Enduring Faith: Finding Joy and Strength in Trials

Devotional

Day 1: Endurance in Faith Through Trials

Enduring in faith is not about avoiding hardship but about allowing trials to strengthen and grow your spiritual endurance, much like building physical stamina through repeated effort. When you face difficulties, it’s an opportunity to choose joy—not because the situation is easy, but because God is using it to deepen your faith and reliance on Him. Just as physical training is uncomfortable and requires persistence, spiritual endurance is built by continually turning to Jesus in the midst of pressure, rather than giving up or seeking easier paths. The more your faith is tested, the stronger it becomes, and this endurance prepares you for greater challenges and deeper joy in Christ. [32:59]

James 1:2-3 (ESV)
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

Reflection: What is one current challenge you’re facing that you can intentionally view as an opportunity for God to build endurance in your faith today?

Day 2: Keeping Your Faith Anchored in God Alone

When life gets hard, it’s tempting to look for easier answers or distractions, but true faith means keeping your trust anchored in God alone, without wavering or dividing your loyalty. Distractions and disappointments—whether from unanswered prayers, people who let you down, or difficult circumstances—can pull your focus away from Jesus. But James urges you to ask God for wisdom and to keep your faith rooted in Him, resisting the urge to wander or put your trust in something or someone else. Each day, you have to make the choice to keep following Jesus, even when it’s uncomfortable or when you’re tempted to quit. [39:04]

James 1:5-6 (ESV)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."

Reflection: Where are you most tempted to put your trust or hope in something other than God, and what would it look like to re-anchor your faith in Him today?

Day 3: Taking Responsibility and Rejecting the Blame Game

Spiritual growth begins with taking responsibility for your own actions and temptations, rather than blaming God, others, or your circumstances for your struggles. Temptation comes from your own desires, not from God, and blaming others only keeps you stuck spiritually. Freedom and healing come when you honestly confess your sins, forgive those who have hurt you, and own your part in your current situation. This is the foundation of Christian maturity—recognizing your need for God’s help and choosing to process your doubts and frustrations with Him, rather than staying in a place of anger or blame. [45:29]

James 1:13-14 (ESV)
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire."

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you’ve been blaming God or others for your struggles? What step can you take today to take responsibility and invite God’s help?

Day 4: Trusting in the Unchanging Goodness of God

No matter how hard your season or how many disappointments you face, you can trust that every good and perfect gift comes from God, who is unchanging and always good. God’s love for you is not based on your performance or circumstances; He is relational, not transactional, and He proved His goodness by sending Christ to die for you even before you believed. When you’re tempted to doubt God’s intentions or feel abandoned in hardship, remember that His goodness is constant, and He desires to bless you and walk with you through every trial. [48:29]

James 1:17 (ESV)
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Reflection: What is one good thing in your life right now that you can thank God for as a reminder of His unchanging goodness?

Day 5: Recommitting Your Trust in Jesus

When you feel like giving up or have wandered away from faith, the invitation is always open to recommit your trust in Jesus, knowing that He is faithful to meet you in your weakness and restore your hope. God often shows up most powerfully when you are at the end of your rope, and He delights in coming through when you have counted Him out. Whether you need to commit for the first time or return after a season of doubt, the step is simple but profound: trust Jesus with your whole heart, confess your need for Him, and walk forward in faith, one day at a time. [53:51]

Romans 10:9 (ESV)
"Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Reflection: Have you recently taken your trust off of Jesus, or do you need to commit to Him for the first time? What would it look like to pray and genuinely recommit your heart to Him today?

Sermon Summary

Faith is often misunderstood as a path that should become easier once we start making the right choices and following Jesus. Yet, many discover that faith can actually become more challenging, not less. This is not a sign of failure, but a sign that we are on the right path—a path that requires endurance, perseverance, and a deepening trust in God. James, the brother of Jesus and the first leader of the Jerusalem church, knew this firsthand. He endured persecution and was ultimately martyred for his faith, yet he wrote that we should consider it joy when we face trials, because these moments are opportunities for our endurance to grow.

Endurance in faith is much like building physical endurance. It is hard to gain and easy to lose. Just as getting back on a bike after a break is painful and discouraging, so too is returning to spiritual disciplines or trusting God after a setback. But there is no shortcut—endurance is built by repeatedly choosing to trust God, especially when it is difficult. Every time our faith is tested, we have a choice: turn to Jesus or turn to something else. The more we turn to Him, the stronger our faith becomes.

We also need to recognize the distractions and disappointments that can derail our faith. Sometimes we are disappointed by unanswered prayers, by people who let us down, or by situations that don’t resolve as we hoped. It’s easy to blame God or others, but James reminds us to keep our faith in God alone and not to waver. Our faith is not in people or circumstances, but in Jesus, who is unchanging and good. Even when we are tempted to give up or to blame others, we are called to take responsibility for our own hearts and actions, confessing our sins and recommitting our trust to God.

