His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

In one paragraph

It was Palm Sunday, and the pastor walked the congregation through the songs Israel would have sung on their way up to Jerusalem for Passover, focusing on what those songs reveal about the character of God and the scope of his love. He drew from Psalms 117, 118, and 136, weaving in the story of Rahab and Moses' encounter with God at Sinai to show that the steadfast love of God has always been...

Read together

1. John 12 the triumphal entry, crowd takes palm branches and shouts Hosanna
2. Psalm 150 praise God in his sanctuary, praise him for his acts of power
3. Psalm 113-118 the lesser Hallel, songs sung on the ascent to Jerusalem
4. Psalm 117 shortest psalm, praise the Lord all nations, steadfast love toward us
5. Psalm 118 give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever
6. Matthew 21 disciples fetch the donkey and colt, crowd spreads cloaks and palm branches, shouts Hosanna
7. Psalm 136 the greater Hallel, refrain his steadfast love endures forever throughout creation and history
8. Psalm 19 day after day creation bears testimony to God
9. Romans 1 we are responsible for knowing there is a God from creation, suppressing the truth
10. Psalm 86 in our day of trouble we call out to God because he answers
11. Hebrews no discipline is pleasant at the time but it is good for us
12. 1 Peter 5 humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you, after suffering he will lift you up
13. Exodus 34:6-7 God proclaims his own name to Moses, merciful gracious slow to anger abounding in steadfast love
14. Joshua 2 Rahab hides the spies, says Israel's God is God in heaven above and earth beneath
15. Psalm 106 opens with give thanks to the Lord for he is good
16. Psalm 107 opens with give thanks to the Lord for he is good his steadfast love endures forever
17. 1 Timothy 1:15 trustworthy saying, Christ Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am the foremost
18. Romans 5:8 while we were yet sinners Christ died for us

Talk about it

1. Pastor John mentioned that it is easy to read 'his steadfast love toward us' and shrink 'us' down to just our own group. When have you caught yourself thinking of God's love as belonging mostly to people like you, and what shifted that for you?
2. The sermon described chesed as a sticky love that holds on to you even in your lowest state. Can you point to a specific time when you experienced that kind of love from God, and how did it change the way you talked about Him to others?
3. Pastor John said that when Rahab heard the praises of God's people declaring what God had done, it moved her to turn to Him. Have you ever seen someone outside the faith drawn toward God by watching how a believer responded in a hard season? What did that look like?
4. The sermon contrasted two responses to salvation: the boy who listed everything he needed to do, and the boy who said 'He already did it.' Where do you find yourself on that spectrum right now, and what makes it hard to simply rest in what Christ has done?
5. Pastor John ended by saying that God's steadfast love is worthy of our proclamation both in times of elation and in times of hardship. What is one specific way you could declare that love to someone outside this congregation this week?