"Here We Go Again" I Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley I July 12, 2026

Main message: Past victories don't guarantee the end of struggle—we will face the same battles "again"—but God remains faithful and will act "again," so we must persevere and raise others to continue the fight.

Key points:

• Pastor centers on 2 Samuel 21: an older, weary David facing repeated Philistine attacks—he is tempted to "oof" (give up) after fighting the same fight for decades.
• The repeated word "again" captures the draining reality of recurring battles (setbacks, injustice, defeats) that wear people down.
• A past victory (beating Goliath) does not provide immunity; enemies have descendants/copies who continue the same struggle.
• Contemporary illustration: the death of Nolan Xavier Wells and other victims highlights how injustice recurs and breeds anger, sorrow, and distrust in justice.
• Response: remember God’s faithfulness—“Here we go again” should become “Here God again”—trust that God will do it again and commit to raising new people (Jonathans, Jennifers, younger generations) to keep fighting.

Scriptures mentioned: 2 Corinthians 4:7-9,16-18, 2 Samuel 21