Facing Trials

Suffering should not be surprising (1 Peter 4:12)

Our issues are not identical

Count it All Joy (James 1:2)

Life is the Laboratory (James 1:3)

Be made perfect (James 1:4)

Remain Steadfast (James 1:12)

Ask God for what you need (James 1:5-6)

Boast in the Lord

Keep your eyes on the prize

Life is Hard

Sometimes we want to give in

Sometimes we want to give up (1 Kings 19:4)

God understands our weakness (Hebrews 4:15)

Jesus wept (John 11:35)

His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The Lord lifts up the humble (Psalm 147:6)

Stay Strong

Be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10)

Put on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)

Seek the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)

Our Common Condition

We are infected with sin (Psalm 51:5)

We cannot overcome our nature (Romans 7:19)

We have Insufficient Immunity

We struggle against temptation (James 1:14)

We want to be part of the solution

The Complete Cure

The death of Jesus covers our sin (Romans 5:19)

We are washed in the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7)

Be Contagious

Don’t keep the cure to yourself

Share the love of Christ  (Romans 8:38-39)

We Wear Masks…

To protect ourselves

To hide

To play a part

We Have Nowhere to Hide

God sees and knows us (Psalm 139:7, 16)

He loves us (anyway)

Don’t Be a Hypocrite

Serve your Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1-2)

Treasure heavenly things (Matt. 6:20-21)

Be like Jesus (Romans 8:29)

Don’t Stand So Close to Me

Everyone needs alone time

Everyone has a personal bubble

It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18)

We were made to be in relationship

Sin creates separation (Genesis 3:9)

God became one of Us

Immanuel is more than a Christmas story (Philippians 2:7-8)

Jesus repaired our relationship with God (Colossians 1:21-22)

We Carry that Message to the World

We have been entrusted with the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Get a Little Closer

Our Common Problem Our hands are not clean We are stained with sin (Psalm 24:3-4) We try to Wash We want to wipe away our guilt (Matthew 27:24) We try to please God (Mark 7:8) Give Us Clean Hands (Psalm 51:2) Jesus forgives our sins (1 John 1:9) We are washed (Titus 3:4-5) Get Your Hands Dirty God created us to work (Ephesians 2:10) Follow Jesus where he leads you.

Hiding in Fear The disciples were hiding in the upper room (John 20:19a) We can become trapped in our fear Jesus helps us overcome fear He meets us where we are (John 20:19b) Jesus brings peace (John 20:21a) Open the Door We are empowered to come out from hiding We are on a mission (John 20:21b)

Longing for Freedom Everyone wants to be free Independence and freedom are not the same We are set Free (Galatians 5:1a) We are free in Christ (Romans 8:2) We are bound to love (Galatians 5:13-14) Live Free! Guard your freedom (Galatians 5:1b) Walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25)