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bring up the darkness line presentation that'd be awesome. So, we're Well, a couple things. First of all, I guess uh uh the word must got out. I was preaching this morning and you know, I got to appreciate you guys coming anyway. Thank you. And uh you know, so if you want me to do a quick sales pitch on ecological fibers. So, the Bible that I have in my hand here, the cover material on this Bible is manufactured by our facility in China and it's manufactured in China as well brought over here which is most Bibles and journals and things are nowadays because all the fancy stuff they do on them that we can't do over here. Uh so, yeah, that's my pitch. If you're buying Bibles and journals, thank you. Because if you have this type of material on your Bible, came from us most likely. So. Okay. So, we're going to continue our series. We're going to keep things going as Anthony has already laid out for us this summer. And we're spending the summer in the Psalms. So, uh if you want to stand with me, we're going to actually spend time today in Psalm 56. So, if you have your Bible and you want to flip it open to that or your Bible app on your phone or if you need a Bible, there's Bibles on a table in the back there. And uh we're going to read uh Psalm 56. So, basically just a little um preamble here. There are 150 Psalms you know, in the book of Psalms and it's believed that David authored about 73 of those Psalms in total. And then eight of those 73 Psalms were written while David was living as a fugitive. And these eight particular Psalms, sometimes also referred to as as poems, continue to give the abundant testimony to the vicious realities of a fallen world. You know, and still, when God is on our side, we can find refuge in the midst of any storm. So, let's read Psalm 56. Be merciful to me, oh God, for men hotly pursue me. All day long they press their attack. My slanders pursue me all day long. Many are attacking me in their pride. When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? All day long they twist my words. They are always plotting to harm me. They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps eager to take my life. On no account let them escape. In your anger, oh God, bring down the nations. Record my lament. List my tears on your scroll. Are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? I am under vows to you, oh God. I will present my thank offerings to you. For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. You can be seated. So, yep, I'm going to have to go back one. The title of this sermon this morning is called Faith in the midst of fear. And uh I'm going to put my hat on here for a minute. So, uh uh I have a I had a chuckle the other evening. We had a uh men's group event at uh Dave's place and uh you know, as we were all coming together and everything, I was wearing my my navy hat and Ed pulled up and he uh was came up and he's puffing his chest out. He's like, "Oh, I see we're going to have a problem tonight." I was like, "What do you mean?" And I looked and well, he had his Air Force hat on, right? I'm like, "Oh, okay. Here we go." Right? So, in context now, in true Air Force fashion, Ed, I think, had the most comfortable chair there, okay? And I'm pretty sure when he was getting it out of his car, I saw a pillow and a blanky fall out. That, you know, just in case he needed a nap, you know, while we were we're we were doing all this, but anyway, it was all good. We we did not we did not have any uh any problems. So, um but I did want to share a story with you. And uh there she is. This is the mighty Mount Whitney, LCC 20, the amphibious command ship. And you know, as most of you know or probably figured it out by now, I spent about uh you know, I served in the Navy for about 6 years. And while I was on active duty, uh I was assigned to the staff of the commander of the Second Fleet. And the Mount Whitney was the flagship for the Second Fleet. So, I was stationed on board the Mount Whitney. And uh as you can see in this picture, she was a beautiful ship, very clean, pretty much spotless, you know, because the admiral of the Second Fleet, you know, this was uh uh his home while we were uh not in port, and so um you know, we hosted you know, a nice uh flat deck there on the top, and it's about a quarter mile around there, actually. Uh you know, believe it or not. And um on the back, between the superstructure and the antenna they'd put up big canopy, and we'd host dignitaries and parties and things like that. So, uh yeah, it was um uh It it The picture pretty much shows, you know, her how she was when I was on board. I saw some recent pictures, and there's been some pretty dramatic changes in uh in some of the antennas and stuff like that. But, uh so the Second Fleet basically covers uh North the North Atlantic Ocean uh and the Arctic region, you know, territory extends basically from the US East Coast to the western shores of Europe. Right? So, uh for me, being on the Second Second Fleet really had its perks. Uh for instance, the admiral of the Second Fleet and another admiral uh they owned property in St. Thomas. So, um needless to say, we spent most of our winter months cruising around in the Caribbean. Tough duty, I know. But, uh and so, another thing with being on the staff, when we were in port away from our home port, Norfolk, uh my job was covered by a duty watch station, so I didn't have to work. So, anytime we'd pull in the port, I was free to go and roam. Now, didn't always do that. I was a nice guy. Even back then, I would help and uh you know, cover other people's watches, so they could go and and enjoy a little bit of time while we were in port, as well. But, um