Pivotal Circumstances

What our current series "Catalysts" is all about

Sometimes our faith needs a jump start, a catalyst, something to move us in the right direction.  But what does that for us?  Throughout most people’s lives, it’s one of five key things, and if we look out for those we can see God do something awesome!

Pivotal Circumstances

 

It’s interesting to me the way God tends to use the times when everything goes wrong to strengthen our faith rather than when everything goes right.  But I guess He knows that times when the bottom falls out help us learn to trust Him.  But He also knows that in those times it’s also easy for us to turn away from Him.  It’s like a door that swings both ways, but in Romans 8:28 He promises us that He will cause “everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  The question for us is will we let Him take over and jumpstart our faith?  We can do this because God promises never to waste a hurt.

The Point: God never wastes a hurt

At Home Suggestions

Talk with your teens and tell them about a difficult time in your past that God used to jumpstart your own faith.  Then ask if they’ve ever been through anything like that or if they know anyone who has.

Read Romans 5:3-5

Ask: What does Paul say to do when we suffer?  How could he possibly say that?  What does it mean that “hope does not disappoint”?

Explain that Paul wants us to rejoice in suffering because those hard moments produce character in us.  When the suffering is over, we become better people, and we have hope for our future because we’ve seen God in action through it all, and this doesn’t disappoint.

Pray that your family would have hope through the trails because you know you can trust in God.