HARD TIMES

. . . to come to such a fine person like me?

"Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and practices them, he's like the wise man who built his house opon a rock. And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat opon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded opon a rock. " (Matt 7:24-27)

WE SUFFER BECAUSE OF. . .

1.) Stupidity / Ignorance (Prov 22:3)
2.) Persecution (John 15:20-21)
3.) Collective Consequence (Gen 3:17-19)
4.) Chastisement (Heb 12:5-13)
5.) Heavenly Reasons we can't know (Job 1:12)

Comforting THOUGHTS (Heb 12:2-3)

1.) You're not alone (Heb 4:15-16)

2.) The trial will end (Ps 34:19,22)

3.) Good will come of it. (Rom 8:28)

OVERCOMING HURT

1.) Choice 1 - Internalize (Bad choice)
2.) Choice 2 - Retaliate (Deut 32:35)
3.) Choice 3 - Forgive (Eph 4:31-32)
a.) Release from your "judgment"
b.) Doesn't mean condone or forget lessons
c.) It's an act of the will : let go
d.) Eg - Joseph, Stephen, Christ
e.) Matt 18:22-35, Matt 6:14-15

SO WHAT DO I DO? (1 Pet 4:12-19)

1.) Don't be shocked (Ps 66:10)
2.) Remember & Rejoice (Matt 5:11-12)
3.) Evaluate & Entrust (1 Pet 4:14-19)
4.) Pray & Obey (Jas 1:5-7)
5.) Cast cares & stand up (1 Pet 5:7-9)
6.) Be cool & grow (1 Pet 5:10-11)

THE LESSON OF. . .
1.) Compfort (2 Cor 1:3-4)
2.) Reliance on God (2 Cor 12:9-10)
3.) Growing Faith (Gen 22:9-12)
4.) Rejecting Materialism (Matt 6:24)
5.) Eternal Hope (Rom 8:18-24)
6.) First Love (Deut 6:5)
7.) Blessing of Obedience (Phil 2:8-9)
8.) Validity of Faith (James 1:3)
9.) Enduring Strength (Jas 1:4)
10.) Wisdom (Jas 1:5, 2 Cor 5:7, Job 28:12-28
11.) Future Glory (2 Tim 2:12) SIX WINNERS & THEIR "SECRETS"

1.) S,M,A (Dan3) Conviction from Word
2.) Stephen (Acts6&7) HSF Personality
3.) Daniel (Dan 6) Reputation
4.) Paul (Phil 1:12-25) Knew his agenda
5.) Christ (1 Pet 2:20-23)" God sov&right
6.) Job (Job 1:9) Loved & worshipped Go

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