Jack Graham - Facing The Future With Courageous Joy

April 27, 2025 | S25:E17

Dr. Jack Graham's mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to all people.

#Salvation #Faith #Purpose #Grace #Religion #Preparation #Judgement #WordofGod #Future #Joy #inActive #Courage #PowerPointwithJackGraham #JackGraham

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - Facing The Future With Courageous Joy | April 27, 2025

♪♪♪
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There is no person that god cannot save!
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There is no promise that god will not keep!
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There is nothing that our god cannot do!
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The title of this message from 1 peter chapter 1, and you can
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Begin finding god's word... 1 peter chapter 1... "facing the
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Future with courageous joy."
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And peter was preparing the congregations of the first
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Century as well as all of us today to face the fire and to
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Do it with courage faith. a living hope in hostile,
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Hate-filled world. and i can tell you that because of
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Jesus... because of what he has done, we always hope on, even
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In the darkest of days, even in the toughest of times.
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God has prepared us and pushed us into the world to share the
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Gospel because we are saved out of the world in order that we
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Might go back into the world to share the gospel and that
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Really is the only business i have in the world. i am saved
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Out of the world, sent back into the world and that's my
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Business of sticking around in this world.
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What a great salvation. no wonder the bible says "how will
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We escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" there's no
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Escape from judgment and hell apart from the saving power of
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Jesus christ. how will we escape if we neglect so great a
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Salvation? what a great salvation! we celebrate this
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Salvation with peter. we are praising him and more and
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More... what a great and glorious savior! this
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Salvation... you didn't earn it, you didn't deserve it, you
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Didn't buy it, you can't borrow it, you can't merit it, you
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Can't try harder to get it. we are saved once and forever so
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We can't deplete it and we can't repeat it. it's a once
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And for all, lifetime, eternal, forever salvation in the lord
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Jesus christ!
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Now therefore, with this salvation comes great joy. so
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In verse 6 here's what the scripture says "in this..." (in
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What?) in this great salvation... because of this
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Living hope by the resurrection.
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6) in this you rejoice, though now for a little while
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(uh-oh)... now for a little while, if necessary (if for
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Some reason), you have been grieved (and that's a hard word
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Right there... grieved. it's one of the hardest, harshest
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Words for trouble, pressure in all the bible)... grieved by
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Various trials. (and why?) 7) so that the tested genuineness
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Of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though
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It is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and
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Glory and honor at the revelation of jesus christ.
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And what is the revelation of jesus christ? it's when he
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Comes again! if you are a christian, you believe in the
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Second coming of jesus! he said, "i'm coming again. and
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When i come there's going to be great, praise and glory and
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Honor. and i'm going... can't wait to get to that in this
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Message, cause i'm going to show you what that praise and
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Glory and honor is all about. but before we get there, we
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Have to deal with this subject of trials.
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But there's something different because as christians, here's
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The truth. with salvation comes great joy in this human joy.
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Even... even though now for a little while you must go
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Through some things, some hard times, some difficult times,
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Some dark days. we all face trials. we all face tests. we
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All face tribulation. in fact, jesus said, don't be surprised
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At this. he said in this world, john 16:33, "in this world you
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Will have tribulation. but be of good cheer (take heart) for
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I have overcome the world." christianity is not immunity
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From problems or pressure or grief and sorrow. when you
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Follow jesus, there will be suffering, there will be a
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Cross, there will be a test. there may be heartbreak and
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Tears but we know even then we can rejoice. it was paul from
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Prison in philippi who said, "rejoice, (or to the
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Philippians) rejoice in the lord always, and again i say
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Rejoice."
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We can't always rejoice in life, we can't always rejoice
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In losses, we can't always rejoice in loads that we carry
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But we can always rejoice in the lord. rejoice in the lord,
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And again i say rejoice.
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And peter tells us how. psalm 16:11 says, "in your presence
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Is fullness of joy and at your right hand are pleasures
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Forevermore." people want to be happy. happiness is in the
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Lord. true happiness is found in the joy that jesus gives. he
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Said, "my joy i give to you." peter says... this is in verse
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8... joy that is unspeakable and full of glory." sounds good
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To me, but it's so good we can't even express it. the joy
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Of jesus is so great we can't even share the best of it. it
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Is wonderful and it is full... full of glory.
