We're just a few hours away from our night of worship here at Bent Tree... For those attending our elder-led prayer group each Wednesday, our time of worship tonight will be taking place of that this week. We can't wait to see you here. #worship #benttree #wednesdayworship

We're just one week away from our night of worship here at Bent Tree. We'll be meeting in the chapel starting at 7pm, and we're so excited to sing and worship with you all. Mark your calendars or check out our "Worship Night" event on Facebook! #nightofworship #benttree

Branching Out is back this week with a very special episode recapping our Easter service this past Sunday. Check out our episode from today by clicking the link below! #easter #worship #branchingout #benttree https://t.co/Fnf8cZGh1Y

Two. Weeks. Away... 👀 #Easter #ItIsFinished #BentTree

Some simple encouragement to start your weekend! We're looking forward to see you tomorrow as we continue to dive through the book of Ruth. #ruth #sermonseries #benttree

At IF:2022, we’re going to talk about how to live in this world right now and how to navigate a life that goes against culture – how to build community and tell people about Jesus during a time of darkness and division. Sign up today by visiting, https://t.co/BqgnxblsRf #IF

"Because I know who Jesus is, who I am in Jesus, the life I have today, and that my future is secure, because I know I have a living hope I can willingly walk into the difficulty with courage." (END)

You may not see God's provision or comfort in the moment, but when you look back, you can see moments in your life where God was at work. We can find hope in the present when we see his faithfulness in the past.

Your journey may have been hard and may currently be difficult, but maybe for the first time, you are feeling a spark of courage welling from within. As Steve said on Sunday, "courage isn't being fearless, it's being hopeful."

It isn’t something we muster up in our own strength because let’s be honest, when we're in pain, we aren’t strong. We are weak and typically we have nothing to offer. When we're in that place, we can find the God of compassion comforting us and comforting through us.

We have been comforted in Christ, and He comforts others through our own pain. He uses our pain to minister to others in pain. When we are hurting he uses us, it isn’t a burden, or a time for us to feel like we need to be an example...

The thing is, Ruth is in pain and is going through her own difficult battles. She’s grieving the loss of a husband, she’s moved away from home, she’s the most marginalized, she’s an immigrant, she’s powerless, and yet she is wildly courageous amidst it all.

God is using Ruth’s courage in chapter 2 to call Boaz to generosity and to comfort Naomi in her pain. Boaz recognized that Ruth is finding shelter through God, and from this place God is welling up courage in Ruth to call Boaz to generosity, as well s comfort Naomi in her pain

Steve took us through all of Ruth 2 last Sunday which gave us a unique look into the courage of Ruth, generosity of Boaz, and how God comforts us in our pain. Today, we look at the whole of chapter 2 and talk about what we can glean present day from this story. (a thread 🧵)

Branching Out Episode #2 is officially out on YouTube and Spotify! We got the chance to talk to Christina Dale about her first month or so as a part of the Bent Tree body, as well as being a staff member here too! Click the link below to see the episode! https://t.co/mfx2EiYazn

Branching Out is officially on Spotify! If you haven't seen our first episode of our new video podcast, find us on YouTube or Spotify to check out our pilot episode featuring pastors Kevin Rund and Brandon Fletcher. https://t.co/icr4M4zDsO

There is a good ending to your story. #encouragement

Ruth chose Yahweh over a new life back in Moab. Our faith in God can be reinforced today by seeing how God is always with us in every moment. Acting by faith may not make sense to others, but abiding by the Sprit may inadvertently show someone the love of Jesus. (END)

So what can we learn from this? The big takeaway is that despite Naomi's pain, Ruth sees that God worthy of her own trust. As people get to know you, your relationship with Christ can have a profound impact on people even in times of crisis and pain.

Second, we see Ruth "clinging" to Naomi in this moment. Ruth here is also showcasing this faith by also clinging to the God of Naomi. Ruth placing her trust in God is not just a religious conversion, it's a conversion of her entire identity.