Bent Oak Church

Psalm 128 describes what it is like to fear the Lord, but it's images are surprising. Fearing the Lord requires a recognizing of dependence, but with that recognition comes the opportunity to receive: food, family, and health. 

Brad Lombardi delivers a Father's Day sermon on Psalm 127.

Psalm 126 is about perspective. The Psalmist teaches us to look back on the amazing things God has done for his people, to realize God is good in the present, and to anticipate all that God has in store. The effect is gladness and joy.

God promises he will do good for his people. He promises not to let wickedness rule over his people as to tempt them to wickedness. The faithfulness of God's goodness motivates us to continue doing good. 

Had God not been for us we would have been swallowed alive.  How did Israel survive? How after invasions and enslavement and assimilation did God persevere a remnant? Because God was with them—form them. Psalm 124 looks at the miraculous gift of God's Faithfull perseverance.

Not everyone thought the psalmist's pilgrimage to Jerusalem was a good idea. The psalmist admits feeling the disdain of others. So he turns to God in prayer. Show us mercy. As we fix our eyes on you, turn your attention to us.

As we continue our way through the psalms of ascent, Psalm 122 looks ahead to the final destination—Jerusalem. The psalmist anticipates the joy of passing through her gates and being a part of Jerusalem's community for worship. The psalm concludes with a series of prayers for peace.

If there is one psalm that might be most associated with our current crisis, it is surely Psalm 91. With its specific reference to protection from a plague, it’s not hard to see why.But Psalm 91 says something more—something better. We’ll attempt to see the whole psalm and how its promises build toward things we would never have had the boldness to request.

This week, we begin a new section of the psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent. They were often read by travelers as they approached Jerusalem for one of Israel’s religious festivals.They have long been used by other believers as an analogy for their own pilgrimage toward God. They teach us to reflect and pray about things we otherwise might not have considered.

As we continue on the path, guided by the Psalms of Ascent, the psalmist begins to worry about all that can go wrong: accidents, weather, evil. Psalm 121 asks a very practical question. Where will our help come from?