Where Are You When I Hurt?

Life is messy. Relationships are messy. Following Jesus can be messy too. Scripture never promises that life will be all sunshine and rainbows once we follow Christ. In fact, Jesus told us plainly that we would face trials and sorrows, but He also told us to take heart because He has overcome the world.In this message from James 1, we look at how God works in the middle of hardship. Trials and temptations are not the same. Temptation pulls us away from God, but trials can become opportunities to lean into Him. God does not waste our pain. He uses hard seasons to grow endurance, remove what is unholy, and refine us until His image is reflected more clearly in our lives.Even when we feel beat up by life, we can choose to become better instead of bitter. We can bring our pain to the Father, trust Him in the fire, and remember that He is with us, working in us, around us, and through us.Discussion Questions1) Where in your life do you currently feel “sucked up, washed down, and blown away”?2) What is the difference between a trial that can draw you closer to God and a temptation that pulls you away from Him?3) Why do you think it is so difficult to “consider it joy” when going through hardship?4) What might God be trying to refine or remove in your life during this season?5) How can your response to trials become a witness to God, to others, and even to yourself?