Secret Help For Secret Hurts Series

Secret Help For Secret Hurts

PPT 1 Series Title (Secrets of the Heart)

Intro: Today I am wrapping up my series on Rest and transitioning to a new series "Secrets of the Heart." During this series I am going to be revealing some secrets people have had for a long time, don't get nervous because none of the secrets I will be revealing are from anyone who is a part of this church body. At least as far as I know, but you may find yourself relating to some of these secrets. Some secrets people carry are very painful as you probably already know personally. If you are not in a place of great pain I hope to then make you aware of the suffering all around us, and motivate us to be Christ's helpers for those in pain.. Each week I will be sharing some very intimate secrets that people have shared as a way to help us emotionally connect with others, and as a segway into each weeks message.

PPT 2 Message title "Part 1 Secret Help for Secret Hurts"

Today's message is Sewcret Help for Secret Hurts.

Some of the other topics in this series we will be looking at include: Tattletales, Secrets of the Secret Place, Secret Sins.

So what are secret hurts?

Hurts others don't know about.

Hurts others may know about, but not the depth of emotion or pain connected with them.

Secrets that would shame us if they were made known.

Secrets that we keep to protect others, but hurt us as the same time.

I want to begin with a short video clip from a Ted Talk, then I will share some secrets, then I will discuss from scripture how to find help for Secret Hurts.

First for those who don't know Ted Talks is birthed out of something called the Ted Conference. "TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a media organization which posts talks online for free distribution, under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded in February 1984 as a conference, which has been held annually since 1990. TED's early emphasis was technology and design, consistent with its Silicon Valley origins, but it has since broadened its focus to include talks on many scientific, cultural, and academic topics." (Via Wikipedia) TED talks are to inform, to inspire, and to entertain.

This is part of a TED Talk by a man named Frank Warren on secrets.You may find it of interest that there is currently (Nov. 17) an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution of secrets that people have sent to his blog mentioned in this video.

PPT 3 TED TALK Postsecrets*

Now that you know what post secret is about. Let me sum up that the secrets shared run the gamut from joy to sorrow, shocking sin, to secret love, terrible heart ache, and unspeakable joy. I cannot as a pastor recommend the site without letting you know that you may be exposed to images and ideas that you may find very repugnant, offensive to our Christian faith, and images you don't want to see. For me, I looked at the site in ignorance of these facts, but the insight into the hearts and minds of lost people, and hurting people was significant enough that I still found it of value in helping me to connect with the heartbreaking and overwhelming sorrow that is so abundant, and that so many deal with in this world in which we live. Postsecret can be graphic and vulgar, not much different that modern television. Caveat Emptor (Buyer beware, or in this case viewer beware.).

So here are a couple of secrets that have been posted that I wanted to share with you, please be aware that they could stir up strong emotions, I am not doing that to hurt anyone but to connect with the hurting and say we in a small way understand what you are feeling. Afterwards as I said we will discuss help for secret hurts.

PPT 4 The Hurt of Secret Love "I am convinced you are my soulmate... But I never said a word to you."

I think most of us can relate to the feeling that we cared for someone but never told them how we felt, and we suffered silently when we saw them with someone else.

The Doobie Brothers had a hit song, "What a fool believes," that is in part about the exact same secret hurt. One line goes, "She had a place in his life, but he never made her think twice..." In other words he loved her, but she never gave him a second thought. Unrequited love, undeclared love, long distance love all speak of the same type of hurt.

PPT 5 Lost Husband

This one says, "The loneliest and saddest feeling in the world is knowing you lost your husband to this war...And he is sitting right next to you.