Today, I'm going to share with you the notes I took yesterday during church. The sermon really touched my heart. It was what I needed to hear. My husband, Shannon Hinrichs, was the one preaching. It is a neat thing to hear my husband preach. For it is obvious when God is speaking through him. It isn't him. It is God using him.
So, I pray you are blessed with the notes I will now share with you as I was:
I. Consider it Pure Joy
Consider can also be written as count. It is an accounting term. When we apply it to verse 2 it means we need to add up the columns, weigh the costs against the rewards (of the challenges we are dealing with).
We Christians should have a different mindset about the challenges life brings. (Challenges come to everyone, believers and nonbelievers. We all will have good times and bad; sickness, health, tragedy, death, birth.)
We don't have to look for trials -- they will come. We have unexpected trials -- things we cannot predit. What is our response to these trials? (You have to be grounded before a trial comes or you will not be prepared)
1 Peter 1:6 -- in all this you greatly rejoice....
Evaluate your goals and priorities.
We must live for the things that matter most.
If we aren't living for Christ, we'll get derailed (in the challenges).
If you value material or physical stuff over spiritual (you will be derailed).
Outlook determines outcome -- to end with joy you gotta start with joy.
II. Know -- Have an understanding mind.
The knowledge of our faith is the foundation of our peace (talking about scripture here). Faith is always tested to increase our faith.
God tests our faith to bring out our best. Satan tempts us to bring out our worst.
The refinement of our faith is necessary. Job 23:10 says "When God has finished with me, I shall shine as gold."
Refined faith gives us maturity. Without it we are like children on a long trip...are we there yet?
There is no other way, other than trials, for God to refine our faith. We have to be in the game of life, not spectators.
III. Surrender to God -- Let Him refine your faith
God cannot build your character without your cooperation. If we don't surrender and submit to Him we aren't going to grow.
Be grateful for the process!
IV. Ask for wisdom
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That is where my notes end. See how we can be joyful in the trial? It is God refining us, using our circumstances to make us more like me. Just hold onto him tight and believe no matter what. You will be shining in the end!