Month: April 2023

Life can be a roller coaster of emotions, with unexpected challenges and trials. When we find ourselves going through difficult situations, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious. However, we have the assurance that God is always with us and will help us through any challenge if we turn to Him.

In Psalms 9:9-10, we read that “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

This verse reminds us of a message we have heard many times – we can trust God. But those words are easy to say and hard to follow. I think the trick to finally saying “no” to anxiety is to keep focusing again and again on this message and looking at it from different angles.

For example, when we are physically exhausted during a tough workout, we push through because we know we’re getting stronger. Because we know the discomfort will produce good results, we don’t get anxious. But when we face life’s roller coasters, we tend to start to worry. Unlike our mindset during a workout, it’s easy to forget that God uses challenges to shape us and make us stronger.

So, should we approach life’s trials with the same attitude as we do a workout, knowing that God uses these challenges to shape us? We all know the answer is “yes” but, again, this is easier said than done.

God’s ultimate purpose for our lives is to bring us closer to Him. This means that, if we believe today’s verse and trust Him, He will use tough times to help us grow spiritually and become more resilient.

So, the next time you hit a high-anxiety moment, take a break and consider how God might be using that experience to draw you closer to Him. We are never alone in our struggles. God is with us every step of the way, and He will never leave us or forsake us.

Questions:

1. Do you agree with the comparison between life’s challenges & a workout, specifically the idea that we should look at them both as ways to get stronger?
2. During challenging times, why is it so difficult to focus on where God is moving instead of going straight to anxious thoughts? Could it just be a matter of habit or is it something more complicated than that?
3. In your experience, what are some of the main things people worry about?
4. If we train ourselves to think first of God’s plan during difficulties, how can that help us and the ones we love?

On this Easter Friday, I wanted focus on what we can do to show our gratitude for Jesus’ perfect gift of salvation. No verse better describes this gift than John 3:16, which says:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

In a perfect act of mercy, Jesus offered us complete salvation with his death on the cross. That gift has been fully given. It is done. It cannot be given any more completely. There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn more of it. But, what can we do to express our gratitude?

To answer this question, imagine a parent who gives all their wealth and possessions to their child. In this scenario, the child is not required to do anything to inherit the parent’s fortune. They don’t even have to call or show up for birthdays or holidays to get the fortune because it’s been fully given.

In the same way, Jesus’ gift of salvation doesn’t require that we do anything to receive it other than accept it. We don’t have to impress Him with our good deeds because He has already given us everything.

But this doesn’t mean we should become complacent in our spiritual journey. In fact, this beautiful gift should inspire us to grow closer to Him every day and walk more in His ways.

So, when I think about how to give back even a small portion of what Jesus gave me, I like to think about what I appreciate most as a parent. If you do something nice for me, that’s good, but if you do something nice for my child or say something nice about them, then you will have a special place in my heart. I believe God thinks the same way about his children, so to show our gratitude this Easter, let’s renew our commitment to love others and say nice things about them.

Questions:

If the gift of salvation has been fully given and can’t be taken away from us, why do we keep showing up at church, praying, and reading the Bible?

Although we can’t earn our salvation, are there other blessings/gifts we can receive by following God’s will?

Do you agree that one of the best ways to express our gratitude for salvation is to love others and say nice things about them?

What are some things we can do this Easter weekend to show our gratitude to Jesus?