Strengthening Faith Through Suffering and Community
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound dynamics of faith, particularly focusing on how pivotal circumstances can either strengthen or weaken our faith. We began by acknowledging the intriguing nature of conversion and deconversion stories, noting that both often involve significant life events. These events can either draw people closer to God or push them away, depending on how they are processed and understood.
We delved into the common argument against the existence of God based on the presence of pain and suffering in the world. It's a question many wrestle with: If God is good, why is there so much suffering? However, we noted that this argument often relies on the suffering of others rather than personal experiences. The challenge is to engage with those who have maintained their faith despite personal suffering, as their stories often reveal a deeper understanding of God's presence and grace.
The message emphasized that Christians do not believe in a God who prevents all suffering. Instead, we believe in a God who allowed the worst to happen to the best—Jesus. This belief is not a contradiction but a profound truth that shapes our understanding of faith. The early followers of Jesus, who faced immense suffering, did not see a conflict between a loving God and the presence of suffering. Instead, they found their faith strengthened through trials.
We also discussed the importance of having a Jesus-centered faith, surrounding ourselves with the right people, and framing our experiences correctly. These elements are crucial in determining whether our faith grows or diminishes in the face of adversity. Ultimately, the message encouraged us to pray for the ability to see our circumstances through God's eyes, trusting that He is present and active in our lives, even in the midst of trials.
Key Takeaways:
1. Faith and Suffering: The presence of suffering in the world does not negate the existence of God. Instead, it challenges us to seek a deeper understanding of His presence and grace. Engaging with those who have maintained faith through personal suffering can provide valuable insights. [03:57]
2. Jesus-Centered Faith: A robust faith is centered on Jesus and His teachings. When our faith is based on a clear understanding of Jesus' promises, it can withstand the trials and challenges of life. [34:30]
3. Community and Support: Surrounding ourselves with a supportive community is vital. The right people can help us contextualize our pain and suffering, preventing us from drawing incorrect conclusions about God's presence in our lives. [35:35]
4. Framing Our Experiences: How we frame our experiences significantly impacts our faith. Viewing challenges through the lens of God's purpose and presence can transform them into opportunities for growth and deeper faith. [36:39]
5. Prayer for Perspective: Regularly praying for the ability to see our circumstances as God sees them can help us maintain faith through trials. Recognizing God's hand in our lives strengthens our trust and confidence in His faithfulness. [37:29]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:08] - Fascination with Conversion Stories
- [00:50] - Events Triggering Faith
- [01:27] - Faith in Crisis
- [02:53] - Suffering and God's Existence
- [03:57] - Maintaining Faith Amid Suffering
- [05:59] - What Makes the Difference?
- [08:21] - Series Overview: Faith Full
- [10:23] - Essential Ingredients of Faith
- [13:25] - Pivotal Circumstances
- [16:02] - C.S. Lewis on Pain
- [19:17] - New Testament Authors and Suffering
- [23:12] - A Faith That Can Be Tested
- [25:19] - Peter's Faith Test
- [29:59] - Peter's Boldness
- [33:32] - Responding to Pivotal Circumstances
- [37:29] - Prayer for Perspective
- [40:11] - Jesus' Promise of Peace
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
2. John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
3. 1 Peter 1:6-7 - "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
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Observation Questions:
1. What are some of the pivotal circumstances mentioned in the sermon that can either strengthen or weaken faith? [13:25]
2. How did the early followers of Jesus perceive the relationship between a loving God and the presence of suffering? [19:17]
3. What role does community play in helping individuals maintain their faith during times of suffering, according to the sermon? [35:35]
4. How does the sermon describe the way Jesus prepared His disciples for the challenges they would face? [24:43]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does James 1:2-4 suggest believers should view trials and suffering in their lives? What is the intended outcome of these trials?
2. In what ways does John 16:33 provide comfort to believers facing difficult circumstances? How does this verse relate to the sermon’s message about maintaining faith through trials? [40:11]
3. According to 1 Peter 1:6-7, what is the purpose of trials in the life of a believer, and how does this align with the sermon’s discussion on faith being tested?
