Sermons

In this sermon, Kevin Germer reflects on Jesus' suffering on the cross and how it reveals God's deep identification with human pain and feelings of abandonment. He begins by sharing personal memories of growing up in the church and transitions into the theme of suffering, emphasizing that all people are born searching for a face—someone who sees, knows, and loves them. Drawing from Mark 15:33-34 and psychological insights, Germer explains that hope in suffering forms through secure, loving relationships, something Jesus experienced with his earthly mother and especially his heavenly Father. Yet on the cross, Jesus cries out in forsakenness, revealing that God Himself knows what it feels like to be abandoned by God. This profound mystery shows that God meets us not from a distance but from within our own suffering. Germer urges the congregation to trust that God is with them even in their darkest moments, including the sense of God’s absence. He also emphasizes the role of the church community as the body of Christ, called to embody God’s presence by seeing, knowing, and bearing one another’s burdens. The sermon concludes with an invitation to be honest about our suffering and to be present in the suffering of others, trusting that Christ meets us there.

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