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So with the joy why can we rejoice and triumph? how's that
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Possible? is this just piosity? is this self-righteousness? is
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This virtue signaling? no. we can live expectantly and
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Enthusiastically. we can celebrate life every day. we
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Can embrace life every day as a gift from god. "this is the day
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The lord has made. we will rejoice and be glad in it." and
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Peter then tells us how even in the midst of dark days and sad
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Days and bad days that we can do this. and that is to tell us
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That these trials are inevitable, they are at times
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Necessary... it says if need be, if necessary... and they
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Are temporary. they are for a season.
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So let's start with the fact that trials are inevitable...
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Inevitable. my friend chuck swindol said this... it was
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Beautiful. he said, "all people in all places and at all times
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Have one thing in common; we know what it means to hurt.
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Whether jews or christians, muslims or hindu, atheists or
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Idolators, our tears are all the same. our tears are always
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Salty; they're the same tears. cultures ebb and flow, nations
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Rise and fall, and people groups come and go, but
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Suffering transcends all cultures, invade every nation
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And translate this message of pain to each person who has
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Ever lived." trials in life are inevitable.
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So, whether you are saved or lost, no matter what country,
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No matter what place, our tears are the same, swindol says and
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It's true and inevitable. so don't get angry when it happens
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To you. don't be bitter, because god may choose to allow
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Trials and we'll talk about perhaps why those trials come
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In just a moment. but if necessary... if need be, it is
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Inevitable.
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And these trials inevitably are individual because he speaks
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Here about the various trials that come our way, different
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Kinds of trials. in the king james the word is "the manifold
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Trials that come our way." you can even hear the word many in
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There, but it really doesn't mean many; it means...
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Manifold, it actually a word which means multicolored. if
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You saw a piece of art that had... even that stain glass
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Window back there with multi-colors and... or
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Polka-dotted piece of material. that's the word picture here.
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There are so many wonderful word pictures in the bible and
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This is one of them. the manifold... the many-colored
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Trials.
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Here's something really great about the manifold... these
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Various trials at work. the same word is used over in 1
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Peter 4, verse 10. he's talking about spiritual gifts but he
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Mentions the manifold grace of god... 4:10 of 1 peter. the
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Manifold, multicolored... the various grace of god. so here's
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The point that i love make. god has a grace for every grief!
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For every color of trial there is a color of grace. and
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Forever grace there is a greater glory
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That is yet to come.
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♪♪♪
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I know you would agree that our world is in trouble, its in
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Turmoil. and although it is full of so many uncertainties,
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There is one answer for believers and followers of
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Jesus. it is the first place we should go, and that is the
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Place of prayer. to take our concerns, our anxieties, our
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Worries and fears to the lord in prayer.
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God is seeking people who will connect with him and connect
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With him very deeply. to be plugged in to his spiritual
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Power that can transform our lives and people around us.
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That power can overcome any trial and transform our daily
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Lives. but so many people struggle with prayer and just
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Don't know where to start.
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[announcer] powerpoint ministries is dedicated to
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Sharing jesus's love with all who are hurting, and your
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Financial partnership helps us bring this message of hope to a
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World in need.
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With your best gift today, we'll send you jack graham's
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Book, “ask - unleashing the power of prayer.”
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So call now.
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Text the word ask to 59789
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Or visit jackgraham.org
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[jack graham] amazing things happen when we simply ask and
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When we pray god's way, the kingdom way. by prayer, we
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Receive god's presence and power for our lives. god wants
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Us to always keep growing and seeking after him, so that we
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Can know him more and more, and love him better and better.
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That we would share his message of hope and compassion to a
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World desperately in need.
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♪♪♪
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So trials are inevitable, trials are individual and
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Trials then are instrumental. and we're going to park here
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For a while because trials teach us things. the curricula
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Of suffering and pain. this is where we learn so much. and so
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Trials are instrumental in teaching us. they are
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Instructive, in other words. so in what ways? i just listed
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Some of the ways. i'll list them for you. god grows us
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Through trial especially our character and our christian
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Faith and development. nothing develops character more than
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Adversity in our lives. adversity will develop your
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Character.