in the late summer and fall, you know, we'd typically do like a 3-month cruise to the North Atlantic and Europe, you know, where our territory and our uh where we covered. And so, the first year um that we made that cruise, that I was, you know, on board when we made that cruise, when we were coming home across the North Atlantic, uh we really hit some nasty storms, uh some very very rough seas. And uh you know, it was pretty scary for me. I'm not going to lie. I mean, uh you know, I wasn't sitting at a desk like Ed probably was in the in the Air Force. Yeah, I was No, I'm just kidding. Worry, I told him I was going to pick on you a little bit, right? So, uh you know, then it happened. Uh here we are, we're cruising, and if you I know this little pointer doesn't work, unfortunately, on the little screen there, Plumber. But anyway, if you can see on the side of the boat where like that little sponson comes down, like that addition on the just below the main deck where the little uh lifeboats and stuff were back there, well, where that uh where that sponson, that's called a sponson, came and was welded to the hull of the ship, uh about halfway down there, uh we had a fracture in the seam of the hull, and it ripped uh a big seam a big a tear in the hull where it was connected. And of course, you know, we started taking on water, and of all places, the water was coming in, you know, the staff's birthing compartment. Of all places, right? Couldn't get more luckier than that. But uh yeah, I mean, uh it was a it was >> [laughter] >> uh I'm not going to say, you know, I was thinking the worst, obviously. You know, I'm thinking like full Titanic here, like we're going down kind of kind of thing. And although this was in 1985 when this happened in the movie Titanic didn't actually come out till 1997. Uh yeah, I was I must have had uh thoughts ahead. But anyway, you know, how much worse could it get, right? You got a rip in the hole, it's you know, filling out part of the the staff birthing compartment. And you know, what if this you know, my mind is like, what if this becomes like a major issue? You know, how much you know, could the boat actually flood? You know, is it going to be enough to take the ship down? I mean, it was you know, you're you you know, it's not like that happened and the and the weather went away. I mean, you're still in it. And it was nasty. And so, uh I started uh doing some pretty major praying. And you know, the those weather conditions lasted for about 24 hours. And then at that point we were pretty much in the clear because, you know, the waves were now hitting lower than uh the tear in the ship. And uh you know, and the seas were calming down pretty considerably. So, you know, it normally took about 7 days for us to get from uh Plymouth, England uh back to Norfolk, Virginia. And we were probably about two to two or three days out from Norfolk yet when all this when all this happened. And so, that for me was probably the scariest moment I faced while I was in the Navy. And uh I definitely found myself calling out to God. And then so, today we're going to learn about one of the times in this life that that David was crying out to God. All right? So, um take my hat back off here. That's my Navy story for you. But fun stuff on that boat. Um and she had to go into dry dock when we got back to to Norfolk, obviously. But, we're going to I want to give a little bit of more context to uh the the Psalms here uh before we get into some of the major points. Um, as I mentioned earlier, you know, eight Psalms were written by David while he was a fugitive, while he basically was running from King Saul. And 1 Samuel 21:10-25 basically describes the story that David is referring to in Psalm 56. You know, so David is fleeing from King Saul and in a desperate moment decides to head to Gath. Anybody know who lived in Gath? Or who came from Gath? Yeah, of course. Gath was a hometown of Goliath, right? So, he's not a stranger there and David quickly finds himself held captive by the Philistines. So, fearing King Achish of Gath, I made up that pronunciation of that name, but uh and knowing his danger there, David tries faking insanity to escape. So, David alters his behavior uh to appear insane and he starts, you know, scratching on the doors and drooling in his beard and ultimately his plan works. Uh and the king was like, "Get this guy out of here, you know?" And he was able to escape to the cave of Adullam. So, in Psalm 56 then, David prays for rescue from the constant threat of his enemies. Despite this, he resolves to respond with trust in the Lord. David asked rhetorically, you know, what possible dangers could earthly men be compared to the power of God in verses 1 to 4. David's enemies act with hate and malice. You know, he says, "My enemies make trouble for me all day long. They are always thinking of ways to hurt me." He says, "You know how troubled I am. You have a record of my tears. Be merciful to me, oh God, because I am under attack." David is in a bad way. Yet, he continues to have hope. So, we're going to break down some of the realities that David shares in the text in Psalm 56 and see how they might be relative to us right now. So, point number one, you don't have to fake being fearless. All right? So, some of these points I broke down into three little sections and the first section I'm just calling it the real-life view. All right? The real-life view of this is that David was genuinely terrified. And he didn't pretend otherwise. Made it very clear. But for us, following Jesus doesn't mean you never get anxious about bills, financial stress, health crisis, and health test results, and your and even your future. And the list goes on and on, right? Now, you