Trusting God in Everyday Life

Trusting God in Everyday Life‌

Bible Passage: Matthew 6:24–32, Romans 8:28, James 1:2–4

‌So originally, I had planned on transitioning into a overview of Romans today, however, I felt a sort of stirring in my heart that before we just pick up and leave James where we did and just move on as if it wasn’t important, it might be beneficial for everybody if we did a sort of in-between message that we could to not only remind ourselves of some of the things that are important from James as we move into Roman‘s, but also touch on a few key things that I think a lot of Christians in their daily walk deal with. And I’m sure many of you probably do as well.

So what we’re gonna do today is review some of the key themes from James, some of the themes from Romans that Paul touches upon and see if we can figure out how the two books flow together in the sense of their ideas and the messages that James and Paul preach. But I want to start in the Sermon on the Mount. Remember that James used the Sermon on the Mount often in his letter. The other day Emily was saying how cool it is that we see themes from the Sermon on the Mount all throughout the Bible. That’s because this is Jesus preaching and He is either taking old testament verses and showing his disciples and others how they misunderstood the whole point of what God was trying to say, OR the New Testament writers like James and Paul are teaching based on Jesus’s teachings, and the Sermon on the Mount happens to be Jesus’s longest recorded sermon that we have, so I’m sure it was very popular in that day as well.  So of course, anytime Jesus speaks, we should pay attention because who else can teach us what the Bible is saying better than Jesus himself? Not only that, but Jesus is the perfect example of how to trust in the Father and we should pay attention to what He has to say.

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So if you have them, go ahead and open your Bibles with me first to Matthew chapter 6:25-32

Prayer

So often we can get caught up with life, allow worry, doubt, stress, loneliness, and lack of contentment to control our behavior and actions or moods and attitudes. But as children of God, we should know that there isn’t anything in this life that we can experience that isn’t allowed by God and that God isn’t able to bring us through. We might not know why, we might not see how, but Roman’s 8:28 tells us all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purposes. God in all of his greatness is somehow able to take everything that happens in our lives and work it all together for good. Our definition of good might not always be the same as God’s, we don’t know what good looks like in the course of 5000 years, most of us have about a 50 to 100 year window (Lord willing) where we can see what life can hold, but we don’t understand how things can work in the course of hundreds or thousands of years. Cultural standards and definitions of “good” also change, so we can’t base our understanding of “good” off of the world and our own perception, but we need to base it off of the Word of God and His character.

We often think every little inconvenience is a “bad thing” and everything the world deems “good” is a blessing. Maybe you are blessed with a good head of hair, you may consider that a “blessing” but it may cause you to be vain and you may spend more time doing your hair and looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning than reading your Word and making God the priority. I wouldn’t necessarily consider that a blessing but something that can be a distraction. I’m not saying you can’t fix your hair or take care of what God has given you or even be thankful for it, but when you consider things to be a blessing that cause your character to stray from the character of a godly man or woman, you may want to rethink what the term blessing actually means.

Someone like me, who is losing their hair, doesn’t have to really worry about spending excess amounts of time in front of a mirror worrying about how I look. I get a shower, dry my hair, run my fingers through it and go on with my day. No time wasted there, haha.

On the other hand we may also view every negative thing that happens to us as a curse or something to grumble about or complain about. We often see people shaking their fist at God, wondering why me? We got a flat tire and our entire day is ruined, but who knows, maybe that flat tire saved us from a life ending accident later on. I would consider that a blessing.  Anytime, something bad happens to you, if you are a child of God, then you can rest assured, knowing that that thing you perceive as bad, God is working in that situation to use it for good.

Remember James starts his letter off in chapter 1 verse two saying

James 1:2-4

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

So no matter what we face, whatever trial comes our way, we can know that it’s gonna test our faith but God has a plan and a purpose for the testing. It reminds me of

Job 23:10, Yet he knows the way I have taken; when he has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.

