119. How Do We Handle Hard Times?

Today is a unique episode: I couldn’t fall asleep because this podcast was burning a hole in my brain. That’s never happened before. In fact, I had another conversation all queued up, and I bumped it to a future week. Today’s podcast is here as an encouragement, as a public sharing of the reminder I very much needed from the Lord, and that I get to share with you: That our faith in Christ doesn’t save us from hurt and pain, it actually allows us to be more present in it and through it. Our call isn’t to safety, or to comfort, but to serving our God and King in whatever garden he should choose to cast us into (Luke 13:19).In a tech world this means keeping certain truths in front of us, and prayerfully attending to how we address this life’s hardships with our children, with our spouses, and with the wide waiting world online and outside our front door that we are called to each day.ResourcesVerses referenced in this episode:John 1:11 — Jesus came for all of us broken folksLuke 5:31 — he didn’t come for the ones who look the best in a lineupRevelation 2:1-18 — we are called to faithfulness, no matter the situationEphesians 2:1-10 — we’re saved for the world, not from itJohn 15:1-10 — being connected to the vine determines our fruit (not our effort)Matthew 22:37-40 — Jesus gives two commandments that encompass the entire OT.Matthew 28:19 — Jesus gives his third commandment: go and make disciples.1 John 4:19 - we love because he first loved usRomans 5:8 - because he died for us before we ever asked for itRev. 19:11-15 — yet all of this grace and hope doesn’t mean we’re ok with sin. Jesus isn’t, and neither are we!