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His new series, “Advent 2.0 | Four New Christmas Words” is a fresh take on the timeless Christmas story, straight from God’s Word.
Need help getting your heart ready for Christmas? Grab your Bible and learn from Pastor James in this new teaching on the perfect Accuracy and awesome Humility of our Savior, who loves you exactly where you are…
His new series, “Advent 2.0 | Four New Christmas Words” is a fresh take on the timeless Christmas story, straight from God’s Word.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2, esv).
Do you know why you’re here? On earth? Have you thought much about that lately?
At this point in history, it’s easy to just skim information, watch random video clips, or amuse ourselves with whatever’s trending. The Bible, however, speaks of inescapable realities that are much more important than whatever’s streaming on your device at the moment.
Such as, Why are you here? Do you know? Because that’s what matters. And that’s what God’s Word is here to show you.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” This single verse, though perhaps not a direct answer to that question, gives us clues as to why we’re here. It indicates that we are not here just for laughs, to run a successful business, to become well-known or famous, or to earn a name for ourselves. We are here for purposes that require us to go through a lifetime of challenges and tight spots—“trials of various kinds”—so that we can display the superiority of life lived in God.
Mind if I say that one more time? We are here to display the superiority of the life lived in God. That’s a really important sentence. Because as you know, trials and troubles come to all people. They’re a part of everyone’s life. But in how many people do those same trials and troubles produce . . . “joy”?
Joy is not normal. Joy is supernatural. You can’t craft it in your basement or create it through an experience of hard work or pleasure. Joy is something you can only get from God. Therefore, unlike those who don’t know Him or don’t have a genuine faith in Him, believers in Christ are the only ones supernaturally equipped to walk through “trials of various kinds,” generating “joy” in the process.
That’s why even Christians get cancer. That’s why even Christians go bankrupt. That’s why even Christians can have prodigal kids, suffer chronic back pain, receive rejection letters in the mail, and get into accidents on the freeway. God allows us to face and feel the same things that people who don’t know Him experience, so that we can put on display the joyful distinction of what it means to be His child—what it means to live with hope and eternal perspective.
So press your mind down on that. Think about it hard today. In light of what’s happening to you right now, and in light of why you’re here, what can you do in this moment to best display the superiority of life with God?
Journal
Pray
Lord, thank You for Your Word that helps me understand what’s often so hard to understand. Thank You for making joy an available option for me—at all times, in all situations. Use me today, through whatever pathway You know is best, to be a conduit of this joy to others. Make my life an invitation for them to draw near to You and experience what You alone can give. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If your heart isn’t troubled today – it likely will be at some time in the future.And the safest place for you to be is in God’s will. In fact, there is no relief outside of His will.With God, in spite of what you may see or feel, it’s not over until He says it’s over because our reality is found solely in what God says. Find rest in John 11:1-27 as we examine 5 truths about thee way God loves.
5 Truths for Troubled Hearts
John 11:1-27
When you attempt to do something for God with your life, you will experience opposition. Don’t stop working. When verbal opposition grows personal and harmful, tell God what you need and why. When verbal becomes active opposition, it will affect others. Don’t stop working. Opposition isn’t a detour. It is a part of achieving God’s mission for your life.
Nehemiah 4
Determined To Conquer Opposition
Nehemiah 4
Live from the Holy Land, Pastor James leads us through Nehemiah chapter 3. Have you ever stopped to consider exactly who contributed to the rebuilding project? The list is important because every servant of God matters to God. And if you find yourself facing a difficult task, with God’s help you will find a way forward. Big things can happen when we work together.
Nehemiah 3
Determined To Do My Part
Nehemiah 3
Each of us has a natural inclination toward being or doing.If you’re more of a being person, maybe you like sitting, savoring, and seeking – you’re content just being.You might lean more toward delegation, determination, and duty – you’re all about accomplishing. You’re a doer.While both of these matter in their appropriate setting, none of the doing is worth doing if it’s not growing out of the being.In Nehemiah chapter 2, we will take a candid assessment of where we are and make a plan for where we are going.
Nehemiah 2
Determined To Achieve
Nehemiah 2
In a world of quitters, God’s people are determined. And their determination reveals itself in many aspects of a believer’s life – especially in how they care. There are things yet undone that God wants accomplished in the world you live in. Do you care? There is no ministry that is not deeply connected to caring for people.
Nehemiah 1
Determined To Care
Nehemiah 1