There’s things in life that may make or break our faith but what James says, what Paul says is for the believer, no matter what trials we face no matter what we come up against we can know that God is working it all together for good, and the testing of our faith produces endurance, which will allow us to become complete, mature, lacking nothing. I love how James says that, mature and complete, lacking nothing. In those times whenever repetition was used, it would be a tool to show greater emphasis. You know how sometimes it’s like really cold outside and somebody asks is it cold out, and if it’s really cold, you might say something like yeah it’s cold cold. We’ve kind of looped back around to that same idea that they had in those ancient times where you could repeat something in order to show a greater emphasis. And that’s what James is doing when he says complete, lacking nothing. If you’re complete, do you lack anything? If something doesn’t lack anything, is it complete? So what he’s doing is he’s using repetition to show that trials test our faith and will help you to become complete if you allow them to do so.  This is a part of the sanctification process which we will learn about in more depth in Romans and we are going to circle back around to this but first,  I want to ask you a few questions that I believe we get the answer to in both James and Romans. It’s also important not just to learn and obtain knowledge but to put that knowledge into action. So we’re going to learn to apply what we learned in James as we prepare for the theological depth that Paul will bring us in Romans. Questions & Focal Points:

How can viewing trials as opportunities for growth change our attitude towards challenges in life?

What are some everyday situations where you need to trust God instead of worrying?

What does it look like to practice joy in the midst of difficult circumstances?

What are some ways to support each other in trusting God during tough times?

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So the first question we want to ask is:

“How can we view trials as opportunities for growth & How can this change our attitude towards the challenges we face in life? “

I think that we have the perfect person that can guide us through these questions and really give us a good example of  how to face trials…. We have to go all the way back to the Old Testament to find his story, but the person I want us to direct our attention to is…. Joseph.

All the way back in Genesis we find a story of a boy who was sold into slavery by his brothers and imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, Joseph’s trials seemed overwhelming. Yet, through each hardship, God was shaping his character and preparing him for greatness. Ultimately, Joseph became a leader in Egypt, saving nations from famine. His trials transformed him and equipped him for his divine purpose. Even when he was in prison, God gave him favor and Joseph was basically ruling the prison.

Similarly to Joseph, our struggles can serve as profound opportunities for growth if we trust God through the process. We see this all the time with missionaries who go out into red zones all over the world to share the Gospel. These brave missionaries, view things like being thrown in prison as the perfect opportunity to share their faith, grow in their trust in God amidst the trials and tribulations they face, and they typically would tell you, those were some of the best times of their life! Why? Because in the midst of their trials, God was with them, strengthening them, equipping them, helping them to reach others, and teaching them to rely on Him in all circumstances.  Or maybe you could look at someone more secular and well known like Thomas Edison…

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Think about the life of Thomas Edison. He faced thousands of failures before successfully inventing the lightbulb. Each trial was not just a setback; it was a stepping stone towards his ultimate goal. Edison once said, 'I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.' His perseverance through adversity embodies the idea that trials are not the end but rather opportunities for growth.

So how can we allow these trials that we face to sanctify us and help us grow? By choosing to trust God.

1. Choosing to Trust God

Let’s go back to Matthew‌ chapter 6. For any of you that took the Allen Parr study with us when we first started gathering together on Wednesdays, you may have noticed a key word at the beginning of verse 25: THEREFORE. Remember when we see the word “therefore” we want to ask, what is this there for? And then that should prompt us to look at the previous verses for context. So going back just one verse, we can see the context of Matthew 6:25-32.  Now listen to this scripture again when we include verse 24… Matthew 6:24-27 says,

“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? This particular passage then is referring to material things. Jesus is telling us, do not be anxious about material things because God is caring for you and knows everything you NEED. Remember needs are not wants. Needs: food, shelter, clothing, protection, etc. Wants: vacations, designer bags, the newest trendy find on amazon or tiktok, shoes, video games, a brand new car, a home with more sq footage and a bigger yard, etc. These may be wants, but they certainly aren’t needs. You can live without them, even if you think you can’t.

