“Hope in the Valley”
1 Thessalonians 4:13–14
Life is a struggle and there are times when we go through valleys
It could be a VALLEY:
- of sickness, fear or poverty
- loss or frustration
- sadness and anxiety
The Valley may be:
- the loss of a relationship
- it could be betrayal
- it might be the death of a LOVED one…
The VALLEY may be dark, but:
the Christian is NOT ALONE.
God walks with HIS CHILDREN
through the VALLEY.
Psalm 23:4 (KJV):
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
God’s presence is our comfort in the valley….
Over the years our Church has lost many faithful saints:
- Each loss leaves a hole in our hearts and
- and an empty spot in our Church family
The pain of their absence is real:
• There is sadness, loneliness, and deep sorrow.
• Even as we trust God's plan,
• We miss them dearly.
Wednesday as I was listening during Mary Lou’s funeral:
- and I looked over to the Organ
- and I could picture Mary Lou playing the organ
- just as I had seen her in real life hundreds of times in real life
We will never see that again:
- we each have experienced the anguish of seeing someone for the last time
- We know the pain that comes with saying our last goodbye
- To someone we never wanted to lose
That pain is called GRIEF:
- and GRIEF is a deep emotional pain and sorrow caused by loss
- I think the pain we feel when we lose someone
- directly reflects the LOVE we had for them
- if that is TRUE, the more LOVE the more the pain.
Grief is commonly expressed through:
Sadness and crying
Anger or confusion
Numbness or shock
Guilt or regret
Loneliness or emptiness
A minute ago, we spoke about going through VALLEYs:
Certainly, everyone has valleys they must travel
but not everyone has hope in the valley.
Grief is universal. Death visits every life:
But for the Christian,
grief is not godless
The valley is not hopeless.
Why? Because we know how the story ends.
Every one of us has faced loss:
Death has taken from us parents, siblings, friends, children.
Some days we long to hear their voices again.
But here’s what anchors us:
Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 (NIV):
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die...”
We may not like the season of grief:
but we know that death is a part of life.
What a comfort to remind one another
That there is more to life than this life.
Christians face DEATH differently:
We still feel the sting, but not without salvation
We still weep, but not without worship.
We still mourn, but not without hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 (NIV)
“...so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope...”
The world reacts to DEATH with despair:
• Tears with no comfort.
• Mourning with no meaning.
• Because for them, this life is all there is.
But for the Christ follower, the story doesn’t end there.
This sermon will:
answer the question of how
A Christian can respond to Death and Grief
Remember that….
1. Death is a REALITY, but NOT the END
One of the most frightening things about death:
- is that it is coming for all of us one day
- Jesus may come back prior to our death, but
- if not, death is certain for each of us
I once had a conversation with my friend Andy:
- he was talking about getting older
- and he told me that getting old is the price you pay to get to see your kids grow up
- and he said “Getting older sure beats the alternative”
Woody Allen said:
“I’m not afraid to die…I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
Winston Churchill said:
“I’m prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
We can make jokes, but the DEATH is a reality for all of us…
Hebrews 9:27 (NIV) tells us:
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...”
We live and we die:
- and then we stand before the LORD
- to give an account of this life
- so NOW if the TIME to get RIGHT with the LORD…
- because TOMORROW is not promised to anyone.
But for the Christian:
Death does not get the final say
In death The Christian has
nothing to lose and everything to gain…
Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Dear Christian; remember that:
- “This world is not our home — we are only passing through.”
• Heaven is better than here,
• Heaven is our true and eternal home
We are not meant to get too comfortable here:
This life is temporary, but eternity is forever.
Death for the Christian is a release from Sin and suffering and
an entrance into a GREAT REWARD
Grief reminds us that:
Life is fragile.
Time is short.
Our hope is in something greater than what this world can offer.
All of this reminds me of a hymn we sing…
When We All Get to Heaven
Verse 1:
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place.
Chorus:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
When we all get to heaven….
“‘He (JESUS) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:4 (NIV)
Heaven isn’t just the end of suffering—it is the beginning of everything God has promised..
Application:
1. Accept death’s reality—but trust eternity’s certainty.
2. Talk about death in the light of God’s promises.
3. Let life’s brevity spark eternal purpose.
Yes, death is a reality—we cannot escape it:
But for the Christian, it is not the end.
It is a doorway to eternity,
not a full stop but a comma in God's story.
Jesus understands our grief, because He’s felt it too.
2. Jesus UNDERSTANDS and SHARES in our GRIEF
Jesus has tasted grief…just as we experience that pain
Isaiah 53:3–4 (NIV)
“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain...”
Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses...”
When Lazarus died….
- and was in the grave for 4 days
- His friend was dead and
- his other friends were suffering the loss
“Jesus wept.”
John 11:35 (NIV)
Lazarus was a friend to Jesus:
Jesus is deeply moved and troubled
His tears demonstrate His love and compassion for human suffering
Jesus knows about our GRIEF, even the Son of God wept
Jesus knows our sorrow and walks with us through it…
- he is not distant from our pain
- we are not alone in our grief
Grief has its proper time and place:
“(there is) A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”
- Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NIV)
Application:
A. Jesus understands. Let His tears validate yours.
B. Grief is not weakness—it’s human, even holy.
C. Pray through your pain. Pour it out to the One who understands.
Jesus not only understands your sorrow:
He draws near it.
