Suffering by Faith by Pastor Charlie Handren

While we were away, the Lord graciously ministered to Kim and me even in the midst of some pretty intense circumstances. As I began the process of reentering ministry, I felt compelled to share some things that the Lord has shared with me over the next several weeks, so instead of picking up where we left off in Revelation, we’re going to spend some time talking about “Suffering by Faith.” Below you will find the outline of the series, and I want to encourage you to make note of this, to read each text the week before the message, and to ask the Lord to teach you about each subject. I trust that as you seek him, he’ll speak to your heart through His Word and by His Spirit well before you hear what I have to say.

While it’s not always easy to see this in the midst of difficulties, seasons of suffering present us with great opportunities. For example, we can grow in faith. We can identify and repent of sinful patterns in our lives. We can praise and pray and call on the name of the Lord, even when we don’t know how things are going to turn out. We can seek the Lord by his Word and learn what it means to walk in his will and ways. We can serve others, even when we feel that we have nothing to give.

With these kinds of possibilities in mind, I pray that the next few weeks will help us gain a better perspective on seasons of suffering, become much more fruitful in them, and be equipped to minister to others when they suffer. Will you join me in asking the Lord to make this an unusually beneficial time in the Word together?

August 8 Suffering and Singing (2 Kings 18:1-8)

August 16 Suffering and Sinning (1 Peter 4:1-5)

August 22 Suffering and Submitting (Psalm 119:1-8)

August 29 Suffering and Sorrowing (2 Corinthians 6:1-13)

September 5 Suffering and Sharing (Romans 12:14-16)

September 12 Suffering and Serving (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)

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