4. The sermon suggests that having a Jesus-centered faith is crucial during adversity. How does this concept relate to the Bible passages discussed? [34:30]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a pivotal circumstance in your life. How did it impact your faith, and what steps can you take to ensure your faith is strengthened in future challenges? [13:25]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of community. Who are the people in your life that help you contextualize your pain and suffering? How can you strengthen these relationships? [35:35]
3. Consider the idea of framing your experiences through the lens of God's purpose. How can you begin to view current challenges as opportunities for growth in your faith? [36:39]
4. The sermon encourages praying for perspective. What specific situation in your life do you need to see through God's eyes, and how will you incorporate this prayer into your daily routine? [37:29]
5. How can you cultivate a Jesus-centered faith that withstands trials? Identify one area of your faith that needs strengthening and outline a plan to address it. [34:30]
6. Think about a time when you questioned God's presence during suffering. What did you learn from that experience, and how can it help you support others going through similar trials? [03:57]
7. The sermon mentions the importance of understanding Jesus' promises. What steps can you take to deepen your understanding of these promises and apply them to your life? [34:30]
Devotional
Day 1: Faith Through Suffering
In the face of suffering, faith can either be strengthened or weakened, depending on how one processes and understands their experiences. The presence of pain and suffering in the world often leads people to question the existence of a good God. However, this argument frequently relies on the suffering of others rather than personal experiences. Engaging with those who have maintained their faith despite personal suffering can provide valuable insights into a deeper understanding of God's presence and grace. These individuals often reveal how their faith has been fortified through trials, offering a perspective that challenges the notion that suffering negates God's existence. [03:57]
"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a time when you faced personal suffering. How did it impact your faith, and what can you learn from those who have found strength in God during similar trials?
Day 2: Centered on Jesus
A robust faith is one that is centered on Jesus and His teachings. When our faith is grounded in a clear understanding of Jesus' promises, it can withstand the trials and challenges of life. The early followers of Jesus, who faced immense suffering, did not see a conflict between a loving God and the presence of suffering. Instead, they found their faith strengthened through trials, as they focused on the life and teachings of Jesus. This Jesus-centered faith provides a foundation that helps believers navigate the complexities of life with resilience and hope. [34:30]
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your understanding of Jesus' promises today, and how might this strengthen your faith in the face of life's challenges?
Day 3: The Power of Community
Surrounding ourselves with a supportive community is vital for maintaining and growing our faith. The right people can help us contextualize our pain and suffering, preventing us from drawing incorrect conclusions about God's presence in our lives. A community that shares a Jesus-centered faith can provide encouragement, accountability, and perspective, helping us to see our circumstances through God's eyes. This support network is crucial in determining whether our faith grows or diminishes in the face of adversity. [35:35]
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to for support and encouragement in your faith journey today? How can you also be a source of support for others?
Day 4: Reframing Challenges
How we frame our experiences significantly impacts our faith. Viewing challenges through the lens of God's purpose and presence can transform them into opportunities for growth and deeper faith. By reframing our experiences, we can see them not as obstacles but as pivotal circumstances that God can use to strengthen our faith. This perspective shift allows us to trust in God's active presence in our lives, even in the midst of trials, and to find meaning and purpose in our struggles. [36:39]
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4, ESV)
Reflection: What current challenge in your life can you reframe as an opportunity for growth? How might viewing it through the lens of God's purpose change your approach to it?
Day 5: Praying for Perspective
Regularly praying for the ability to see our circumstances as God sees them can help us maintain faith through trials. Recognizing God's hand in our lives strengthens our trust and confidence in His faithfulness. Prayer is a powerful tool that allows us to align our perspective with God's, helping us to see beyond our immediate circumstances and to trust in His greater plan. By seeking God's perspective, we can find peace and assurance, even in the midst of life's uncertainties. [37:29]
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: What specific situation in your life do you need to see from God's perspective today? How can you incorporate prayer into your daily routine to seek His guidance and peace?
