our society and nation. But it never turns out as promised. It’s always disappointing.

I’ve also known people end up in the deceived camp. Despite multiple failed predictions of political salvation, they continue to believe that this time it’s different. They are deceived so much they think everyone else is deceived.

Either way, whether it’s disappointment or deception, we lose spiritual power by trusting in political power. So, how can we view political power so we increase spiritual power? In Daniel 7, God gives us two lenses which helps us find spiritual power.

Sermon Notes on Daniel 7.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression associated with the darker winter months. In most cases, SAD symptoms start in the late fall or early winter and go away during the spring and summer. Symptoms include loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, sleep problems, low energy, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, over-eating, and social withdrawal. It was common in the Scottish Highlands where I pastored for 13 years, mainly because of the extremely short daylight hours in the winter (about 5-6 hours of dark gray).

One of the most common treatments for SAD is daily light therapy, to make up for the diminished natural sunshine in the darker months. The person sits in front of a very bright light (20x brighter than indoor light) every day for about 30 to 45 minutes, usually first thing in the morning.

But there’s another SAD that’s even worse than this SAD. Spiritual affective disorder is a year-round (even life-long) depression that results from living in spiritual darkness. It too can result in low energy and mood as well as feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Is there a cure for this kind of SAD? Let’s hear John’s answer in John 1:4-9.

Sermon Notes on John 1:4-9.

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Happiness makes us sing but singing also makes us happy. How so? Studies have discovered that the deep breathing in singing brings more oxygen into the blood, releasing feel-good chemicals in the brain. Also, the concentration required in singing distracts us from our problems and therefore reduces our stress. Singing in a choir is even better because it gives us a lift from social connection and working together with others. So, what songs should we sing to maximize our happiness? In Luke 2:8-14 we can listen to the best ever choir, singing the best ever lyrics, of the best ever song, in the best ever way.

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Broken promises break people. Whether it’s wedding promises, business promises, investment promises, privacy promises, or political promises, when promises are broken, people are broken too. Broken promises break marriages, companies, finances, friendships, nations, and health.

Broken promises break us, but kept promises build us up. Can we find a perfect promiser with perfect promises to build better lives? In Luke 1:57-80, the Holy Spirit opened Zechariah’s mouth to point us to the perfect promiser with perfect promises.

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Have you ever jumped for joy? Probably a long time ago. Perhaps it was a surprise Christmas present or you scored a home run. For me it was when I caught my first salmon. I didn’t just jump for joy, I danced for joy! Don’t you wish you could have even a moment of that child-like joy again? Just one joy-jump of even just one inch? “But, my heart is heavy and my shoulders weighed down with life’s burdens. I can hardly stand up, never mind jump up.” How can we jump for joy when we are jaded? In Luke 1:39-56, Mary, Elizabeth, and John the baby, team up to teach us how to jump for joy again.

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Is God asking you to climb Mt. Impossible? Maybe it’s an impossible situation, or an impossible problem, or an impossible decision. Mt Impossible makes us feel so small and so scared doesn’t it? How can small people like us overcome mountainous challenges like these? Let’s see how God helped Mary climb Mt Impossible in Luke 1:26-38, so we can get courage for the next step.