Faith On Trial, Lesson 2

Lesson 2

There isn't much bumping of the hot chocolate to reveal what's in my heart. It takes very little to churn me up and reveal. An ongoing commitment and goal is to have a godly response to adversity.

A Torah scroll was rescued from a Warsaw ghetto

1. Suffering Comes with the Freedom to Choose

Overprotection is intuitive but ultimately counter productive to personal and corporate growth.

Ravi: Love is the supreme ethic but isn't possible without the freedom to love or hate. With that freedom comes the possibility of rejection, evil and wickedness.


1 Peter 1:6-8

Great rejoicing? Suffer grief in all kinds of trials, protected and shielded by God's power.

Result? Faith proved genuine

Is the temporal testing of fire and the joy and glory of Christ's return incompatible? 1 Peter 1:8-9 say no.

The way I maintain a mask of control in the midst of troubling times:
Flee and run from God, rarely to him.
Go to that which I can control - temporal value

This hinders my ability to trust and rest in God. There must always be a laying down of arms and a "yes, Lord" attitude.

Romans 5:3-5

What stresses are keeping me from experiencing abounding joy God desires me to have?
Work related items I have not been 'excelling' in

More is never enough. Discontent destroys any possibility of personal peace.
1. Possession Expectations -

Poverty consists not in the decrease of one's possession but in the increase of one's greed.

The increase of things creates an appetite for more. When God provides what we need, they aren't enslaving.

2. People Expectations
If you are not satisfied with the people around you, you are probably even less satisfied with yourself.

3. Performance Expectations
Our worth becomes identified with our work and no spot on the mountain is high enough. Whatever our game is, we will constantly lose if we have to win. It's enslaving to always have something to prove and there is no rest from that. It is the mortal enemy of peace. 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Is there value in stress?
Potter's clay when "fired" it can be touched. Until the clay is "fired", it cannot be touched. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Fire increases the value of something precious. But not the heat brought about by my decisions, only the fire of God. My heat burns, God's heat beautifies. We won't escape the stress, but we can multiply the peace (Hebrews 12:7,11)

Hardship defined as Training. Can the pressure train us?

1. Get rid of the Cargo you don't need (Acts 27:18-19) and board up the windows and doors of that which is precious.

2. Get busy with things that really matter (Acts 27:22-24) The ship didn't matter. People do.

3. Get Desperate with God (Acts 27:30-32)
When self rescue isn't enough, go to God. Supernatural vs Religious (Psalm 94:19)

4. Get back to a healthy Routine (Acts 27:33-34). Daily routines are usually lost when storms come.

Clouds arise and blow by order from Thy Throne

When storms come, change is usually needed.  The storm that Paul and the crew experienced blew them aground on the island of Malta, which sits off the coast of Italy, the ships original destination. The whole time they were "out of control", they were right on course in God's sight. (Nahum 1:3)

Job 13:15-16

Job 1:20-22

2 Corinthians 4:6-12

2 Corinthians 11:23-30