Trusting God: Faith in Every Circumstance

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God in Unseen Circumstances

Trusting God means relying on Him not just in the easy times but also in the hardest moments when we can't see or understand His plans. This kind of trust requires us to let go of our own understanding and fully depend on Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding. This is especially important when life is challenging, and we can't see what God is doing. Just like Jomie in the trust fall exercise, we must let go of our own strength and trust in God's strength. This trust is not based on our circumstances but on God's unchanging nature and His perfect track record of faithfulness. [41:12]

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: Think of a current situation where you are struggling to understand God's plan. How can you let go of your own understanding and trust in God's higher ways today?

Day 2: Faith Beyond Sight

Just as we trust in the wind or gravity, which we can't see but know are real, we can trust in God. This trust is built on the evidence of His presence and faithfulness in our lives, even when we can't physically see Him. We often trust in things with far less information, like airplane pilots, so how much more should we trust in God, who has a perfect track record of faithfulness? This kind of faith goes beyond what we can see and is rooted in the assurance of God's character and promises. [42:35]

2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you are relying on what you can see rather than trusting in God's unseen presence. How can you shift your focus to trust in the eternal and unseen today?

Day 3: Personal and Authentic Faith

Our faith must go beyond family traditions or church attendance. It needs to be a personal, authentic relationship with God. This personal faith is what sustains us and makes our trust in God real and meaningful. It's not enough to just go through the motions of Christianity; our faith must be real and lived out daily. This authenticity in our relationship with God is what will carry us through the ups and downs of life and make our trust in Him genuine. [01:02:06]

James 1:22 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

Reflection: Reflect on your daily walk with God. Are there areas where you are just going through the motions? What steps can you take to make your faith more personal and authentic today?

Day 4: Living Out Our Faith

It's crucial for parents and leaders to live out their faith authentically in front of their children and students. Our actions speak louder than words, and our young ones need to see that our faith is genuine and practiced daily. This means being consistent in our walk with God and demonstrating our trust in Him through our actions. Our children and students are watching us, and they need to see that our faith is not just something we talk about but something we live out every day. [01:05:04]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Reflection: Think about how you can demonstrate your faith to those who look up to you. What is one practical way you can live out your faith authentically in front of them today?

Day 5: God's Unchanging Nature

Despite our circumstances, God's nature remains the same. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This consistency is the foundation of our trust in Him, knowing that He has been faithful and will continue to be faithful. No matter what we face, we can rely on God's unchanging character and His promises. This assurance gives us the confidence to trust Him fully, knowing that He is always with us and will never change. [45:18]

Malachi 3:6 (ESV): "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God's faithfulness. How does remembering His unchanging nature help you trust Him in your current circumstances?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Good morning, Cornerstone Kids family! Today, we explored the profound truth that we can trust in God no matter what. Our guiding scripture was Proverbs 3:5-6, which encourages us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to rely on our own understanding. This means trusting God in every aspect of our lives, even the parts that are hidden from others. Trusting God isn't just for the easy times or when we understand His plans; it's especially crucial during the hardest moments when we can't see what He's doing.

To illustrate this, we did a trust fall exercise with Jomie, showing that even when we can't see God, we can still trust Him, much like we trust in the wind or gravity. Jomie had to let go of his own strength and trust in mine, just as we must let go and trust in God's strength. We also discussed how we often trust in things with far less information, like airplane pilots, and how much more we should trust in God, who has a perfect track record of faithfulness.

We concluded by emphasizing that our faith needs to be personal and authentic. It's not enough to just go through the motions of Christianity; our faith must be real and lived out daily. This is especially important for parents and leaders, as our children and students are watching us. They need to see that our faith is genuine and that we practice what we preach.

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Key Takeaways

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2. Faith Beyond Sight: Just as we trust in the wind or gravity, which we can't see but know are real, we can trust in God. This trust is built on the evidence of His presence and faithfulness in our lives, even when we can't physically see Him.

3. Personal and Authentic Faith: Our faith must go beyond family traditions or church attendance. It needs to be a personal, authentic relationship with God. This personal faith is what sustains us and makes our trust in God real and meaningful.

4. Living Out Our Faith: It's crucial for parents and leaders to live out their faith authentically in front of their children and students. Our actions speak louder than words, and our young ones need to see that our faith is genuine and practiced daily.

