Lent 2026: Grace in the Eremos ~ Place for Deepest Formation

Today, in our time to hear and respond to a message from God’s word, we will reflect on Lent through Psalm 102, highlighting God’s presence in the “eremos,“ the wildness. Lent once again is a wilderness season of reflection, repentance, and reconciliation, inviting us to confront our sin, mortality, and suffering as we journey with Christ toward the cross. Like the psalmist, traditionally believed with the weeping prophet Jeremiah, we see raw lament, loneliness, and bold cries to God. Yet the psalm shifts from despair to hope, affirming God’s eternal reign and faithfulness.

Using the image of threshing wheat, the sermon explains how God uses hardship to strip away sin and self-reliance, forming Christ in us. Trouble is not proof of God’s absence but often evidence of His refining work. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers need not fear suffering or even death; victory belongs to the Lord. Lent, then, becomes an invitation to trust God in the wilderness, allowing Him to transform sorrow into testimony and despair into enduring hope.

((Audio Only))

STUDY GUIDE

1. The Wilderness (Eremos):
   What does the “eremos” represent in the Christian life? When have you experienced a spiritual wilderness?
2. Honest Lament:
   In Psalm 102, the psalmist boldly cries out to God (“Hear me… Do not hide…”). What does this teach us about how we can approach God in prayer?
3. Suffering and Assumptions:
   Why is it important that the psalm does not directly connect suffering to specific sin? How does this challenge common assumptions?
4. The Turning Point:
   What changes in verses 12–17 of Psalm 102? What causes the shift from despair to hope?
5. Threshing as Transformation:
   How does the image of threshing help explain God’s work in hardship? What might God be removing or refining in your life?
6. Testimony for Others:
   Why does the psalmist want his experience recorded for future generations? What “but then God” moments from your life could encourage others?
7. Hope Beyond FOMO:
   How does the promise of resurrection remove the fear of missing out—even in death?
8. Living It Out:
   What would it look like for you to trust God’s presence in your current wilderness instead of trying to escape it?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Galatians 2:20
Romans 8:18
Luk 9:58
Hebrews 12:1-2
2 Corinthians 3:18
Philippians 2:6-11
Psalm 102
John 9:3
Hebrews 11:16
1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

Referenced Only
Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 130, 143