In last week’s sermon, Tim Horman continued the Deeper series, exploring how we grow in Christ and experience lasting transformation. Below you’ll find a video and audio recording of his message as well as a summary article and questions for small group discussion.

The Spiritual Discipline of Despair

The foundation of all spiritual growth is not our effort, but abiding in the deep, unshakable love of Jesus. He reminded us that all lasting change and true joy come from remaining in Christ’s love and relying on His strength rather than our own.

Jesus’ words in John 15:5 were central: "Apart from me, you can do nothing." Every aspect of our discipleship—our prayers, obedience, love for others, and victory over sin—depends on staying connected to Christ. When we rest in His love, we experience the deep assurance that we are secure in Him, even in difficult seasons.

Tim also warned against idolatry—placing our hope and purpose in anything apart from Jesus. While careers, relationships, and achievements can be good, they cannot provide lasting joy. Only Christ’s love satisfies.

The Pain of Pruning: God's Loving Work in Us

Tim then turned to John 15:1-2, where Jesus describes how God, like a gardener, prunes every fruitful branch so that it will bear even more fruit. He pointed out that this process of pruning—God removing things from our lives—can feel painful, like a kind of death.

"Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:2)

He explained that sometimes, God removes things we’ve relied on, even good things, to prepare us for greater spiritual growth. This could be habits, relationships, or comforts that once seemed beneficial but are no longer serving God’s purposes in our lives. The process of pruning can leave us feeling exposed, uncertain, or even abandoned, yet it is a work of deep love.

Tim illustrated how seasons of loss, challenge, or refinement are often the precursor to new seasons of fruitfulness. He compared it to a gardener cutting back branches, knowing that the plant will grow stronger and healthier because of it. Though painful in the moment, pruning is necessary for us to thrive in God’s purposes.

Though pruning is painful, Tim reassured the congregation that it is a sign of God’s love. He quoted Hebrews 12:10-11, which says God disciplines us for our good, so we can share in His holiness. Growth in Christ often requires an experience of subtraction before we experience multiplication.

The Spiritual Discipline of Despair: A Pathway to Freedom

One of the most challenging ideas Tim shared was the spiritual discipline of despair. He explained that many Christians believe they can grow spiritually through their own efforts—through sheer willpower, discipline, or self-improvement. However, real transformation begins when we come to the end of ourselves and realise we cannot change without God’s power.

He used Romans 7:18-24 as an example of the Apostle Paul wrestling with his own inability to overcome sin by his own strength:

"I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out... Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:18, 24-25)

Tim urged the church to embrace this kind of despair—not hopelessness, but a surrender of self-reliance. Until we reach the point where we recognise that we cannot change ourselves, we will not truly depend on the Holy Spirit’s power.

This healthy despair is a breaking point where we stop striving in our own strength and surrender to God’s work in us. It is the moment we acknowledge, like Paul, that our best efforts cannot produce holiness, and that only Christ in us can bring true transformation.

Tim referenced Richard Lovelace’s teaching on the need for believers to cultivate a habitual recognition of their dependence on the Holy Spirit. When we stop pretending we have control and instead collapse into God’s grace, we make room for Him to shape us in ways we never could on our own.

A Call to Repentance and Renewal

Tim concluded by leading the congregation in a moment of reflection and confession. He encouraged honesty before God, urging people to lay down their self-sufficiency and cry out for mercy. He used the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) as an example of how God honours those who humble themselves and acknowledge their need for Him.

The tax collector’s prayer, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” stands in contrast to the Pharisee’s self-righteousness. Jesus declared that the tax collector—not the Pharisee—went home justified before God. Tim challenged the congregation to consider whether they approach God like the Pharisee, relying on their own religious efforts, or like the tax collector, desperately aware of their need for mercy.

He reminded everyone that Christian growth is not about trying harder but about surrendering more deeply to Jesus. When we let go of control, God’s Spirit can do the work of transformation in us.

Tim also emphasised that joy—true joy—is the result of knowing we are loved by God despite our weaknesses. Even in seasons of struggle, loss, or discipline, we can experience joy because our security is found in Christ’s unshakable love, not in our circumstances.

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. What does it mean to “abide in Christ” in practical terms? How can we remain in His love daily?

2. How would you define joy in your own words? Have you experienced joy even in difficult times?

3. What are some things you may have placed your hope in besides Jesus? How can you shift your trust back to Him?

4. Have you ever experienced God “pruning” something in your life? How did it feel at the time, and what fruit did it produce later?

5. Tim spoke about the spiritual discipline of despair—recognising our inability to change ourselves. How does this challenge or encourage you?

6. Read Romans 7:18-25. Have you ever felt like Paul, struggling with sin you can’t seem to overcome? How does this passage give hope?

7. How can we cultivate a deeper dependence on the Holy Spirit in our daily lives?

8. In what areas do you need to surrender control to God right now?

This message was a powerful reminder that true growth comes not from our striving but from resting in the love of Jesus. As we continue the Deeper series, may we allow God to prune and shape us, so we can experience the fullness of joy that comes from abiding in Him.