It is clear here that Jesus is telling us that trusting in God involved a clear decision to choose to serve Him and TRUST Him over being enslaved by material worries of this world. Jesus illustrates this with the impossibility of serving two masters. He says, it is impossible to serve two masters, yet so often that is exactly what we try to do. Jesus is very clear here though. We cannot. You cannot serve money and God at the same time. If you are so tight fisted that you cannot give up your luxurious lifestyle if God asks you to let it go to serve Him and follow Him and His will for your life, then you are serving money/material things, not God. Look at the fires in LA for example. These people, most are millionaires, have invested so much money into their homes, all for it to be burned to the ground. Nothing but ashes left. What is happening in LA is heartbreaking and our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes, more so those who have lost their loved ones, but this is the perfect time for us all to step back and reflect on what is most important in life. IT ALL BURNS. EVERYTHING. At the end of everything, when you draw your last breath or Jesus comes and raptures us up, all that will be left is your soul, and the only thing that matters, is whether or not you made Jesus your Lord and Savior and trusted Him for your Salvation. If you are building treasure here on earth, take a step back and look at the fires in LA, realize that it could be YOU, it could be me, it could be any one of us, and ONE DAY, it will be. One day, it will all burn, one day your life here on earth will have ended, and not ONE THING that you built here will matter, except for that which was build for Christ. So choose wisely which master you will serve.

Are you trusting in God or are you trusting in material things? Who is your Master? Where are you building your treasure? James 4:4-8 says, 4 You adulterous people!  Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The Spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely. 6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Remember James is saying, to pursue worldly things is fleeting. It’s pointless. Church putting your hope in material things defeats the purpose of trusting in God alone and in fact causes us to fall into anxiety and idolatry: worship of idols. Idols are not just golden calves and asherah poles. Idols are anything that you put above God: money, people (your kids, your spouse), careers, education, sports, knowledge, working out, sleep.. We need to recognize that GOD is our sole Master and brings peace and purpose to our lives, not our things, not our bank account, not our circumstances. This should free us from any anxiety or fear about the necessities of life that Jesus addresses. One of the key themes in Romans we will see is faith and trust in God. Actually the main theme of Romans is found in Chapter 1 v. 16-17 which says, 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith,  just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

The word Paul uses here for “believe” is pisteuo. It means to believe, to have faith, to trust.  It conveys a sense of trust and reliance on someone or something. In the NT it is often used to describe the act of believing in Jesus Christ for salvation, trusting in God’s promises, and having faith in the truth of the Gospel. This belief is not merely intellectual assent but involves a deep personal, trust, and commitment. This kind of belief for New Testament writers was defined in the context of a personal relationship with God through Jesus. It is not just about accepting doctrines but involves a transformative trust that leads to a new way of living. FAITH is central to salvation and was emphasized in the early Christian community. Now pay attention to Romans 17b where Paul says, “just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.”  Paul is using Habakkuk 2:4 here.

Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.

So whats the point here? Paul in Romans, James, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and Habakkuk are all saying the same thing: God is faithful to provide for and care for you, by FAITH you must trust Him to do what He has said He would do.

Charles Spurgeon said, “We would be much more restful if we did but do our God the justice of trusting Him at all times, for He can never fail us! Choose today to Trust God, not just when things are going well. Trust him when you have nothing, when you lose someone you love, when a friend chooses to walk away, when He asks you to let go of something you are comfortable with, when you don’t know what tomorrow holds.

God’s faithfulness should propel us to trust in Him completely in all circumstances and situations. To live open handed and not tight fisted, trusting the path He has called us to. But it should also move us to cherish the care and provision God gives us in the midst of our trails or challenges. Which leads us to point 2.

‌2. Cherishing God's Care

Moving on to Matthew 6:28-32,

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith?‌ 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

We see Jesus gives us 2 illustrations here of what it means to trust in God.

Imagine walking through a lush garden filled with blooming lilies. Each petal, perfectly designed and vibrant, reminds us of the Creator's attention to detail and care for His creation. If God invests such beauty into the lilies that neither toil nor spin, how much more will He care for you? You, made in His image, the Imago Dei, as the kids just learned about in youth group, are much more valuable. Every worry about your dress, your future, or your worth can be surrendered to Him because He clothes you with love far beyond what flowers possess.

Shifting our focus to the second illustration Jesus gives, the sparrows. In Matthew 10:29, Jesus reminds us that not a single sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge. As you may know, Gram likes to watch the birds outside. They have a very elaborate bird feeder with a camera where you can watch the birds eating and flying around. I’m not a bird watcher myself, but if you pay attention to birds, you will recognize that there is so much intricate detail in each bird. The way they look, fly, communicate, care for their young, etc. If God invested so much time into the sparrows, how much more is He concerned for our struggles and needs? He knows every detail about our lives and cares deeply, offering comfort and provision in our times of need.