God’s goodness is not measured by the ease of our circumstances, but by His unwavering love and the gift of salvation through Jesus. Christianity is unique in that God’s love is not earned by our merit, but given freely even while we are still sinners. In the hardest seasons, God often shows up in the most profound ways, revealing His faithfulness when we are at the end of our rope. The challenge is to keep trusting, to keep doing the next hard thing, both physically and spiritually, knowing that God is with us and that He is good.

Key Takeaways

1. Endurance in faith is built through trials Endurance doesn’t come from comfort, but from facing and persevering through difficulties. Each trial is an opportunity to grow stronger in faith, just as physical endurance is built through repeated effort. The more we choose to trust God in hard times, the more resilient our faith becomes. [32:59]
2. Keep your faith anchored in Jesus alone Distractions and disappointments—whether from unanswered prayers, people, or circumstances—can tempt us to place our trust elsewhere. True spiritual stability comes from keeping our faith fixed on Jesus, not on the shifting sands of people or situations. [36:26]
3. Take responsibility, don’t play the blame game It’s easy to blame God, others, or our circumstances when things go wrong. But spiritual maturity begins with self-examination and confession. Owning our part and seeking God’s help leads to freedom and growth, while blame keeps us stuck. [45:29]
4. God’s goodness is constant, even in hardship God is not the source of our pain or temptation; He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. His love is steadfast, and His goodness is not dependent on our circumstances. Trusting in His character, especially when life is hard, is the foundation of enduring faith. [48:29]
5. Recommit your trust to God daily Faith is a daily choice, especially when tempted to give up or turn to other things for comfort. Whether you’ve drifted or never committed before, the invitation is always open to return to Jesus, trusting that He will be faithful today as He was in the past. [53:51]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - Celebrating a Fruitful Season
[03:05] - Why Faith Isn’t Always Easier
[05:20] - Introducing James and Jerusalem
[08:45] - The Martyrdom of James
[10:30] - Joy in Trials: James 1:2-3
[13:15] - Building Endurance in Faith
[16:40] - Endurance and Perspective on Persecution
[20:05] - Faith in a Hostile Culture
[23:30] - Keeping Faith in God Alone
[27:00] - Distractions and Disappointments
[32:59] - Endurance Illustrated: The Bike Analogy
[36:26] - Anchoring Faith in Jesus
[39:04] - Three Ways We Get Distracted
[42:26] - Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus
[45:29] - Taking Responsibility, Not Blaming
[48:29] - God’s Goodness in Every Season
[51:51] - Trusting God in Hard Seasons
[53:51] - Recommitting to Faith and Prayer
[56:00] - Weekly Challenge and Closing Worship

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

James 1:2-6 (ESV) — > 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
> 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
> 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
> 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
> 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Observation Questions

According to James 1:2-3, what is the purpose of facing trials in our lives?
What does James say we should do if we lack wisdom during difficult times? (James 1:5)
In the sermon, what analogy did the pastor use to describe building endurance in faith? [[32:59]]
What are some of the distractions or disappointments mentioned in the sermon that can pull us away from trusting God? [[39:04]]

Interpretation Questions

Why does James encourage believers to consider it “joy” when they face trials? What does this reveal about God’s perspective on hardship? (James 1:2-3)
The pastor said, “Endurance in faith is much like building physical endurance. It is hard to gain and easy to lose.” How does this comparison help us understand spiritual growth? [[32:59]]
What does it mean to have faith “in God alone” and not to waver, as James describes? How might divided loyalty show up in someone’s life? (James 1:6) [[36:26]]
The sermon talked about taking responsibility for our own hearts and actions instead of blaming God or others. Why is this important for spiritual maturity? [[45:29]]

Application Questions

The pastor shared that sometimes faith gets harder, not easier, after choosing to follow Jesus. Have you ever experienced this? What was that season like for you? [[03:05]]
Think about a recent trial or disappointment. Did you find yourself turning toward Jesus or toward something else for comfort? What would it look like to “get back on the bike” spiritually this week? [[32:59]]
Are there any distractions or disappointments (unanswered prayers, people letting you down, tough situations) that are currently making it hard for you to trust God? How can you refocus your faith on Jesus alone? [[39:04]]
The sermon challenged us to “take responsibility, don’t play the blame game.” Is there an area in your life where you’ve been blaming God, others, or circumstances? What would it look like to own your part and seek God’s help? [[45:29]]
The pastor said, “God’s goodness is not measured by the ease of our circumstances, but by His unwavering love and the gift of salvation through Jesus.” How does this truth challenge or encourage you in your current season? [[48:29]]
The invitation was given to recommit your trust to God daily, especially if you’ve drifted or never committed before. What is one practical step you can take this week to recommit your trust to Jesus? [[53:51]]
The weekly challenge was to do something physically hard each day as a reminder to do the next hard thing spiritually. What is one “hard thing” you can commit to doing this week, either physically or spiritually? How can the group support you in this? [[56:00]]

