His Praise on Our Lips

In one paragraph

On a Sunday morning at Tribe, Pastor Brian walked the congregation through Isaiah 57:18-19, where God promises healing, guidance, comfort, and peace to Israel despite their unfaithfulness. The central question of the message was whether we wait to see those promises fulfilled before we praise God, or whether praise is meant to come first. The service was interactive throughout, with the...

Read together

1. Isaiah 57:18-19 central text of the sermon, read aloud by a congregation member; God promises healing, guidance, comfort, peace, and praise on lips despite Israel's waywardness
2. Job 13:15 read aloud to illustrate praising God before seeing his promises fulfilled; though he slay me yet will I hope in him
3. Habakkuk 3:16-19 read aloud as an example of mature faith rejoicing in the Lord despite total material loss and unanswered circumstances
4. Isaiah 49:8 quoted briefly during the offering to encourage trust in God's timing; at just the right time I will respond to you
5. Psalm 23 referenced briefly as an example of scripture about God's guidance and leadership, the good shepherd leading by still waters and green pastures
6. Philippians 4:4 a congregation member recalled the verse rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice in connection to the sermon's theme

What was said

• Write down the mountain you are currently facing, then find and write out a scripture that speaks directly to that situation.
• Memorize that verse and say it out loud over and over, even before you feel like it is true for you.
• When your emotions are pushing you toward silence or despair this week, make the choice to open your mouth and speak or sing praise anyway, before you see anything change.
• If you want to get into the backcountry safely, sign up for Tribe Mountain Adventures on February 27 by checking the sign-up sheet or talking to Pastor Brian.
• Pray for the Teton County Search and Rescue team on Tuesday evening when Tribe is serving them dinner.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about the difference between encountering God's goodness first and then praising him, versus praising him before you see any of it. Which of those two feels more natural to you right now, and why?
2. Brian used the image of a train where emotions are the engine pulling everything else. Where have you seen that play out in your own life, and what happened?
3. Job said 'though he slay me, yet will I trust him,' and Habakkuk said 'yet I will rejoice' while everything around him was falling apart. What do you think makes that kind of response possible, and what makes it hard?
4. Lee raised the point that when you try to praise God before you feel like it, you can feel hypocritical. Have you run into that, and how did you handle it?
5. Brian suggested a practical exercise of writing down the mountain you are facing, finding what God's word says about it, and then speaking it out. What would that look like for something you are actually carrying this week?