And we must not get this concept of provision confused with the prosperity Gospel. Provision does not mean you will be wealthy, healthy, and blessed as many prosperity preachers often claim. Some of the most blessed people in this world are living in 3rd world countries, living in mud houses or no houses, trusting in God for their daily meal. Some of the most evil people in the world are sitting in multimillion dollar homes, with endless amounts of food, multiple cars, and never worrying about a single thing, but they should be worried about their soul. Again, as we talked about in our study of James, it’s not a sin to have money, but it is a sin when money has you. Money is a trial because it can easily cause us to forget God, not to remember that we are still absolutely 100% dependant on Him for our daily bread, just like our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. They just get to experience His provision minute by minute, and consider themselves blessed for it.

Psalm 145:15-16 says,

All eyes look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

We are ALL dependant on God for our daily bread. Maybe we recognize this, but do we cherish His provision and care?

Mark Denver says in his book, “Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

” As Christians, we need to know that God will continue to care for us, and that His continuing care is based not on our faithfulness but on His.” Do we cherish God’s provision for us Church? Do we TRULY understand His faithfulness if we are always so worried about tomorrow? One thing about the Israelites that I like to remind myself of is that they often forgot where God brought them from and what He did for them and that got them into trouble. When we are reading the Old Testament it can be really easy to look at the Israelites and point the finger as we are watching the events in the Bible unfold, especially if we know what happens next. We may say things like, “WHY?!” “How could you forget what God just did for you?!” We can be quick to shame them and say, “I would never” but how often is that our story? How often do we forget where God has brought us from? That He has been faithful in EVERY SEASON.

In the midst of a busy life, we often forget the moments God has been faithful to us. Just like the Israelites in the desert who, after witnessing His miracles, quickly began to doubt Him when faced with new challenges, we too forget His past provisions when we encounter storms.

But by reflecting on our individual journeys, we can find encouragement in recounting God’s faithfulness, reminding ourselves of times He has undoubtedly been our provider and protector.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Emily was working yesterday and a person had called in simply for a Spiritual Blessing. After she inquired more to see if she could pray for anything else and to make sure the person knew Jesus, he had told her that he had a cancer diagnosis recently. But he didn’t ask for prayer for that, he just wanted a blessing and before he got off the phone he said to her, “Don’t have a good day… have a great life!” “See you in Heaven soon!” What really struck her though was not just his words, but the joy and almost excitement he had as he said them. In the midst of this huge trial in his life, he did not even ask for healing, he asked for a spiritual blessing and counted it as JOY that he encountered this trial. How would you respond if you received that news? Many of us would cry, maybe ask God why me? Maybe go into a state of depression or panic or fear. But Jesus teaches us to rely on God in all seasons and circumstances and encourages us to remember God’s intimate care for us, trying to get us to shift our perspective from frantic worry to faith-fueled trust in God’s abundant provision and His good plan. And I’m not saying there is anything wrong with crying or being reasonably worried, we are human after all, but do we trust God with everything, in every season, under every circumstance, and do we leave every worry in His hands, knowing HE IS FAITHFUL and even if we do not understand, we can submit our ways to Him and HE will lead us on the right path.

What are you holding onto that God is asking you to let go of? What do you cherish more than God? I heard a quote recently that went something like this, “Whatever you are holding onto, hold it loosely, so it doesn’t hurt if the Lord chooses to take it away.” It reminds me of a missionary named John Paton.  In 1945, John made a life-altering decision to leave the comforts of his home in Scotland and serve in the New Hebrides Islands. Despite the dangers, he prioritized God's calling over personal safety. His choice not only showcased his trust in God but also paved the way for countless others to hear the Gospel. He put his life at risk, left everything that was comfortable and familiar, sold his possessions, and followed the calling God had put on his life. By doing so, he built his treasure in heaven, countin all the treasure he built on earth as loss.  Like John, we must also choose to prioritize God's Kingdom in our daily lives, trusting Him with the outcomes of our obedience. Trusting Him to care for our needs and not worrying about anything.

So not only do we need to 1. Trust God in every circumstance, and 2. Cherish His great care for us, but we also can 3. be “Confident in His plan”.