Sermon Clips

We treat God like that honestly if we really think about it, it's with good intentions but sometimes we think God is a genie and my prayers because they're not selfish prayers, they're prayers for other people and prayers to hopefully maybe even put me in a better position to share the gospel better. So we pray these prayers and we don't get our prayers answered and we're like what the heck, I'm doing the right thing, right, I'm making the right decisions and we get disappointed, we get disappointed by results. [00:40:44] (42 seconds) #FaithBeyondDisappointment

The reality is Jesus came to fix eternity and not necessarily our present problem. So when Jesus died on the cross he was thinking first and foremost about death and about hell and heaven and he provided a way to heaven. I know sometimes we want to pray and like, like rightfully so, I'm praying for this person to be healed and he's not, he or she's not healed and we get disappointed. Sometimes the greatest healing happens and it's not a cliche thing but it's the truth, the greatest healing happens with death because then we're with Christ in eternity. [00:44:03] (35 seconds) #NoBlameFaith

It's so easy in the moment to point the blame, to just blame, play the blame game. I think it's important that we recognize this is why it's important for us to read the scripture. If you are a follower of Jesus you cannot be biblically illiterate, meaning you got to know what the Bible says to the Christians and to the world and what it says is that God doesn't tempt us. So God doesn't tempt you if you're in a hard season being tempted, you need to know God doesn't do that. [00:46:09] (29 seconds) #GraceNotMerit

Our own desires tempt us but he's there actually to help us in the moment. In fact, not playing the blame game with your faith, we do that sometimes with God like this thing happened and God didn't act how I thought he would act and so I'm angry at him. Now here's the great thing, we know this from Thomas who's one of the apostles, you can doubt God, you can be angry at God, we are supposed to process those things here in the church so it's not a bad thing to feel that way but you can't stay that way. [00:46:40] (35 seconds) #FaithShowsUp

There there's this reality that we have to take responsibility, in fact if you need to know you're wrestling with what the Christian faith means, Christianity 101 is taking responsibility for your actions. It's literally first John 1 9, like if we confess our sins, so like this this idea that you need to recognize the situational place you're in, like God is not putting you in bad situations but you got to recognize there might be a piece of this that you have to own and it's in that you find freedom. [00:47:15] (36 seconds) #RecommitToFaith

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift from God so all the good things you've ever experienced, your experience of love, the feeling you have of a good friend, the pleasurable experience you have doing a hobby or spending a meal with a family member, that anything that we experience in this life that is good is only from God, it's not our making who created all the lights in heaven, he never changes or casts a shifting shadow, you guys got to trust that God is good no matter how hard the season you're in. [00:48:56] (33 seconds) #DailyHardFaithChallenge

Did you know that Christianity is the only religion in the world where God is not weighing the scales of right or wrong to see if you can get into heaven? Every other religion in the world is based on merit, you're right and you're wrong and how you do good on those two things will depend on where you spend eternity. Here's what the scriptures say, while you were still sinners Christ died for you, so Christ died for you in your hard situation today before you might even believe in him and he did that because he loves you. [00:50:11] (42 seconds)

What I've learned over the course of my ministry career and my personal faith is that God loves to show off, he loves to come through when we have counted him out because that's what faith is. Faith is when we are at the end of our rope that God becomes real. So I don't know what hard season you're in, I don't know what is tempting you to throw your faith away or what's tempting you to turn to some sort of vice to get you through, Jesus is real, our faith is real when we trust him. [00:52:47] (42 seconds)

It's in the hard seasons that he comes through in a real way, he loves to show off but sometimes the pain for us is too much in the moment and we don't let him and so my encouragement for you today is that you got to recommit your trust, you know, I know maybe you took the off-ramp, you know, you chose to trust something else or trust some substance or trust some person, maybe you lost your faith completely, the solution is simple but profound, it is recommit your focus and your trust in Jesus no matter what. [00:53:30] (42 seconds)

Yes, there is going to be more hard times, it's a painful reality that I have to come to in my own faith but I just trust if God got me back then he's going to get me today and he's going to get me tomorrow, it's a day at a time, maybe for you you got to recommit, maybe for you you got to commit for the first time, I want to invite you to commit your life to Christ or recommit your faith if you've kind of gone awry. [00:54:13] (26 seconds)

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