In This World
The short excerpt is by Andy Stanley, and the Scripture is in the excerpt.
If God has not promised to make us rich, to answer all of our prayers, to keep bad things from happening to us, then what has He promised? John 16:33 says . . . In this world you will have trouble. . . Anytime a pastor or leader promises you a life without trouble, that's not what Jesus modeled or taught.
Hebrews 4:14-15 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. The high priest is the person that represents us to God. To empathize is to say that I have been there and done that, and I know exactly how that feels. When you are talking to Jesus, He knows exactly what you are going through and what it feels like.
Jesus was tempted in every single way that you have been tempted. He has felt what you have felt and has faced what you have faced. Jesus spent a night dreading the events of the following day. Your Savior spent the night knowing that the next day He would be tried, beaten and crucified. He experienced the rejection and the betrayal of His closest friends, and some of you know what that is like. Jesus watched as His closest friends ran away in front of Him, and He listened as the person that He invested the most time in denied knowing Him three times. He has experienced the rejection of a family member, and He saw everything He worked so hard and lived so intently for crumble around Him. He experienced crushing temptation, and He knows about the temptations you face.
John 16:33 . . . In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I (Jesus) have overcome the world.
Champions, have a great couple of weeks!-David Vining
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