3. Confident in His Plan

‌Remember Romans 8:28 says,

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

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We may say that we trust God in every circumstance, we may even be deeply grateful for His care and provision in times of need, but are we confident in the plans He has for us? When the path He calls us down looks to have too many hurdles and hardships. When the calling is different than what we anticipated or planned? When we encounter various trials and troubles, do we remain confident in God’s sovereignty and His plan?

Romans 8:28 assures us of God's overarching purpose, that He works all things together for good. Which allows us to trust God's sovereignty even when circumstances are hard to understand.

‌Going back to the story of Jospeh… Joseph is a powerful reminder that God can turn our trials into triumphs just as Romans 8 says. As we know Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, faced false accusations by Pharoah’s wife, and was imprisoned. That doesn’t exactly seem like “good plans” does it? Yet, through it all, he maintained his faith. He never blamed God, never shook his fist at God, never doubted God’s goodness or faithfulness.  When he ultimately rose to power in Egypt, he said, “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” Genesis 50:20 Joseph’s words should remind us that no situation is beyond God's redemptive power, and He can bring peace out of EVERY trial we face and not only does God usually work it out for OUR good, but also for the good of MANY. We see this theme all throughout scripture. Look at Job. He exemplifies how devastation can yield unexpected blessings. After losing everything, Job persevered through his suffering, trusting in God’s plan. The first thing Job does when he finds out he lost all of his wealth, his health, his livelihood, his legacy, all 10 of HIS CHILDREN, what does he do first in response? He WORSHIPS God.  In the end, not only was Job restored with greater blessings, but his story continues to inspire faith in countless people facing trials. Job’s experience reminds us that God's sovereignty can turn our darkest hours into platforms for His glory and the edification of many.

Again, I’ll remind you of Job’s words in the midst of his trial “Yet he knows the way I have taken; when he has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.”

In the process of refining gold, it is subjected to extreme heat. The goldsmith knows the perfect temperature to bring out the purest form of the metal. Sometimes, God allows us to go through our own 'furnaces' to refine our character and faith. Just as the goldsmith watches the gold closely, so does God attentively observe us during our trials, ensuring we emerge stronger and purer through our struggles. Will you like Job, say, “Yet he knows the way I have taken; when he has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.” When the next trial comes your way or in the midst of the very trial you are facing today? If the results from the doctor aren’t exactly what you were praying for? If you don’t get the promotion at work? If your bills are overdue and you don’t know how you are going to pay them? If you lose a loved one? If God asks you to give up your lifestyle to follow Him and become a missionary? Can you trust that God’s plan for your life is good, that He will work all these things out for good? Not only for YOU but for many?

The trials of the saint are a “divine pruning”, by which he grows and brings forth abundant fruit. - Charles Spurgeon

Church I ask you, will you not only 1. trust Him, not only 2. cherish His provision and care for you, and not only 3. be confident in His plan for you but will you 4. count it ALL as Joy as you endure various trials? 4. Count it Joy

I told you we would circle back around to this, and here we are….

Remember James 1:2-4 tells us,

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Are you dispising the trials that God has allowed to pass through to you, wishing they would go away, instead of learning to allow them to produce endurance and bring you to maturity? Without trials, you will remain immature and your faith will not grow. One question people often ask is, “Why did God allow evil? Why didn’t He just stop Adam and Eve from eating the fruit or stop the devil?” “Isn’t He all powerful? Couldn’t He just keep everything in peace and stop evil right now?” I’d like to challenge your faith here and ask you to rethink this question… Think about how sweet, how wonderful, how powerful your story of redemption is. We all have a testimony of where God has brought us from. Each and every one of us know that we were a wretched sinner in need of a Savior and it was only by the grace of God that we could be rescued from our sin. If there was no fall, there would be no need for redemption. We wouldn’t get to experience the sweet, beautiful Salvation of our Lord.

1 Peter 1:10-12 says, 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christand the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

Even the angels, long to catch a glimpse of these things! Think about that for a minute. The angels are basically jealous of us because we get to experience redemption and salvation, and they long to catch a glimpse and understand this. Why would we wish that away?

In the same way, without the fall there is no redemption… without trials we wouldn’t know the sweet aroma of hope, faith, and trust in God. We wouldn’t likely trust Him at all. It is in these trials that we learn to trust Him and rely on Him and draw near to Him.

