Podcast. Instagraphics. Website. iTunes. Spotify

Nearly half of Americans always or sometimes feel alone. Nearly half of Britons over 65 consider the television or a pet their main source of company.

Scientists have long known that loneliness is emotionally painful and can lead to psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. But recently they’ve also discovered how bad it is for the body. Researchers at UCLA discovered that social isolation triggers cellular changes that result in chronic inflammation, and physical conditions like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. The health risks of loneliness are comparable to obesity and the dangers of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Lonely individuals had a 26% higher risk of dying, rising to 45% if they were seniors.

But it’s not just seniors. 80% of Gen Z and 70% of millennials reported being lonely in 2019 (and COVID has made it even worse). Believe it or not, loneliness is the number one fear of young people today—ranking ahead of losing a home or a job. Fully 42% of Millennial women are more afraid of loneliness than a cancer diagnosis. Anyone, anywhere, of any age can experience loneliness. What’s the solution to the loneliness epidemic? Let’s hear David’s surprising answer in Psalm 62.

Podcast. Instagraphics. Website. iTunes. Spotify

The alarm clock is beeping and buzzing. Slowly you resurrect from sleep. You tap the snooze button and your inner boss starts questioning you: “What day is it?” “Oh no, it’s Monday!” “What’s on today?” You run through your calendar in your mind and suddenly see an awful day or week ahead: a dreaded appointment, a difficult conversation, a much-delayed decision. Your heart sinks, your strength drains, your fear fills up. “How can I face today?” you groan. David answers in Psalm 61.

Sermon notes on Daniel 6.

Sermon notes on John 1:1-3.

Podcast. Instagraphics. Website. iTunes. Spotify

When people ask me, “What’s the biggest difference between the United Kingdom and the United States of America?” I answer, “The American flag is everywhere in the USA but the British flag is virtually nowhere in the UK.” I can’t go through a day without seeing the American flag multiple times in multiple places. I can go weeks and months and not see the Union Jack, the British flag, anywhere.

Why such a big difference? The American people are more patriotic than the Brits. They’re proud of their flag because they’re proud of their country and they’re not ashamed to show it. But it works the other way too. It’s not just that the flag reflects patriotism, it also stirs it up. The omnipresence of the Stars and Stripes stirs up patriotism too.

Which raises a spiritual question: How do we express and revive the patriotism of God’s people? Let’s hear David’s answer in Psalm 60.

Podcast. Instagraphics. Website. iTunes. Spotify

“I want to be weak,” said no one ever. Why? Because weakness is a horrible experience. When we’re weak, we can’t do the things we want to do. Weakness means saying “I can’t,” and “Can you help me?” Words of only one syllable, yet the hardest words to say in the English language.

But, in the spiritual realm, weakness is strength. “I can’t” and “Can you help me?” are the most powerful words in our spiritual vocabulary. That’s why, in Psalm 59, David invites us to The Weakness Gym, whose tagline is, Our Strength is Weakness. Why would I want to get weaker? Let’s hear David’s answer.