Embracing God's Presence: Renewal Through Suffering and Community

"The old has passed away, and see, the new has come. Why don't you do me a favor, turn to your neighbor and say, neighbor, the old has passed away, the new has come. And the new has come. Amen. Father God, we thank you for your living and active word in this place, Lord, and we pray that this would go forth because your word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. Pray fruitfulness in the ears, in the eyes, in the hearts of everybody here and everybody watching online." [00:56:46] (31 seconds)


"Amen, beloved. So the second way that the Lord wants to press reset for 2025 will be through the renewing of our mind this year. The renewing of our mind. Because God cares about what we think about and he also cares about how we think about the stuff we think about. He cares about what we think and how we think about it. Now, I want us to listen to the words of the apostle. Paul for a moment when Paul was in his first imprisonment in Rome he penned the words that we're about to read okay towards the end of the book of Philippians Paul writes this Philippians 4 8 through 13 finally brothers whatever is true whatever is honorable just pure lovely commendable if there is any excellence if there is anything worthy of praise think about these things." [01:09:52] (49 seconds)


"Paul says I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound Paul wasn't like I know how to abound and I know how to abound more he says I know how to be brought low and abound Paul was able to build up that perseverance muscle that endurance muscle how because he experienced different seasons as a follower of Jesus seasons of suffering seasons of success abundance and abasement highs and lows Paul knew what it was like to experience hunger pains but he also knew what it was like to be full whether it was Rice-A-Roni or Ruth's Chris Paul says I am content and let me tell you this year God will also strengthen our perseverance muscles he's going to strengthen our endurance muscles because he's going to lovingly and sovereignly allow us to be brought low and he's also going to allow us to experience abundance in other words this year we'll bring valley and mountaintop moments it's both and it's not either or and our ability to learn contentment will be found right here beloved in our mind and how we think about different seasons right he wants us to renew our mind and how we view suffering and success first let's talk about suffering since that's the uncomfortable one this year there already has been there will be some moments of turbulence all right John 1633 Jesus says I have told you these things so that in me says Jesus in me you may have peace you will have suffering in this world that's why I didn't say you're going to have peace in the world he said you're going to have peace in me you will have suffering in this world but be courageous exclamation point I have conquered the world one of the realities that's inevitable in in our life and all of our lives is that each of us will experience pain and loss the longer that we live even if we do everything right as followers of Jesus we take all of the Shiloh pathway classes right you're an excellent servant leader you're a Berean studying the scriptures you pursue peace with all people in holiness without which no one will see the Lord you pray for revival you keep Jesus at the center you're great at discipling others you're a great disciple yourself you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness you could do all of those good things but you're not going to do those things this year but you can do all of that and you will still experience pain and loss because being a faithful follower of Jesus it does not exempt us from trials and tribulations right Jesus doesn't promise us that if we follow him life is going to be sweet he doesn't promise a cake walk he doesn't say you ain't going to go through things you're going to go through some stuff but I'm going to be with you every step of the way every step of the way so listen in those moments in 2025 where it feels like all hell is breaking loose right you feel betrayal if you experience betrayal or gossip or the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job the loss of a home if you feel abandoned alone if the money gets funny how many guys know that the money be getting funny sometimes if you don't okay praise God the money gets funny finances get tight if you experience any sort of dysfunction or drama with your family or you deal with any sort of health challenges or a family member that deals with it just remember Jesus is with you and he's really with you and the word of God describes Jesus as a man of sorrows he wasn't like happy-go-lucky Jesus all the time he was well acquainted with grief he understood" [01:09:52] (0 seconds)


"love what hebrews 4 15 and 16 says says we don't have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness but he was tempted in all points as we are yet he was without sin therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness let me remind you this year when all hell was breaking loose you could have the confidence to approach the lord with all of your heaviness and all of your burdens says let us approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and grace and grace and grace and grace and grace and find grace to help in our time of need that is good news we serve a god we worship a god we believe in the god we follow a god that can sympathize with our weakness so let us approach him draw near to jesus this year in those times of pressure draw near to jesus in those times of stress beloved because he will provide what we need when we need it and also draw near to the people of god Because the people of God are the extension of who God is. The people of God are indwelt with the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead." [01:19:00] (74 seconds)


"Let's shift the way we think about suffering and adversity this year. I like what Peter says, 1 Peter 4 .12. He says, dear friends, don't be surprised at the trials you're going through. As if something strange were happening. Peter was like, this ain't strange. Strange. Turbulence, trials, adversity, they are part of the journey. Right? But they're not unusual. They are unpleasant. They are uncomfortable. They are unwelcomed. But they are not unusual. Right? They are part of the journey. But we can rest." [01:20:14] (36 seconds)


"Be careful that your heart doesn't become proud and that you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Out of the place of slavery. He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with his poisonous snakes and scorpions. A thirsty land where there was no water. He brought water out of the flint rock for you. He fed you in the wilderness with manna which your ancestors had not known. In order to humble and test you so that in the end he's the source. Right? He might cause you to prosper. Now 17, this is the temptation. This is why he's saying. Be careful when things are good. Be careful when you win, win, win no matter what. Because you may say to yourself, my power and my ability have gained this wealth for me." [01:23:42] (49 seconds)


"Now, in moments of crisis, what do we do? All of us have done this. In moments of crisis, we are quick to cry out to God. Amen. When, when things are going down, we cry out to God in crisis because we're desperate. We need a move of God. We need him to intervene. We need him to move. We need him to be on our behalf. But listen, when the crisis ends, when the weather changes, when the storm ain't a storm anymore and everything is calm, you know what can happen? It's very easy to fall into this spiritual cruise control." [01:24:40] (32 seconds)


"Less needy of God's peace. Less needy of God's provision. So the Lord is saying today, in 2025, when things are good, when things, when you experience wealth and prosperity and success, keep the same energy, Shiloh. When you experience abundance. When you experience abundance and open doors, remember the Lord, your God, that you were crying out to when all hell was breaking loose and the money was funny and things were tight." [01:25:32] (29 seconds)