It can be so easy for us to wish away our problems, to ask God why, why me? To compare our lives, our trials, our circumstances to others, and say, “they don’t know what I’m going through!” “They don’t know how good they have it.” But the truth is church, each of us have been through things that are hard. Each of us have had to walk through valleys and trust the Good Shephard to lead us through. Your trials are specifically for you, to teach you, to refine you, to sanctify you, and bring you to maturity but you are never alone, and you are not the only one that has to face hard things. You do not need to compare your trials to others. What you should focus on is if you are trusting God in the trial and what your heart and attitude are like as you are facing those trials. Are you growing? Are you maturing? Is your heart changing? Are you trusting in God more or shaking your fist and asking Him why me?

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I will draw your attention back to Joseph once more. Again, Joe faced numerous hardships—betrayal by his brothers, slavery, false accusations, and imprisonment…. Yet, all of these struggles were part of God’s plan to elevate him to a position where he could save many during famine. Joseph’s ability to trust God amid his challenges allowed him to see that his difficulties served a greater purpose, a purpose beyond himself. His eyes were not focused on his struggles and pain and trials, His eyes were focused on His God. Where is your focus church? Are you focused on the trial? On every bad thing that has ever happened to you? On your bank account? On your beauty? On your freedom to do whatever you want and live the life you want without having to face difficulty? Or are your eyes on Jesus Christ?

James describes trials as a pathway to maturity and completeness. Are you trying to avoid the very thing God has allowed in your life to grow you? Avoiding the process to become mature and complete lacking in nothing? If so you are going to stay stagnant. You may look at others and wonder why they are flying by you in their walk with God. I challenge you to ask yourself, am I allowing my trials to teach me, refine me, mature me? Or am I viewing my trials as a hurdle I am unable to overcome? It is through our trials, that God builds perseverance, shaping our character and increasing our reliance on Him. He teaches us to trust Him in every season. To be a people of remembrance, not a people who forget the faithfulness of God. The difficulties we face are opportunities for God’s refining work in our lives, and they bring us to a place of understanding what it looks like to trust God amid life’s struggles, but not just to trust Him, to have an attitude of joy amidst our trials. As we close I want to recap for a second,

We learned how viewing trials as opportunities for growth can change our attitude towards challenges in life.

We addressed some everyday situations where you need to trust God instead of worrying. With our time, our finances, our relationships, our loneliness, our purpose, our pain.

And we discussed what it looks like to practice joy in the midst of difficult circumstances.

But I have one more question I want to address that is of significance, especially to the church:

What are some ways to support each other in trusting God during tough times? We were never meant to do this life on our own. We see from Genesis to Revelation that community is important to God, not just important but a VITAL part of how He created us. He did not create us to do this life alone. Isn’t it funny how when we are going through trials, our first instinct is often to self isolate, hide, retract, or run?

The enemy wants you to isolate. To think that you are alone. To think you are the only one who has ever had to face something this serious or detrimental. But church, when are we going to start learning to STOP BELIEVING THE LIES OF THE ENEMY? God created us for community and it is in community that we find healing and strength. Imagine a soldier on the battlefield, feeling overwhelmed and alone. His isolation leads to despair and fear. However, when he finds his fellow soldiers beside him, they gather in strategy and encouragement. Together, they face challenges that seem insurmountable alone. This is a hypothetical scenario but it shows that community gives us resilience to confront our trials. Alone we may feel defeated, out of options, hopeless, unloved, misunderstood.. But together, we find that we are all wounded soldiers, searching for comfort, belonging, stability, and hope. We can find that HERE, in the context of the community of faith filled believers.

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In the New Testament, the early church faced persecution. Instead of retreating into isolation, they came together, shared their experiences, and encouraged one another in faith. Their unity became their strength, allowing them to endure. This biblically proves that we are stronger together, especially during life's trials. So what does this look like in action? 1. If you are going through a trial and think no one understands you. This week,  I want you to reach out to someone you know in the church who is also facing challenges. Offer to pray for them and simply listen to their story.

I think so often, we want to be heard, that we forget to listen. If we would take the time to listen to others trials or testimonies, we may find that we aren’t as alone as we thought. We may even be encouraged to hear how God used that trial to bring that person closer to the Lord or to brings others the Lord. Listening is a virtue we often forget to use when we are going through trials.