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It will also strengthen your faith. in james chapter 1:2 and
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4: "count it all joy..." there's that word again;
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There's that joy word. g. k. chesterton said, "joy is the
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Gigantic secret of the christian life." i like that.
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He said, "count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials
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Of various kinds... (there's that again) ...for you know
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That the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let
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Steadfastness have it's full effect, that you may be perfect
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And complete, lacking nothing."
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So we are strengthened and we count it all joy when... it's
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An accounting word, actually. we add it all up in life... you
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Can count it all joy because god is doing his perfecting
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Work in us. he shows us more of his love in times of trial.
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Deuteronomy 23, verse 5: "the lord your god turned the curse
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Into a blessing for you (why?) because the lord your god loved
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You! and when you go through something in your life you
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Realize as god holds you close and as you draw near to him, he
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Draws near to you, and nothing can separate us from the love
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Of god is in jesus christ, and you know how much your are
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Loved, even though you're hurt, even though you're a child and
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You're crying at this point, he comforts you.
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And that's the next thing that i want to mention, that he
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Comforts us. second corinthians chapter 1, verses 3 and 4...
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Great verses! "blessed be the god and father of our lord
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Jesus christ (there's that word again... blessed. it can mean
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Happy or praise to god) the father of mercies and the god
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Of all comfort.... the god of all comfort... (and how does he
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Comfort?) who comforts us in all our affliction so that...
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So that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
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Affliction with which we ourselves are comforted by god."
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You see what we're saying here? you see what god is saying?
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That we are comforted in our trials because god has a
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Purpose in our pain and that purpose is to turn our pain
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Into a pulpit, a proclamation to share the love of god. you
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Can say to others, i've hurt as well, but jesus healed my hurt.
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I've got the scars to prove it.
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You know what a scar is? a scar reminds us that god healed a
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Wound!
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Too many people live in their wounds. now wounds are raw and
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Ragged and hurting. you don't want to live in your wounds! so
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Many people are bitter. they just can't get over the hurts
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Of the past, the pain of the past, the wounds. but you need
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To let the wounds heal. let god heal the wounds and turn them
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Into scars because your scars are reminders to yourself and
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To others of the work of jesus in your life preserving you,
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Protecting you, yes, praise god! a.w. tozer said something
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Like this: "god will not use us or greatly bless us until he
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Has greatly hurt us." and that's what paul is saying
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There, "that the god of comfort..." that we are
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Comforted with... the comfort that we have been comforted, we
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Comfort others."
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Trials correct us; trials protect us. how many times do
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We avert danger or problems because god may have shared...
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That was painful at the time. it hurt us, but god was
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Protecting us in some way. correcting us in some way. if i
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Need to be disciplined because of sinfulness behavior in my
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Life, god may choose to send a trial to get my attention and
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Bring me back to him. the psalmist david... he talked
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About this. he said, "i was wounded by the hand of god but
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Now by his hand i am healed." trails allow us to experience
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And express true joy in the midst of sorrow as i said.
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Trials make us more like jesus. they do. listen to philippians
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3 and verse 10: "that i may know him and the power of his
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Resurrection and may share his sufferings, becoming like him
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At his death." so it is in our sufferings that we are made
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More like our lord.
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Trials remind us of our dependence upon god. second
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Corinthians 12:9-10, great verses! don't miss this! “but
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He said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my
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Power is made perfect in weakness. therefore, i will
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Boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of
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Christ may rest upon me. for the sake of christ then, i am
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Content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,
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Persecutions and calamities for when i am weak, then i am
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Strong.”
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The apostle was saying, "i learned to lean on the lord.
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I've learned to depend upon god, not in my strength but in
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My weakness." let the weak say i am strong because our
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Strength is in the lord. when i am weak... we are then made
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Strong. why? because we're going along, we're living our
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Life, we think we've got it all together, and then a trial
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Comes and we realize we can't depend on ourselves and we
00:19:19.381 --> 00:19:22.517
Don't have the human resources to handle it, but we can turn
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To god and we can depend upon him.