5. God's Unchanging Nature: Despite our circumstances, God's nature remains the same. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This consistency is the foundation of our trust in Him, knowing that He has been faithful and will continue to be faithful.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Big Idea: Trust in God
[01:00] - Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:5-6
[02:00] - Understanding Trust in God
[03:00] - Trusting God in All Circumstances
[04:00] - Faith Beyond Sight
[05:00] - Trust Fall Exercise
[06:00] - Choosing to Trust God
[07:00] - Trusting in God's Character
[08:00] - Personal and Authentic Faith
[09:00] - Living Out Our Faith
[10:00] - God's Unchanging Nature
[11:00] - Closing and Prayer
[12:00] - Invitation to Continue Worship

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Proverbs 3:5-6 instruct us to do with all our hearts? How does it say we should handle our own understanding? [39:50]
During the trust fall exercise, what did Jomie have to do to fully trust the pastor? [42:35]
According to the sermon, why is it important for our faith to be personal and authentic? [01:02:06]
How does Hebrews 13:8 describe Jesus, and why is this significant for our trust in God? [45:18]

Interpretation Questions

What does it mean to trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding? How might this look in everyday life? [39:50]
How can the analogy of trusting in the wind or gravity help us understand trusting in God? [42:35]
Why is it crucial for parents and leaders to live out their faith authentically in front of their children and students? [01:05:04]
How does the unchanging nature of Jesus, as described in Hebrews 13:8, provide a foundation for our trust in Him? [45:18]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you found it difficult to trust God. What were the circumstances, and how did you handle it? How might Proverbs 3:5-6 guide you in similar situations in the future? [39:50]
Think about the trust fall exercise. Are there areas in your life where you need to let go of your own strength and trust in God's strength? What steps can you take to do this? [42:35]
How can you make your faith more personal and authentic? Identify one specific action you can take this week to deepen your relationship with God. [01:02:06]
As a parent or leader, what are some practical ways you can demonstrate authentic faith to those you influence? How can you ensure that your actions align with your words? [01:05:04]
Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. How does this truth impact your trust in God during changing or challenging times? [45:18]
Identify one area of your life where you are currently relying on your own understanding rather than trusting in God. What changes can you make to fully depend on Him? [39:50]
How can you encourage someone else to trust in God, especially during difficult times? Share a personal story or scripture that has helped you trust in God. [42:35]

Sermon Clips

1. "So we see in this passage of scripture, this command to trust in God with all of our heart. And so when I think about that, I think, okay, what ways am I not trusting in God with every part of my life? What areas am I not fully trusting him? Because when it says to trust him with all of our heart, that means the parts that people see, the parts people don't see, every single part." [41:12] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "When we trust God with all of our heart, it means we don't trust him just when things are easy. It means we don't just trust him when we understand what he's doing. And we don't just trust him only when we can see what he's doing. Rather, even in the hardest times, even when things don't make sense, and even when we feel completely, blind to what he's doing, we still choose to trust him." [41:12] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "We can have all the evidence for God that we can possibly find and learn. But at the end of the day, we still need to choose to fall into his arms and trust in God. Because the reality is, you know, Jomie knows me, right? He knows that I know I love him. I care about him. I'm not going to let him fall, especially not in front of, you know, his parents, right? But God loves Jomie so much more and his track record, of how God has been faithful, is so much better than mine." [43:59] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We struggle to trust in God when we don't understand perfectly what he's doing or how he's moving. That's not to diminish, you know, difficult situations, but we cannot allow our difficult situations to diminish how great God is. Because we know Jesus, the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8 that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's been faithful and he'll continue to be faithful. We need to allow ourselves to trust fully in him." [45:18] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "I grew up in the church, and so I was great at being a really, really good kid. But I remember a specific moment in my life where my faith went from being, oh, my family is a Christian family, and I go to this church, to really it being my personal relationship. And that's really what we're trying to encourage all of our students, not just our students, but everyone here. It needs to go beyond just the words you say, or you go to church on Sundays, or you pray before your meals. Okay, what is... Your faith needs to become real. It needs to be beyond what your parents do or your family background, but it needs to be yours personally. It needs to be your real, authentic, personal faith." [01:02:06] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "How much more, and this is kind of a charge to parents and those out here, how much more important is it for our students to see their parents living it out, their leaders living it out, those adults, in their lives, all of us, living it out authentically and practicing it in front of their eyes for them to see that, hey, this Jesus thing, this Jesus thing is real. It's not just something people say, but it's also something people do, and this is what it looks like." [01:05:04] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Even in those moments, choosing to be real and authentic and say, hey, I made a mistake, but this is the correct way to do it. For them to really see that, so it's not a say one thing and do another, but it's really an authentic and true faith. And it's a journey for our students to see us practicing. It's important." [01:05:40] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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