Encouraging Words from the Savior: Peace Amid Tribulation

Responsible stewardship stands as a practical expression of faith: consistency, commitment, responsibility, and love for church and gospel drive generous giving even amid trials. The churches of Macedonia modeled liberality while suffering, and that example frames giving as a spiritual discipline rather than a convenient option. Scripture from John 16 surfaces as a pastoral roadmap: honest warnings, clear promises, and sustaining consolation that prepare the faithful to endure opposition without losing identity or peace. Those encouraging words promise that hostility and tribulation will come, but they also point to an abiding peace rooted in Christ’s victory over the world.

African American history receives focused attention as both heritage and imperative. The account traces origins to 1619 and the Middle Passage, names the theft of inalienable rights, and insists on telling the unvarnished truth rather than allowing oppressors to rewrite the past. The community’s resilience and resourcefulness emerge as central themes: survival did not equal assimilation into false narratives of purity or erasure. The generation’s duty involves perpetuating memory—naming birthplaces, telling family stories, and teaching children—so that identity resists dilution and truth survives.

Hard realities persist: racism, slurs, and public insults still wound, and recent examples make clear that racial hostility remains active and harmful. Words cut deeply; names can break hearts and reopen old wounds. Yet the biblical call reframes response: do not be offended to the point of sin, bless those who curse, and do good to those who despitefully use. Knowledge of identity strengthens refusal to be provoked; stooping to hatred undermines the long work of moral advance.

The practical outworking combines faith, memory, and community. Stick together, love one another, and participate in institutional life—ministries, health programs, and membership that sustain a congregation’s witness. Tribulation will come in every vocation and place, but abiding in Christ yields peace even under pressure because Christ has overcome the world. The open invitation to recommit or come to Christ links doctrinal assurance with pastoral urgency: finding peace, reclaiming identity, and persevering in love form the heart of faithful living today.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Responsible stewardship requires consistent commitment Generosity functions as sustained discipleship, not occasional charity. Regular giving shapes spiritual priorities, trains the heart to trust God, and keeps the gospel ministry functioning during communal trial. Commitment in stewardship models love for the church and resists the temptation to let hardship excuse neglect. [30:34]
• 2. Perpetuate history; refuse others' erasure Memory secures identity: telling family and communal stories interrupts attempts to sanitize or erase painful pasts. Passing truth down prevents a generation from rising that “knew not the Lord nor what he had done.” Preserving history becomes an act of spiritual formation that anchors hope and resists cultural amnesia. [53:32]
• 3. Know identity; resist provocation Self-knowledge inoculates against reactionary violence and corrosive shame. When rooted identity answers slurs and assaults (“Do you know who you are?”), words lose power to drive one into sin. Stable identity enables blessing enemies and doing good under pressure rather than returning hatred for hatred. [67:05]
• 4. Find peace because Christ overcame Peace does not deny tribulation; it reframes experience around the victory of Christ. Abiding in Christ provides a peace that sustains action, steadies courage, and softens the impulse to retaliate. The assurance that “I have overcome the world” gives courage to endure and remain loving in hostile seasons. [70:18]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [30:34] - Stewardship and Generous Giving
• [43:06] - Children’s Leadership & Gratitude
• [45:14] - Scripture Focus: John 16
• [47:13] - Black History Month Emphasis
• [50:29] - Atlantic Slave Trade and Heritage
• [53:32] - Perpetuate and Teach History
• [57:54] - Racism Still Persists
• [70:18] - Peace Found in Christ’s Victory
• [79:35] - Invitation and Commitment

1. What three reasons does Jesus give for telling his disciples these difficult truths about the future?
2. According to the sermon, what specific historical event began the African American journey in this country, and what was stolen from people at that time? [47:36]
3. What does the text in John 16:33 promise will happen "in the world," and what is the contrasting promise found "in me"?
4. The sermon mentions a father's crucial question to his son in a moment of provocation. What was that question? [01:07:05]

1. Jesus says his words are meant to prevent his followers from being "offended" or falling away. Why would knowing about future hardship in advance help prevent someone from stumbling in their faith?
2. The sermon connects the importance of knowing one's personal and communal history with the biblical warning in Judges about a generation that "knew not the Lord." What is the danger, both spiritually and culturally, when a people forget their history? [54:05]
3. How does the truth that "I have overcome the world" provide a foundation for having peace and being of good courage when facing tribulation?
4. The response to hurtful words and actions is framed as "bless them that curse you" and "do good to those who despitefully use you." Why is knowing your identity key to being able to respond in this way instead of with retaliation? [01:08:29]

1. "Perpetuate your history. Tell the story." [53:32] What is one story from your own family’s history that you need to make sure the next generation knows? How can you be more intentional about sharing it?
2. When have you experienced a situation where words "cut deeper than any stick" and broke your heart? [59:02] In that moment, how did you respond, and how does the call to not be provoked to sin challenge you for the future?
3. The call is to consistent, committed stewardship as an act of love, not just occasional charity. [30:34] How does your current pattern of giving reflect a heart that trusts God and loves the church, especially during trials?
4. Tribulation is promised in every vocation and place. [01:10:35] What is a specific area of your life (work, family, community) where you are currently facing tribulation, and how can you actively seek the peace that Christ offers in the midst of it?
5. "Stick together. Love one another." [01:06:02] What is one practical way you can strengthen your connection to your church family this week to help build the resilience needed to face opposition?
6. The question "Do you know who you are?" is presented as a shield against provocation. [01:07:36] How would you answer that question based on your identity in Christ, and how can reminding yourself of this truth change your reaction to insults?