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He prepares us for eternity. he tries. paul later said i
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Desire... i have a desire to depart and be with christ. he'd
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Been through some things. he looked back from prison. he
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Said, "to live is christ; to die is gain." he said, "i'm
00:19:44.072 --> 00:19:46.842
Ready to go." because sometimes pain and pressure and suffering
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And heartache and grief... it just gets you ready to go. and
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That was paul. most of us... heaven's our home but we're not
00:19:54.316 --> 00:19:57.219
Homesick yet. but the longer you go the more homesick you
00:19:57.219 --> 00:20:04.326
Get for heaven, the place where god will wipe away all tears
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From our eyes. right now he keeps our tears in a bottle
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According to scripture. he knows every tear, every
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Teardrop. but then, he's going to wipe every tear away. so
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Trail, pain, suffering will cause you to long for heaven
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And the promise of life in his presence.
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And until then what is he doing? he sits as a refiner at
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The furnace, testing our faith, proving it... it's genuineness.
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Not to himself. he knows whether our faith is genuine or
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Not. the idea of genuineness is proving to ourselves that our
00:20:43.231 --> 00:20:47.803
Faith is real.
00:20:47.803 --> 00:20:49.304
Now the key to all this is in verse 7; we're wrapping it up.
00:20:49.304 --> 00:20:52.240
But he says in verse 7: "...so that... so that..." so that
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What? "...your faith will come forward ... forth as gold."
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Circle that, underline it. my friend tim delina says god is
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Orchestrating thousands of random events in our lives for
00:21:08.657 --> 00:21:13.028
Our emerging future with him. we just need to trust the
00:21:13.028 --> 00:21:17.165
Process... we just need to trust the process. what he's
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Doing in our lives. because for the christian, everything
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Happens for a reason. this is not random. god has a purpose
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For the trials. god's fingerprints are on each day
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That you live, your past, your present and your future. he is
00:21:35.083 --> 00:21:39.054
Writing your story, chapter by chapter by chapter. it has a
00:21:39.054 --> 00:21:42.391
Glorious ending. we know that we have a new perspective and
00:21:42.391 --> 00:21:48.697
We know that we have a new sense of what is coming because
00:21:48.697 --> 00:21:53.435
Of what he has done, what he is doing in your life, and now
00:21:53.435 --> 00:21:56.705
Everything will make sense ultimately. the things that
00:21:56.705 --> 00:22:00.275
Don't make sense today... the things that seem so unjust...
00:22:00.275 --> 00:22:03.645
The things that seem so unfair... the things that seem
00:22:03.645 --> 00:22:08.683
So tragic and senseless... when we get on the other side, we
00:22:08.683 --> 00:22:16.358
Will know even as we are known. he is proving the
00:22:16.358 --> 00:22:19.961
Genuineness... dokimos is the word. it means to test
00:22:19.961 --> 00:22:22.731
Something in order to prove it. and god puts our faith to the
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Test and allows these fiery trials in order to purify us
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And fortify us and solidify us in our faith.
00:22:30.505 --> 00:22:36.077
Philip yancy... he said this: "i have learned hat faith means
00:22:36.077 --> 00:22:44.786
Trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse." i
00:22:44.786 --> 00:22:50.692
Like that. because when we get to where we're going, we'll
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Look back and we'll say "ah-ha! that's why... that's why it
00:22:57.199 --> 00:23:03.104
Happened. that's what god was doing! i didn't know it; it
00:23:03.104 --> 00:23:08.109
Coulndn't see it; i couldn't imagine it, but now i know... i
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Know."
00:23:12.414 --> 00:23:13.548
One final thing. here's what's going to happen in verse
00:23:13.548 --> 00:23:15.684
7............ we're getting to it. "...may be found so that
00:23:15.684 --> 00:23:22.657
... the gold that perishes is tested by fire... may be found
00:23:22.657 --> 00:23:26.394
To result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of
00:23:26.394 --> 00:23:29.998
Jesus christ." and you look at that and say, "oh, i get it.
