Trusting Jesus: Our Strength in Life's Challenges

 

Summary

In life, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by circumstances that seem insurmountable. Just as a child trusts a parent to carry them on a piggyback ride, we are invited to trust Jesus to carry us through life's challenges. This analogy of a piggyback ride beautifully illustrates the relationship we are called to have with Jesus. It is a relationship built on recognizing our own limitations and His boundless strength and authority. When my children were small, they would climb onto my back, trusting in my ability to carry them safely. Similarly, Jesus offers us the opportunity to lean on His strength and authority, to navigate through, around, and even over the difficulties we face.

To access this divine support, we must place ourselves under Jesus's authority. Just as my children acknowledged their inability and my ability, we must acknowledge our need for Jesus's strength. This recognition brings security, assurance, and peace, knowing that He can handle whatever we face. The deeper our struggles, the greater our dependency on His ability should be. Our authority in life is directly tied to how we operate under His authority. Jesus, who holds all authority in heaven and on earth, invites us to depend on Him, not on our own understanding or strength.

In our prayers and actions, we are called to lean on Jesus, trusting that He will provide the strength and guidance needed to overcome life's challenges. By piggybacking on His authority, we can find the strength to move from where we are to where we need to be. Jesus's strength is sufficient to carry us through any storm, and His authority is our assurance that we are never alone in our journey.

Key Takeaways:

- Trusting in Jesus is like a child trusting a parent for a piggyback ride. It requires recognizing our limitations and His strength, which brings security and assurance in life's challenges. [00:54]

- Accessing Jesus's authority requires placing ourselves under His authority. Just as in any hierarchy, our effectiveness is tied to our alignment with the one above us. [01:45]

- Jesus's authority is comprehensive, encompassing both heaven and earth. This means we can rely on Him not just for spiritual matters but for every aspect of our lives. [01:58]

- Our dependency on Jesus should increase with the depth of our difficulties. The greater the challenge, the more we should lean on His ability to carry us through. [01:27]

- In prayer and action, we are encouraged to depend on Jesus, trusting that His strength will guide us through life's storms, moving us from where we are to where we need to be. [02:12]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:26] - The Piggyback Ride Analogy
[00:38] - Jesus's Offer to Carry Us
[00:54] - Recognizing Our Limitations
[01:06] - Security in His Strength
[01:18] - Deeper Dependency in Difficulty
[01:27] - Operating Under Authority
[01:45] - Comprehensive Authority of Jesus
[01:58] - Leaning on Jesus in Prayer
[02:12] - Strength to Overcome
[02:27] - Assurance in His Authority
[02:52] - Conclusion

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
2. Matthew 28:18 - "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'"

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Observation Questions:

1. What does the analogy of a piggyback ride illustrate about our relationship with Jesus? [00:38]
2. How does recognizing our own limitations help us in accessing Jesus's authority? [01:06]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between our struggles and our dependency on Jesus? [01:27]
4. How is Jesus's authority described in the sermon, and what does it encompass? [01:58]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the piggyback ride analogy help us understand the concept of relying on Jesus's strength and authority? [00:38]
2. How does placing ourselves under Jesus's authority change our approach to life's challenges? [01:06]
3. What does it mean to "piggyback on Jesus's authority" in practical terms, according to the sermon? [02:27]
4. How does the sermon explain the connection between Jesus's authority and our sense of security and assurance? [01:18]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent challenge you faced. How might recognizing your limitations and relying on Jesus's strength have changed your approach? [00:54]
2. What are some practical steps you can take to place yourself under Jesus's authority in your daily life? [01:06]
3. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to increase your dependency on Jesus. How can you actively lean on His strength in that area? [01:27]
4. How can you remind yourself of Jesus's comprehensive authority when facing both spiritual and everyday challenges? [01:58]
5. In what ways can you incorporate prayer and action to depend more on Jesus's guidance and strength? [02:12]
6. Think of a situation where you felt overwhelmed. How can you apply the piggyback ride analogy to find peace and assurance in Jesus's authority? [02:27]
7. How can you encourage others in your community to trust in Jesus's authority and strength during difficult times? [02:52]