know that I've talked a lot about in the past uh the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers and how we're to engage the Holy Spirit. So, I've also interjected a little section in here uh about the Holy Spirit's take on uh you don't have to fake being fearless. And in for this point, we're just going to call it turning fear into trust. You know, you cannot just force yourself to stop being anxious through willpower. You know, the Holy Spirit acts as a supernatural disruptor to fear. So, when panic sets in, the spirit reminds us that um God's character is going to give you a sudden, unexplainable sense of peace that doesn't sense um that you know, it doesn't make sense to you it it given your circumstances. Okay? That and that and that basically that statement comes from Philippians 4:7, which is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. And it says my favorite uh it says, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." So, then there's a daily practice portion of this for us. For, you don't have to fake being fearless. You know, followers of Jesus are not expected to be emotionless. You know, the goal isn't to never feel fear. It's about what you do next. So, when anxiety hits, make a conscious pivot to the trust, mirroring what David's words were in verse three, "When I am afraid, I will trust." So, treat it like an alarm clock, you know, um that tells you, "Okay, it's time to hand this over to God." And you just take a breath and say, "God, I'm scared, but I'm trusting you in this anyway." You know, some seasons make it really hard to trust God. Not because you don't believe, but because what we're walking, you know, or what you or what we're walking through just feels too heavy. Well, what's been hardest for you lately? You need to take that to God today. He's not pushing you away. He's inviting you closer. Okay? So, point number two. God sees your worst nights. Not necessarily your worst nights is in the worst thing you're doing. Your worst nights is what's troubling you the most. So, a real-life view of this is that David took deep comfort in knowing that God counted his tosses in bed and cashes his tears in a bottle, right? Some versions say, uh, instead of catching tears in a bottle, "List my tears on your scroll." Or, "Put my tears in your wine's wine skin." You know, in our busy, hyper-connected world, it's incredibly easy to feel completely anonymous and invisible and lonely. So, what's the Holy Spirit's take on this? We'll call it noticing God's intimate care. You know, when you feel lonely or invisible, the Holy Spirit acts as your comforter and your counselor. Romans 8:16 says, "The Spirit directly reassures our deep inner self that we belong to God." When you're crying or hurting so badly that you don't have the words to pray, the Holy Spirit actually steps in and groans to God on your behalf, as mentioned in Romans 8:26. So, what's our daily practice here? You know, this theme reminds Christians that their personal pain is never invisible or wasted. This means that you are never crying alone in your car or tossing and turning at 3:00 in the morning unnoticed. God doesn't look at your pain from a distance. He pays attention to every single detail of your heartaches. And your struggles genuinely matter to him. Jesus took this even further in 10 uh verse 30 stating, "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Reinforcing that we as believers serve an intensely attentive father. Now, for me, it takes him a lot less longer to count the hairs on a head. But, I decided to put that in there anyway. That's okay. All right. Point number three. Flying right through this. We're going to be out We're going to be out We're going to breakfast today, Dave, not lunch. So, it says, "Thank him before the breakthrough." Thank him before the breakthrough. So, the real life view here is that David started praising God's promises while he was still trapped by his enemies. Usually, we wait until the problem is totally solved before we say, "Thank you." right? Don't we? So, the Holy Spirit praising before the breakthrough Praising God in a mess is hard. But, the Holy Spirit gives you the strength and perspective to do it. The Holy Spirit shifts your shifts your focus off your immediate problems and shines a spotlight on Jesus. He brings specific scriptures to mind or worship songs to mind. You know, giving you the supernatural power to say, "Thank you." even when your circumstances haven't changed yet. So, what's our daily practice in thanking him before the break through breakthrough? Well, trying to thank God for who he is uh right in the middle of a mess. Call it a pre-victory praise. Singing a worship song or listing things you're grateful for when life feels chaotic. You know, completely changes your perspective. It reminds you that your problems are small compared to how big God is. One great illustration of this is found in Acts 16 where Paul and Silas, after being beaten and facing certain death, prayed and sang hymns to God while chained in a dark prison cell long before the earthquake happened that released them. So, I took some time and found a story that best illustrates these three points. Um, you know, I'm trying to find them a real-life example for us to to follow. And one of the most famous real-life examples of Psalm 56 comes from Corrie ten Boom. So, most of you probably are familiar with the name, maybe not who she was or what she did. Um, so, basically Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who helped many Jewish people escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. She was eventually caught and sent to Ravensbruck, a notorious women's concentration camp. You know, her experiences in