Quotes
This is why people who leverage injustice and suffering as an argument against the existence of God, which the new atheist, people who are high-level academics, who when they talk about belief in God, this eventually surfaces pain and suffering in the world. Those who leverage injustice and suffering as an argument against the existence of God, it's so interesting in my experience, they usually leverage injustice and suffering experienced by other people, not their own. [00:02:41]
I think you should ask some people who are suffering but who are maintaining and have been able to maintain their faith in spite of their personal pain and suffering. I mean, this is like, how can there be a good God and pain and suffering in the world? As long as it's 30,000 feet away, as long as it's kind of out there as an intangible sort of an idea, that's one thing. [00:03:51]
Christians have never believed in that God. That's not the God we pray to, the God that doesn't allow pain and suffering. We don't even believe in that God. If your thing is, I don't believe in God because there's pain and suffering in the world, we agree. We don't believe in a God who doesn't allow pain and suffering in the world either because there's pain and suffering in the world. [00:07:17]
When people tell their faith story, when I tell my face story, when you tell your faith story, people talk about something that happened. Generally, it was a big event. I mean, when they look back later on their lives, they're like, that event, that was a pivotal time in my life. That was a pivotal circumstance. Oftentimes, they're disruptive, they're catalytic. [00:13:28]
He said, "God whispers to us." He wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures." You can barely hear God up into the right times, right? "He speaks to us in our conscience, but he shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." And maybe today in this moment, this weekend, this season of your life, whenever you're watching this, it's as if the pain, the sorrow, the suffering has awakened you. [00:16:04]
The authors of the New Testament like Matthew, who was a tax collector, and Mark, who knew Peter, and Luke, who interviewed all the eyewitnesses, and John, who traipse around with Jesus, and Peter himself, who was with Jesus from the beginning, and the Apostle Paul, who hated Christians and became a Christian. When you look at their lives and when you read the story of their lives, these were, this is amazing. [00:17:38]
They were at the epicenter of the activity of God on planet earth. If the New Testament is a reliable account of actual events, which I believe it is, they are right at the epicenter of God's activity in the world because Jesus has shown up in the 1st century. And yet, these men and the women that accompany Jesus suffered like crazy physically, they suffered injustice, they suffered persecution. [00:17:59]
He says, "You know that," he's writing this Book of James. "You know that the testing," there it is "of your faith." Your faith is being tested. Our confidence in God is being tested. And what's the point of God allowing our faith to be tested. James says, well, I'll tell you. "The testing," this is amazing. "You know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." [00:20:24]
Because wrinkle-free days do not create great faith. In fact, and this is disturbing, but you should take this with you. We don't even know, we don't even know what we actually believe. We don't even know what we actually believe until what we claim to believe has been tested. It's all right here. And as we're gonna see in just a few minutes, the reason, perhaps, your faith collapsed under pressure. [00:21:05]
What we believe, who we listen to, and how we frame it. Folks who lose faith due to negative or big life-changing catalytic circumstances in life, generally, generally, not always, 'cause I don't know everybody, but generally have some defective or flawed faith to begin with. That's the what. This is why it is so important that you have a Jesus-centered faith, a Jesus-centered faith. [00:34:00]
Help me to see as you see. Help me to see as you see. Help me to see as you see. Help me to see this circumstance, this pain, this suffering, this illness, this challenge for my children, help me to see it the way you see it. Help me, this is how I pray, helped me identify your hand in it or to quote "train". I need a sign to let me know you're here. [00:37:36]
Because, and this true, if we can spot God in it, if we can spot God in it, aren't we more likely to maintain faith through it? It's like, God, I just need to know you're here. I just need to know that you know. I just need to know that you're involved. Help me to see the way you see. I'll close with this. On the eve of two and a 1/2 days. [00:37:58]
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