Come to Worship: Part 3 - "Pour Out Your Heart" with Craig Groeschel - LifeChurch.tv

Pour Out Your Heart to God

Scripture References

Primary text

• Psalm 142:2
• Psalm 142:5
• Psalm 62:8

Other references

• Psalm 42
• Lamentations 3
• Psalm 102

Overview

Worship is more than songs or raised hands—it is honest relationship. In this third message of the “Come to Worship” series, we learn the posture of pouring out our hearts to God. Whether you are overflowing with gratitude, stuck in routine, or walking through deep pain, God invites you to cry to Him because He is your refuge. As you do, remember His past faithfulness and trust His power for your future.

Main Points

God is our refuge—safe place to pour out your heart

• David repeatedly pairs the command “pour out your hearts” with the description of God as “my refuge” (Psalm 142; Psalm 62).
• A refuge is a protected city where the vulnerable run for safety; today our safe place is the presence of God.
  • Illustration: Childhood “safe places” (closet, blanket, under the bed) grow into relational safe places—parents’ bedroom during Oklahoma earthquakes; a feared high-school bully deterred because Craig walked with a tough senior friend. In the same way, God’s nearness makes us secure.
• God loves to be needed. Like parents who feel honored when grown children still call in crisis, our Father welcomes every honest plea.

Remember God’s faithfulness in the past

• Psalm 42 shows a worshiper who is “downcast” yet preaches to himself: “These things I remember as I pour out my soul… Put your hope in God.”
• Lamentations 3: Jeremiah lists affliction for 20 verses, then pivots—“Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope… Great is Your faithfulness.”
  • Story: Craig recalls personal markers of God’s faithfulness—conversion on a softball field, teammates coming to Christ after ridicule, miraculous provision of six children after infertility, an air-conditioner that restarted after prayer, doors opening for church facilities, and building five campuses with cash after a bold public declaration.
• Looking back at answered prayers and past rescues fuels hope when present feelings are dry. “Yet I call this to mind” is a deliberate act of worship.

Trust God’s power for the future

• Psalm 102 voices raw anguish—sleepless nights, taunting enemies—yet reaches the turning point: “But You, Lord, sit enthroned forever.”
• A “but You, God” moment shifts the soul from pleading to praise.
  • Financial stress → “But You, God, are my provider.”
  • Grief → “But You, God, will never leave me.”
  • Fear → “But You, God, give power, love, and a sound mind.”
• Worship thanks God in advance, confident in His character before the outcome is seen—the way Craig thanked a friend for an unopened birthday shirt because he knew the giver’s taste.
• Push through the pain until praise emerges; God’s presence turns lament into worship.

Key Truths

• Pouring out your heart is a legitimate, biblical act of worship.
• God is a refuge: He wants, welcomes, and can handle your honest cries.
• Remembering past faithfulness ignites present hope.
• Honest lament can and should pivot to “But You, Lord” confidence.
• God has always been faithful in the past, is good in the present, and can therefore be trusted with the future.

Response

• Run to God as your safe place instead of isolating in pain.
• Deliberately list moments where God proved faithful and thank Him for each.
• Voice your complaints and fears honestly, then declare “But You, Lord…” over every concern.
• Thank God in advance for His provision, guidance, and healing even before you see it.
• Share a testimony of God’s past rescue to strengthen someone else’s trust.

Closing

Craig invites every listener—celebrating, bored, or broken—to worship by pouring out genuine emotion to the One who never fails. As you cry, expect a turning point where memory sparks hope and plea becomes praise.

“Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope… Great is Your faithfulness.”

Prayer

The pastor prayed that those hurting would sense God’s nearness, receive peace beyond understanding, and find courage to trust Him whether or not circumstances change. He asked God to move mountains, heal, restore, and perform miracles while shaping hearts to surrender fully to His higher ways.