00:23:29.998 --> 00:23:36.605
When we get to heaven... when christ comes, there will be
00:23:36.605 --> 00:23:39.341
Praise and honor and glory to him." yes, indeed, forever and
00:23:39.341 --> 00:23:42.777
Ever! but that's not what this verse is talking about. peter
00:23:42.777 --> 00:23:48.984
Is saying to us the praised and the honor and the glory is
00:23:48.984 --> 00:23:52.354
Going to us! imagine a parade in heaven and you're the star
00:23:52.354 --> 00:23:59.828
Of the parade. it's a salvation parade and the angels are
00:23:59.828 --> 00:24:09.004
Applauding, and the father is welcoming, and the son is
00:24:09.004 --> 00:24:14.342
Embracing us. we're in his presence. the praise, the honor
00:24:14.342 --> 00:24:18.880
And the glory is because of what christ has done! we are
00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.918
Celebrating now forever through praise and honor and glory what
00:24:22.918 --> 00:24:26.821
God has done in our lives. the parade ... the praise is for
00:24:26.821 --> 00:24:31.459
You, christian! when you hear the words "well done, good and
00:24:31.459 --> 00:24:37.499
Faithful servant." and all the way... all the way through he's
00:24:37.499 --> 00:24:43.138
Standing with us in the fire.
00:24:43.138 --> 00:24:45.974
You know the story of shadrach, meshach and abednego. three
00:24:45.974 --> 00:24:50.145
Hebrew boys who refused to bow down to nebuchadnezzar's wicked
00:24:50.145 --> 00:24:54.482
Idol. and then he decreed that everyone had to bow down. but
00:24:54.482 --> 00:24:59.487
These guys said, "we're not bowing down to this idol. we
00:24:59.487 --> 00:25:02.657
Worship the one true god. we're not bowing down." he said,
00:25:02.657 --> 00:25:05.860
"maybe you didn't understand. we're going to give you another
00:25:05.860 --> 00:25:08.863
Chance because if you don't bow down to the idol, we're going
00:25:08.863 --> 00:25:12.434
To throw you in a fiery furnace and you'll be burned to
00:25:12.434 --> 00:25:16.705
Cinders." and the three hebrew boys said, "king, we don't even
00:25:16.705 --> 00:25:23.311
Have to discuss this or debate. our god is able to deliver us.
00:25:23.311 --> 00:25:33.021
But if not, ..." we need christians who are willing to
00:25:33.021 --> 00:25:39.628
Say our god is able.... "but if not, if i perish in this...
00:25:39.628 --> 00:25:47.302
"but if not" they said, "we're still not going to bow down to
00:25:47.302 --> 00:25:51.439
Your stinking idol."
00:25:51.439 --> 00:25:56.678
There's an old johnny cash song that said, “they didn't bow,
00:25:56.678 --> 00:25:59.547
They didn't bend, they didn't burn.” and they went into the
00:25:59.547 --> 00:26:03.151
Furnace. they heated it up much, much hotter than they
00:26:03.151 --> 00:26:06.988
Could have imagined, and the king looked in there and said,
00:26:06.988 --> 00:26:12.494
“didn't we send three guys in there. but i see a fourth man
00:26:12.494 --> 00:26:17.966
That looks like the son of god in that fiery furnace.” and you
00:26:17.966 --> 00:26:23.772
Know who that was. there was another in the fire and his
00:26:23.772 --> 00:26:28.309
Name is jesus! another in the fire with you. he will not
00:26:28.309 --> 00:26:36.251
Always keep us out of the fire, but here's what god does. he
00:26:36.251 --> 00:26:39.454
Gets in the fire with us and that's what he did. another's
00:26:39.454 --> 00:26:42.957
In the fire.
00:26:42.957 --> 00:26:44.192
And i like what bible teacher warren wiersbe used to say,
00:26:44.192 --> 00:26:47.829
“when we're in the fire, god always keeps his eye on the
00:26:47.829 --> 00:26:51.499
Clock and his hand on the thermostat.” the eye on the
00:26:51.499 --> 00:26:57.338
Clock to know how long and the hand on the thermostat to know
00:26:57.338 --> 00:27:03.211
How much we need. but all in all there's not been one time
00:27:03.211 --> 00:27:11.786
That he's not been with you in the fire. not one time.
00:27:11.786 --> 00:27:17.592
So therefore, face the fire with courage joy.
00:27:17.592 --> 00:27:25.266
♪♪♪
00:27:25.266 --> 00:27:25.266

Jack Graham - Facing The Future With Courageous Joy

April 27, 2025 | S25:E17

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