Scripture References: Romans 8:18-28 (main text); Revelation 21:1-7; Revelation 22:1-5; Isaiah 25:6-9; Isaiah 35

Intro: Good morning. Life often brings suffering and disappointment. A poignant poem like "Good Bones" highlights the world's brokenness and the inadequacy of simply trying harder to "make this place beautiful." Where is real hope found? Romans 8 offers a profound perspective, acknowledging our present sufferings while anchoring us in a glorious future reality.

Key Points:

1. Suffering vs. Glory (v. 18): Paul, who knew intense suffering, declares our present troubles are insignificant compared to the "glory that will be revealed in us." He's not minimizing pain but maximizing the weight and certainty of our future hope.
2. Creation Groans (vv. 19-22): The entire created order is subject to "frustration" and "bondage to decay" due to sin. It groans like a woman in childbirth – pain with purpose, eagerly anticipating liberation when God's children are fully revealed.
3. We Groan Too (v. 23): Believers, possessing the "firstfruits of the Spirit," also groan inwardly. We long for full adoption, the "redemption of our bodies" – wholeness free from decay and sin. We are spiritually "pregnant" with this hope.
4. Biblical Hope: Confident Expectation (vv. 24-25): Christian hope isn't wishful thinking. It's confident expectation based on God's specific, trustworthy promises for the future. We hope for what we don't yet see, which requires patience.
5. The Content of Our Hope: Renewal (Rev 21-22; Isa 25, 35): What are these promises? Not escaping earth, but its renewal. A new heaven and earth where God dwells with us, wipes away every tear, and ends death, mourning, crying, and pain forever. It includes restoration, feasting, healing, and seeing His face.
6. The Spirit Helps Our Groaning (vv. 26-27): When suffering makes it hard even to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with wordless groans, aligning our hearts with God's will. We are not alone in our weakness.
7. God Works ALL Things for Good (v. 28): The ultimate assurance: For those who love God and are called by Him, He orchestrates all things – even suffering – for their ultimate good.

Conclusion: Our present pain and the world's brokenness are real, like birth pangs. But they point toward a glorious future – the certain hope of resurrection and the renewal of all things. This isn't wishful thinking, but confident trust in God's specific promises, sustained by the Holy Spirit's help and the assurance that God is working everything for our ultimate good.

Call to Action: Acknowledge the groaning within you and creation. Don't lose heart. Anchor your hope not in temporary fixes or human effort, but in God's promises for the mended world. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you and remind you of this future glory. Grab onto this hope as your spiritual lifeline.

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