the camp perfectly illustrate then, you know, all three of these points that we've talked about in Psalm 56. So, the first point, actively choosing trust from Psalm 56 verse 3 says, "When Corrie and her sister Betsy were first forced into the barracks at Ravensbruck, they found a room completely swarming with fleas. Corrie was instantly terrified and overwhelmed by the horrific degrading conditions. In that moment of panic, her sister Betsy reminded her of the Bible's instruction to give thanks in all circumstances. Corrie didn't feel brave or fearless, but she made a conscious choice of trust uh, you know, to trust God blindly. She forced herself to pray and literally say, "Thank you, God, even for the fleas." So, in point two, God's intimate care from Psalm 56:8, living in a death camp, it was incredibly easy to feel completely invisible and abandoned by God. Millions of people were treated like numbers, stripped of their identity, and killed. However, Corrie often spoke about a small physical reminder of God's microscopic care for her. She had smuggled in a tiny bottle of liquid vitamins to give to her sick sister. Miraculously, no matter how many drops she squeezed out of it to help the freezing women around her, the bottle never ran dry. Every single day, that tiny bottle reminded Corrie of David's words in Psalm 56:8, that God keeps track of our wanderings and catches our tears in a bottle. God was intensely aware of her specific daily suffering in that crowded barracks. And to point three, praising before the breakthrough in Psalm 56:10, you know, months before they were ever released or saved, and while women were dying all around them, Corrie and Betsy did something radical. Every single night, they held the secret Bible studies in the back of the dark filthy barracks. They would quietly sing worship songs and praise God's promises in the middle of the Nazi concentration camp. They didn't wait until the war was over to praise God. They used praise as a frontier weapon, a front line weapon to keep despair from crushing their souls. So the beautiful twist in the story was only much later did Corrie find out why the camp guards never came into their barracks to stop their worship services and Bible studies. Can you guess why? Because of the fleas. The guards were so terrified of catching fleas that they completely avoided the room, giving the women total freedom to pray. So that very thing that caused Corrie fear was what God used to protect them. So, what did we learn today? Uh let's see what the next slide is. Yeah, what did we learn today? Uh we learned about anxiety management, we'll say. The Psalm offers a practical instruction for shifting from panic to praise during high stress situations. David wrote this while trapped by his enemies. And he was totally stressed out. You know, people were constantly breathing down his neck and trying to mess with him. So even though he was terrified, he kept telling himself, "Nope, I'm choosing to trust God anyway." Isolation and empathy. The Psalms reminds you that God sees your hidden emotional battles. Even when you feel completely alone or misunderstood by everyone else. David points out that God actually cares about our smallest hurts. Like he's literally collecting our tears in a bottle. And then the last point we'll just call it digital hostility to bring it up to modern day. Now one quote I read said the feeling of being watched and twisted mirrors the modern exhaustion of online criticism, workplace politics, or social social scrutiny. By the end, David realizes that if God has his back, regular people can't do anything to him. Which changes his whole mood from panic to thankful. So, I found something I thought might be helpful for you to help remember Psalm 56 in this message as you go through your week. It's actually you know, practical enough that you could make it part of your of a weekly routine. It's called the tear jar challenge. And it's on your note paper as well, so you can take it home and and and use it. But here's basically how it works. First, you find a small container. Use a small glass jar, a box, or if you're a techy, you can make a little digital note file, right? Number two, you write down your burdens. Every time you feel anxious, slated, uh slated or overwhelmed, write one sentence summary of that pain on a slip of paper. Number three, surrender it. Drop it in the Drop the paper into the jar as a physical symbol of handing it over to God. Explicitly telling yourself, "God keeps track of this, so I can let it go." And then And four, review and praise At the end of the week, read the slips, thank God for carrying those specific burdens, and then shred the paper. So, hopefully I will be helpful to you if you want to try to uh let go of some of your anxiety. Uh and uh and share it with God, which we are called to do. So, that's it for me. Short and sweet. I am going to uh pray for you. So, um worship team can I guess come back up. And so, I'm going to pray and then hand this back over to uh Pastor Anthony. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, honestly, some days feel heavy and it feels like everything is is stacking up against us. When anxiety sneaks in and tries to take us over, please help us pause and shift our focus back to you. Thank you for being a God who actually cares about the details in our lives. It is wild to think that you see every single one of our hidden struggles, and that you even keep keep track of our tears. Whenever we start to panic, remind us that we can choose trust over fear. If you are for us, we don't need to stress about what anyone else thinks or does. Wash away our anxiety today and replace it with your peace. Thank you for having our backs, always.