Good morning! I’m glad to welcome you to worship today at Hillcrest Baptist Church. 

It doesn’t take long for us to begin feeling unsettled, anxious or even fearful when we hear of and experience things that are beyond our control. When you hear of natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars, political upheaval, division in our country, family crisis, or issues related to personal health, how does it make you feel? Fearful? Anxious?

If you’re anything like me, the temptation is to allow these emotions to hinder you from walking through difficult circumstances with the “peace that passes all understanding.” God hasn’t abandoned us, nor does He want us to live in anxiety and fear. He has left us with and gives to us a kind of PEACE that is different than what the world offers. A kind of peace that gives us a settled confidence in the midst of uncontrollable and scary circumstances.

Today, in our third of nine sermons on the Fruit of the Spirit, we examine this attribute of peace by looking at what Jesus says to his disciples moments before he experiences the darkest moment of his life. From John 14:27, we learn about the kind of peace that Jesus refers to and how it’s different than the kind of peace the world offers.