Up from the Ashes #8 - Child-like Job

This Sunday, June 1, we conclude our series on Job with a look at Job 42. After wrestling with suffering and questioning God's justice, Job responds in humility and renewed faith. “I had heard of you,” he says, “but now my eyes have seen you.” Through suffering, Job moves from secondhand knowledge of God to personal encounter.

God responds with grace, calling Job “my servant” again and again—a powerful sign of forgiveness and restoration. Job is not only restored in his life but also in his relationship with God. He even forgives his friends and intercedes for them, becoming a Christ-like figure who prays on behalf of those who wronged him.

Job’s story reminds us that suffering isn’t wasted. It can draw us closer to God, deepen our faith, and reveal his grace in powerful ways. Join us as we reflect on the God who meets us in the ashes.

Up from the Ashes #7 - One Little Word

This Sunday at Mount Lebanon Church, we’re diving into Job 41 —God’s thunderous description of Leviathan, the untamable beast no human can defeat. But God? He isn’t threatened. He rules over Leviathan. This terrifying creature—symbol of chaos, evil, even the devil himself—may be too much for us, but not for God. Evil is not His rival. It is His servant. With a word, He can fell it. Whatever Leviathan looks like in your life—fear, sin, injustice— God has the final word. And that word brings not only power, but vindication for His people. A sermon on Job 41.

Up from the Ashes #6 - Redemption Songs

In Job 40, God speaks again—not to explain, but to reveal. He points Job to Behemoth, a creature so powerful that no human can control it. And yet, God does. This moment isn’t about answers—it’s about awe. Through His words, God shows Job that His authority extends over everything, even what we cannot understand or manage.

Behemoth stands as a reminder: what is impossible for us is fully governed by God. In our suffering, when life feels chaotic or out of control, we are invited to trust the One who holds even Behemoth in His hand. God doesn’t diminish Job—He draws him into wonder. And He does the same for us. The wild is not wild to God. He reigns over it all.

Up from the Ashes #5 - Creation Songs

This sermon centers on the powerful moment when God answers Job—not with explanations, but with questions that reveal His greatness and Job’s smallness. Speaking from the storm, God draws Job into awe, not to belittle him, but to lift his eyes to the majesty of the Creator. As God recounts the wonders of creation, Job realizes that the Almighty who commands the cosmos also cares deeply for him. Job’s suffering is not meaningless—it’s refining. “When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold,” he declares. This same truth applies to us. God teaches, tests, and treasures His people. We are not forgotten. We are His masterpiece, His chosen ones, precious in His sight. In God’s vast universe, we are deeply known and infinitely valued. A sermon on Job 38-39.

Up from the Ashes #4 - What can you know?

In the span of a few days, Job lost everything. His prosperity was stolen from him and destroyed. His children lay buried in the dust. His own health was so destroyed that his friends could barely recognize him when they came to console him. But they were little help. Zophar was one of the worst. He came to Job in his grief and said to him, “You deserved this. In fact, it could have been worse. God has even forgotten some of your sin” (11:6). Some friends!

Yet, Zophar wasn’t all wrong. He asked a fundamental question of Job. “What can you know?” The wisdom, the mysteries, and the limits of God are all beyond our knowing. It is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.

Yet, there Zophar sat, daring to uncover the hidden mysteries of heaven to Job. Isn’t that what we try to do when we try to explain how God is working all things together for good (cf. Romans 8:28)? We say that and then we try to explain it. We sit with those who are suffering and try to explain to them how its good. We sit with our thoughts and try to reason out the things beyond our understanding.

We are better off if we stick with what we know. And what was it that Job knew, even in the dust and ashes? He knew that his Redeemer lived. He knew that he would live with him, too. Ah, how sweet this sentence is: I know that my Redeemer lives! Indeed, this is what we know.  Job 11:7-9; Job 19:23-27

Up from the Ashes #3 - Doxology

Satan comes for Job. This isn’t about some competition or bet between God and Satan, in which Job is the unfortunate pawn. Just like Satan has always been doing, he is coming for Job. That’s why he roams worldwide, prowling to and fro in it. He comes for Job. He thinks that if he takes the things of God away from God, Job will curse God. He believes that if he takes God's gifts away, Job will turn from him. But Job won’t. All he does is sing. All he does is hold on to God. In fact, instead of cursing God, he holds on to his God more tightly and even sings a song of praise.

Peter, too, sings a doxology. He even helps his readers to sing the same doxology because of what God is up to in their lives.

Everyone wants an explanation for suffering. We want to understand it. We want to make sense of it. We draw conclusions about God and about our lives based on our suffering. But this all comes from the assumption that suffering is bad. It comes from the belief that suffering is evil.

But notice how Job fights against this, even when the devil tempts him through his wife. In his agony, as he scrapes his wounds, he points her to the goodness of God.

But Job knows that it’s not because he has God. He knows that even if you take away the things of God, you have not and cannot take away God himself. Can you hear Psalm 73? “Whom have in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” This is why Job sings. This is why we sing, too. Doxology is the way we send the devil packing – we don’t hear from him anymore in the book. This is why we sing! We have God himself, who has died and been raised again. Job 1:12-2:10

Up from the Ashes #2 - Heavenly Conversations

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what is going on in heaven? Wouldn’t it be nice to have God’s explanation for our lives? Wouldn’t it be nice to know what God thinks about us?

In the book of Job, we get to know things that not even Job knows. As his story unfolds, God pulls back the veil, allowing us to listen in and see what is happening there. We see God call Satan in to interrogate him. And what is he up to? He is roaming to and fro, prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. But then, look what God says; consider what God says about Job. He brags about him! He boasts of him. He is one proud Father. Hearing this conversation leads me to ask this question: What does God say about me? If we could pull back the veil and listen in to these heavenly conversations, what would God say about you? About me?

