Hello everyone!
I’m running a couple days late on getting this blog out since I was in Florida with Barbie. Last week was a shorter week in the class room so my summary will be shorter than usual.
Summary
- discussions on introductions for sermons
- listened to various recordings of pastors giving introductions
- practiced creating intros and presenting them before our classmates
Scripture
“…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope….”
Romans 5:3-4
In our world suffering is a reality. Either we recently have come out of suffering, we’re currently suffering, or we’re about to enter into suffering. As Christians, we should not despair in our suffering. Since we're spiritually alive in Christ (born again), we continually live under the purposeful and loving hand of God. God is sovereign (in control) over our sufferings. He is wonderfully molding us through them. Our suffering is
never futile. It has purpose.
As we rest in the fact that we live under the purposeful and loving hand of God, we can actually rejoice in our sufferings. God brings about this kind of joy in our hearts when we're gripped by the truth that He has a
good purpose for us. As we trust God through the pain, He supernaturally enables us to rejoice while we’re still suffering. The pain is still there -- but underneath the pain we are able to have joy.