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting Beyond Our Limits
In life, we often encounter challenges that seem beyond our capacity to handle. Just as a child trusts a parent for a piggyback ride, we are invited to trust Jesus to carry us through life's difficulties. This trust requires us to recognize our own limitations and acknowledge His boundless strength and authority. By doing so, we find security and assurance, knowing that He is capable of handling whatever we face. The analogy of a piggyback ride beautifully illustrates the relationship we are called to have with Jesus, one that is built on trust and dependency. [00:54]

Isaiah 40:29-31 (ESV): "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you feel overwhelmed? How can you actively choose to trust Jesus to carry you through this challenge today?


Day 2: Aligning Under Divine Authority
To access the divine support Jesus offers, we must place ourselves under His authority. Just as in any hierarchy, our effectiveness is tied to our alignment with the one above us. By acknowledging our need for Jesus's strength, we find security, assurance, and peace. This recognition is crucial, as our authority in life is directly tied to how we operate under His authority. Jesus, who holds all authority in heaven and on earth, invites us to depend on Him, not on our own understanding or strength. [01:45]

Matthew 8:8-10 (ESV): "But the centurion replied, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, "Go," and he goes, and to another, "Come," and he comes, and to my servant, "Do this," and he does it.' When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, 'Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.'"

Reflection: In what ways can you better align yourself under Jesus's authority in your daily decisions and actions?


Day 3: Comprehensive Reliance on Jesus
Jesus's authority is comprehensive, encompassing both heaven and earth. This means we can rely on Him not just for spiritual matters but for every aspect of our lives. His strength and authority are not limited to certain areas; they are all-encompassing. By understanding this, we can confidently lean on Him for guidance and support in every situation we face, knowing that His authority is our assurance that we are never alone in our journey. [01:58]

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV): "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Reflection: What is one non-spiritual area of your life where you need to start relying more on Jesus's authority and guidance?


Day 4: Deepening Dependency in Difficulty
Our dependency on Jesus should increase with the depth of our difficulties. The greater the challenge, the more we should lean on His ability to carry us through. This dependency is not a sign of weakness but a recognition of His strength and our need for His support. By piggybacking on His authority, we can find the strength to move from where we are to where we need to be, trusting that His strength is sufficient to carry us through any storm. [01:27]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflection: How can you intentionally increase your dependency on Jesus during your current struggles or challenges?


Day 5: Trusting in Prayer and Action
In our prayers and actions, we are encouraged to depend on Jesus, trusting that His strength will guide us through life's storms. By leaning on His authority, we can move from where we are to where we need to be. Jesus's strength is sufficient to carry us through any storm, and His authority is our assurance that we are never alone in our journey. This trust in prayer and action is a vital part of our relationship with Him, as it allows us to experience His guidance and support in tangible ways. [02:12]

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: What specific action can you take today to demonstrate your trust in Jesus's strength and guidance in your life?

Quotes

"when my kids were small i would give them piggyback rides i would let them get on my back and i'd be on two knees and two hands or two elbows and i would be moving them all around the house they would be piggybacking off of my ability to carry them what jesus offers all of us is a piggyback ride he offers us the opportunity to get on his shoulders his back to ride through around and even over the circumstances of life" [00:15:45]

"you cannot access jesus's authority unless you are placing yourself underneath his authority the reason why my kids could piggyback on me is they recognized their inability and recognized my ability it is only in that recognition that you feel secure safe and you feel assured that it can be handled jesus is offering you a piggyback ride he's saying i will carry you through this thing" [00:56:57]

"no matter how deep the difficulty is in fact the deeper it is the greater the dependency on his ability should be and just as in politics or the military your authority is tied to how you operate underneath the one who's over you your authority and my authority is how we operate in conjunction to jesus's authority over us remember all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth" [01:30:24]

"he's not only authoritative up there he's authoritative down here so don't lean on what you know you can do alone lean on the fact that you are depending on him in your prayers and in your following his instructions to give you the ability to ride out whatever is tossing your world and turning it upside down piggyback on jesus's authority he's got enough strength to carry you from where you are to where you need to go" [02:05:36]

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Transcript
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