When our tears fall,
God is not far off
God Is Not Distant—He Is Deeply concerned by Your Pain
3. God is NEAR and brings COMFORT
(illustration of SOMEONE DISTANT OR UNCONCERNED)
God is not far away or disconnected from your suffering.
Psalm 46:1 (NIV):
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
God is not indifferent to your sorrow.
o He sees every tear (Psalm 56:8).
o He understands your heartache
o better than anyone else.
God loves each of us personally and deeply.
o His love is not abstract
o He knows your name, your wounds, and your story.
Psalm 34:18 (NIV):
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
God wants to bring healing to your heart.
Psalm 147:3 (NIV):
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
God desires to calm your fears.
o “Do not fear, for I am with you” Isaiah 41:10
o His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV):
“Praise be to... the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles...”
Application:
A. Seek His comfort through Scripture and prayer.
B. Stay connected to Christian community.
C. Reflect and record your journey—God meets you in every line.
God’s comfort now is just a preview of the joy that’s coming.
• He doesn’t just help us get through grief—He gives us hope beyond it.
• Grief won’t last forever—because of Jesus, it has an end.
• The resurrection is real, and one day, pain and loss will be gone for good.
4. FOCUS on the HOPE of the RESURRECTION
Our whole faith hinges on the RESURRECTION of Jesus:
- if Jesus is not raised, our religion is useless
- because Jesus is raised from the dead
- we have hope of resurrection as well
1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesu Christ from the dead.”
One of the most encouraging verses:
- that many preachers often share
- in the presence death and grief
- is a verse that offers comfort and hope
John 14:1–3 (NIV):
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
What a great reminder to us that:
Heaven is real, a home with plenty of space in the Father’s house.
Jesus Himself is preparing that place for those who believe.
He promises to return and personally bring us to be with Him forever.
Does that lighten your load? (it makes my heart happy)
- to know that Jesus is making a nice place for you in heaven.
- that when this life is over, when you have fought the fight and finished the race
- you have a heavenly home waiting for you with God?
Life is full of suffering—but hope remains…
We all face pain, loss, and hardship in this life.
• But the best is yet to come—this isn’t the end of the story.
• When we reach heaven, God’s blessings will far outweigh our current struggles.
• The joy ahead will be so great, our present pain won’t even compare (Romans 8:18).
Application:
A. Let resurrection hope reshape your present pain.
B. Tears may fall today, but joy is on the way
C. Brighter days are ahead!
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have a living hope—real, active, and eternal.
With God’s help, we don’t just survive sorrow—we grow through it:
• God never wastes our pain—He uses it to shape purpose.
• Even in deep loss, He’s still working behind the scenes.
• Your story of sorrow can become someone else’s source of strength and healing.
5. ALLOW God to USE Your GRIEF for His PURPOSE
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
Sometimes, We Go Through Pain or Loss for a Greater Purpose:
• We go through pain or loss so we can help someone else walk through theirs.
• In moments of grief, we often question why we must endure pain.
• We long for the pain to end, but sometimes,
• God allows it to continue for reasons we may not fully understand.
What We Need to Remember:
- God is at work in the big picture, even when we can’t see the full plan.
• We may never know the purpose behind our grief, but
• we can trust that God has a reason.
Remember:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…”
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
You may not fully understand someone’s struggle:
until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.
Your grief can become a ministry
a way to comfort others with the same comfort God gave you.
God never wastes our pain:
He turns our sorrow into a tool for compassion and healing.
What feels like a burden now may one day
become a blessing to someone else.
Application:
A. Use your testimony to minister to others in pain.
B. Let God recycle your sorrow into someone else’s strength.
C. Point others to the hope you have in the resurrection of Jesus
REVIEW:
? Grief is a reality we all face, and while the journey is painful, it’s important to remember that God is with us in our suffering.
? Though the pain may feel overwhelming, it is not the end of the story—our ultimate hope is found in the resurrection and eternal life through Christ.
? In the midst of our grief, God is shaping us, using our experiences to draw us closer to Him and to equip us to help others in their own struggles.
? Even when we don’t see it, God is at work, bringing good out of our pain, fulfilling His promises in ways we may not immediately understand.
Illustration: The Farmer and the Seed
• Imagine a farmer planting a seed in the ground.
• At first, the seed is buried—hidden in the darkness, surrounded by dirt. It may seem like nothing is happening, but the farmer knows that the seed must go through the darkness in order to grow.
• In time, the seed breaks through the ground, transforming from darkness into new life—a beautiful plant or tree.
• Much like that seed, our grief may feel like a period of darkness, but God is using it to bring about new life in us.
• Even when we can't see it, God is working beneath the surface, bringing healing, growth, and hope, as He promises to do in all things.
Invitation:
• Are you carrying the weight of grief or pain? Jesus invites you to find peace, healing, and hope in Him today.
• If you have not yet made the decision to follow Jesus, today is the day to start that journey.
• Jesus offers forgiveness for your sins and eternal life with Him for all who believe in Him, repent of their sins, and are baptized in His name.
• The pain of this world is real, but through Christ, you can find purpose, healing, and an eternal hope that transcends this life’s struggles.
• Jesus doesn’t promise an easy path, but He does promise His presence with you through every trial. In Him, your grief will be transformed into strength.
• Today, make the decision to be baptized into Christ and begin a new life. Allow Him to wash away your sins, give you His Spirit, and walk with you through the darkest valleys.
• The time is now. Don’t wait any longer to choose the hope and healing that only Jesus can offer.
credit: not sure how to credit Chatgpt. I modified their outline, and had it rework some of my paragraphs.
