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Chris Legg: Suicide (Psalm 142)
Chris Legg, lead pastor of South Spring Baptist Church in Tyler and a licensed professional counselor, acknowledges Christians really do struggle and “face all types of challenges.” This includes suicide.
“The topic of suicide and suicidal thoughts is often oversimplified,” Legg said. Christians are famous for it, he added. Scripture doesn’t support “a simplistic understanding of suicide,” Legg asserted.
Mental illness of all kinds can be the root of suicidal thoughts. Such thoughts can be hidden for many years. One lie of mental illness is options are limited—a sense of being trapped—when in reality there are many options for dealing with emotional, mental and physical struggle.
Legg offered biblical suggestions for responding to a suicidal person. He also sought to answer the question of how suicide can be sin, while not necessarily being an unpardonable sin.
This sermon was delivered Feb. 16, 2020, for the morning worship service at South Spring Baptist Church in Tyler as part of a series titled “The Struggle is Real.”
An audio-only version of this sermon is available here.
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