There’s no need to wonder. While we may not know the exact words that our Father speaks about us as he converses with his angels, we do know this. The Devil doesn’t get an audience there anymore. He has fallen from heaven like lightning (cf. Luke 10:18). Not only is the Devil under Jesus’ feet, but he is under our feet, too. And, wonder of wonders, beyond all of that, our names are written in heaven (cf. Luke 10:20).

Four times in the opening two chapters, God gives his verdict of Job. How many times has spoken his verdict over you? Yes, our resurrected Lord stands up before the Devil, who questions our faith in Jesus and says to him, “The Lord rebuke you! This is one whose sin I have removed. I have rescued them from the fire. They are mine!” Job 1:6-11

Up from the Ashes #1 - Before

Our lives are full of “before and after” moments—what we were like before this and before that, what the world was like before this and after that. We can point to significant before/after moments in our own lives. We can see them clearly on the pages of Scripture. The wise man, Job, had a major before/after moment. In Job's account, we can see what Job was like before, during, and after his trial.  Before his trial, he was the ideal man, fearing God, shunning evil, and anxious concerning the eternity of his children. He was ready for what was coming.

There is another before/after moment that prepares us for whatever comes. Knowing that this day was coming filled even Job with eternal hope (cf. Job 19:23-27). He counted on the ideal Man, Jesus, the Son of God. He counted on his coming. The Messiah would be (and he was!) truly blameless and upright; he feared God alone and shunned evil. Yet, he suffered unspeakable injustice and then became the sacrifice for all humanity. This is the One we see raised from the dead this day! His blood has paid the price. His resurrection assures us that the check cleared.

 The Devil has no claim on him NOR US. This is our most important “after.” We live after the resurrection of Jesus and look forward to our own. And so, we’ll rise early each day, fearing the Lord, shunning evil, and being anxious for the eternity of the people in our lives.

Up from the Ashes #5: Embrace the Moment

We’re at a climax now in our worship. We’ve spent our time in lament. We’ve spent our time finding security and safety in the arms of our God. We’ve covered up our shame in the glory of Christ. We’ve thrown down the accusation of the Accuser by the blood of the Lamb. We are not victims anymore; we are victors. Yes, we are more than victors through Christ. And we have a glorious purpose for our lives. It may seem ordinary and simply. But it is not! The callings that God has given you, your vocations, are his extraordinary gift you. God thinks quite highly of you that he would impact your family, your church and your community through you. It’s time for us, the people of God, to rise like a phoenix and rise from the ashes.

This weekend, on the final weekend of this series, we will be looking at God’s direction for exiles. We are in an exile of sorts; yes, we are aliens and strangers in this world. This becomes clearer and clearer day by day. God’s advice was simple: Stop grumbling. Stop trying to get back to normal. And enjoy the life God has given you. #embracethemoment. More on that this weekend as we look at Jeremiah 29:4-9.

We're at a climax now in our worship. We've spent our time in lament. We've spent our time finding security and safety in the arms of our God. We've covered ...

Up from the Ashes #4: Called to Vocation

How does God get his work done on earth? How does God do his work in our day to day lives? He does it in the most ordinary ways. He could care for us through miracles from his hands - and he certainly does sometimes. He could send angels to do his work in this world - and he certainly does sometimes. The writer to the Hebrews says that angels are God’s ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. God most often works through US! He calls parents to take care of kids. He calls spouses to take care of each other. He calls leaders to govern our cities and countries; he calls pastors to shepherd. You get the idea. God does his work in ordinary ways through you and through me.

It’s time for us to see the grand purpose that God has given us in the vocations to which God has called us. A sermon by Pastor Paul Krueger from Mount Lebanon.

Up from the Ashes #3: Of Dogs, Sheep and Lions.

What sort of story do you tell yourself or to other people about your life? What is the narrative that you write to describe how things have gone or happened during your years on this earth? Chances are things have happened in your life that were not always pleasant and might even be considered traumatic. Chances are painful moments and even seasons have come and passed which have left a lasting scar on your heart and maybe on your face (or some other part of your body).

But back to the question: What sort of story do you tell yourself or to other people about your life? Do you tell the story of one who has been a victim of circumstance? A victim or trauma? A victim of tragedy? Do you tell the story of a victim? Or do you tell a different story, the story of one who is victorious in Christ? Of One who is more than a conqueror?

This weekend in worship we’re walking into the gospel, into the promise from our God that we are not victims, not sheep marked for the slaughter, but instead we are __________________. Look it up and read ahead through Romans 8:31-39. You won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to dig into with you.

Up from the Ashes #2: Guilt Thrown Down

What do we do with guilt? What do we do when the devil throws our sins in our face and tells us that we deserve death and hell? We watch our Savior throw him down. We rejoice in the victory that we have in the blood of the Lamb. We rise up and meet his accusation with Christ. A sermon by Pastor Paul Krueger on Revelation 12.

Up from the Ashes #1: Cover Up

The sun is rising and a new day is dawning. It's time for God's people to rise up from the ashes. It's time to rise up from the ashes of shame and to rise up in the glory of Christ. It's time to leave behind the burden of guilt and rise up in the freedom of sins forgiven. It's time to rise up and leave behind sheepish ways and then to live as lions, more than conquerors in Christ. It's time for us to rise up and step into the lives and into the callings which our God has given us. It's time for us to rise up from the ashes and step into the new day of grace that our God is giving us.

Today, we look at Genesis 3:7-8 and 3:21 and see how God covered shame with glory.