best website builder

Pastor Mac Hammond | March 28, 2021

Recap:
Some people assume God’s protection over godly people means that suffering should not be a part of godly people’s lives. However, that is not the case. As Pastor Mac pointed out this past weekend, godliness is a mystery and it does involve suffering. Jesus exemplified this mystery by leaving heaven to come to earth and display both God’s royalty and majesty, as the people praised Him for on Palm Sunday, as well as the suffering that enabled Him to mature into His calling: Our Redeemer. Suffering is a part of the godly life, and we must understand how to handle the suffering life brings.

Dive Deeper:
Why do bad things happen to good people? It’s a question that has been prevalent for centuries. People have trouble reconciling the idea that God is a loving God who takes care of His people and God allows suffering to happen—but just because it’s hard to understand doesn’t mean that it is true.

You see, suffering is one of the mysteries of godliness. Suffering involves pain, but it is what will make you mature. Just as suffering matured Jesus into His calling as our Redeemer, we too will mature into God’s calling on our lives through suffering.

Suffering should never be attributed to the judgment or chastisement of the Lord. Suffering is not something God inflicts, but it is something He allows. It is His permissive will. Put it this way: God made you an overcomer, not so you can float along on a puffy faith cloud unharmed by life. God made you an overcomer so you could overcome whatever comes your way! Your faith will be tested through suffering, but praise God, your faith can grow stronger and become better on the other side of what you’re going through.

Read More:
1 Timothy 3:16 KJV
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1 Timothy 3:16 Msg.
This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory.

Matthew 21:6-10 KJV
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

Matthew 21:10 Msg.
As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”

Hebrews 5:8-9 KJV
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

1 Peter 5:10 KJV
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 KJV
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Discussion Questions:
1.    How do our choices create or eliminate the suffering we face?

2.    How should we handle adversity we can’t control, such as adversity we’re in because of our family or adversity that is created by our leaders?

3.    When have you seen God show you a way of escape out of adversity?

4.    What’s one way you can endure suffering well? Do you know someone who is a good role model in this area?

5.    How does joy play a part in dealing with adversity? How can you be joyful when you’re facing a sad situation? What does God’s joy look like in the middle of adversity?

Share
Share
Share

Recent Sermon Notes

THY KINGDOM COME, #2, “Seek First the Kingdom of God” | Mac Hammond

Jul 23, 2024

Pastor Mac delivered the second installment of his series entitled, “Thy Kingdom Come.” The book of Hebrews says that in the end times, God is going to shake the world systems. Some things will be removed by the shaking. Things that cannot be shaken will survive. And what survives the shaking will be transformed. Regarding the world’s systems, Pastor Mac says, “If our dependence is more grounded in these worldly systems than our dependence on God, we too will be shaken.” We are in the midst of the world being shaken. It’s important we understand why the shaking is happening and what we are to do in the midst of it.

THY KINGDOM COME: There Is a Shaking Going On | Mac Hammond

Jul 14, 2024

Pastor Mac began his new series, “Thy Kingdom Come,” by addressing the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Calling the event one of the saddest days in our nation’s history, Pastor Mac went on to say the event, interestingly enough, fit into the subject of his message subtitled, “There’s a Shaking Going On.” He said, “A lot of us were truly shaken by what happened. But we must keep the perspective of the Bible in mind; He is not shaking things by having someone take a shot at President Trump that killed someone else.” He cautioned, “We’re going to see more and more of these things in the immediate future because we are living at the end of an age.” He continued to address the coming shaking of the world.

GRACE UNVEILED, #14, “Revelation Grace” | Jim Hammond

Jul 7, 2024

Pastor Jim shared the 14th installment of his series on the book of Romans, entitled “Grace Unveiled.” Revelation 5:3 was the text for the message: “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” It goes against our flesh nature, but this verse is telling us to jump for joy when you experience tribulation.

Spiritual Warfare and the Imagination | Jim Hammond and James Tan

Jun 30, 2024

Guest Minister James Tan joined together with Pastor Jim to tag team preach the message, “Spiritual Warfare and the Imagination.” Their message was based on 2nd Corinthians 10:3–5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” Pastor Jim and Guest Minister James took us step by step on how to cast down and take captive any thoughts that do not exalt the knowledge of God.

GRACE UNVEILED, #13, See Jesus in His Grace | Jim Hammond

Jun 23, 2024

, Pastor Jim gave his 13th installment of his series “Grace Unveiled.” Still in Romans chapter 4, Pastor Jim says if you don’t understand the message of this chapter, you will not be able to understand the rest of Romans. Chapter four makes the case that you are made righteous by His grace, not by your good works or by your good deeds. It is through faith in His grace. One must understand that His righteousness is a gift. It can’t be earned. Pastor Jim went through the chapter and carefully laid out the understanding of each verse.