By sharing your burdens with one another, you are illustrating the importance of fellowship and God’s design for us to support each other through trials. Not only will this strengthen our church community, but it may bring about healing for both of you, affirming none of us are alone. Last week remember James said in

James 5:13-16, “13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.

14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.

15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful. Here James demonstrated the power of community and the church. CONFESS YOUR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER, PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, THAT  YOU MAY BE HEALED.

2. Commit to joining one of our groups outside of Sunday. This allows you not only to receive support but also to share encouragement from your own experiences. The church is not just meant for Sunday’s. We are a family and we better get used to spending a lot of time together, because we are going to be together for eternity. But we may often feel left out or isolated because we are not doing our part to connect with the family. It may not be that others aren’t willing to talk to you or engage in conversation, it may be that you have isolated yourself and have not made an effort to be a part of what is going on in your local church family.

There are many groups that we have that you can join pretty much every day of the week. And remember, you make time for what is important to you but we have… Wednesday Night Bible study and youth group. Mens group The Women’s Cultivate Group Tuesday Night Women’s Bible Study

Work nights where we are trying to get our next Church building ready Come out to our next group event, even if you can’t participate in all the activities or don’t enjoy that specific activity, it’s a great time of fellowship and just being together. This is a time where we strengthen our bonds together as a church family. 3. Maintain a spirit of Worship unto the Lord. Next Sunday, when you come to church, make a deliberate act of worship a priority by fully engaging. Sing out loud, participate in discussions on Wednesday night, engage in prayer not just as an observer but as a participant, share in our needs. There is plenty to be done, plenty of things we need help with and you are all equipped to be a part of that. Our gifts are not given for our own personal gain, they are given to edify the body of Christ. If you don’t know your spiritual gifts or how you can help and contribute, we can sit down and take some time to pray and figure these things out. But if you are coming here and just getting fed on Sunday and not using your gifts God has given you, you may just be burying the talents instead of using them and multiplying them to the glory of God.

Ask for prayer in the midst of trials.  When we see and know your need, we can pray specifically for one another, reminding you that you are not alone and your church family is interceding on your behalf.

If you recognize that someone is going through a hard season, TAKE THE INITIATIVE. I think so often we think, “oh someone else will do it.” or “I’m not made for that, I’m not going to talk to them, I’m not going to encourage them, I’m not going to disciple them, because so and so can or is better for that than me.” But you may be missing out on an opportunity to serve God and your brother or sister. If you see someone hurting, go up to them and talk to them. Ask them if you can pray for them. Invite them to coffee. Offer encouragement, scripture, and prayer. Developing these one on one connection not only helps people feel valued, but it will inspire others to reach out, and foster a culture or atmosphere of openness and support.

I leave you with this…

Romans 5:1-5

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

That sounds an awful lot like James 1:2-4 doesn’t it?

As we continue to study the Bible verse by verse, I hope you will begin to see the amazing and profound connections all throughout the scriptures. Every piece intricately designed, to tell of one big overarching story: God redeeming His people for His Glory. We are all invited to be a part of that story: will you accept the invitation?

As we reflect on today’s sermon, we should remember that Jesus calls us to set our hearts on God's kingdom and righteousness, rather than on the fleeting worries of this world. He assures us that our Heavenly Father knows our needs and will provide for us, freeing us from the anxiety that so often clouds our thoughts. James challenges us to embrace trials as opportunities for growth. Though we may face hardships, these moments refine our character and strengthen our faith, leading to a maturity that is steadfast and complete. It's in these moments that we learn to lean on God's wisdom, knowing that He is shaping us for something greater. And Paul in Romans reminds us that God is always at work in our lives—working all things together for good, even in the midst of difficulty. We may not always see the full picture, but we can trust that God, in His infinite wisdom and love, is bringing about His perfect plan for our lives. So, let us release our worries, choosing to trust in God, cherish His care for us, be confident in His plans for us, and do all of it with an attitude of great JOY. When we focus on His kingdom and His purposes, when we trust that He is with us in both the good and the hard times, we can rest assured that He is leading us to the good He has promised. May we live with hearts of faith, knowing that our God is faithful, and that His plans for us are always for our good and His glory.

Amen