Remain Resilient

Lord, you're so good to us.

Thank you for everything that you're doing in this church.

Thank you for everything that you're doing in our life.

There is no other name by which anyone can be saved.

You are the name above all names.

We love you, we honor you, and we praise you in this place, Jesus.

In Jesus' mighty name.

And everybody said, Amen.

Clap your hands for Jesus in this place.

Amen.

Praise the Lord.

I'm so excited to be here with you guys this morning.

I believe that I have a word from God that's going to encourage everybody.

Before I go any further, I just want to greet those of you that are watching online.

Thank you so much for tuning in and uh being here with us online.

We hope that you can make it in person very, very soon.

Uh, for those of you guys that are wondering why Pastor Frank is not here, he's at our Wolkett campus this morning ministering.

So I'm gonna be here with you guys today.

Amen.

If you need a Bible, our ushers have some Bibles uh in the aisles.

If you have a Bible, go ahead and take it on out.

We're gonna make our Bible declaration together.

Go ahead and lift it on up.

Let's say this at the same time.

Ready?

Go.

This is my Bible.

It is my primary source of spiritual nourishment.

I will read it every day and become all God wants me to be.

My mind will be renewed.

My life will be transformed.

I will become fully surrendered to Christ.

Therefore, I will hide his word in my heart so I can be all God has destined me to be.

Amen.

You guys sound great this morning.

Would you remain standing for the reading of God's word?

We're gonna go to James chapter 1, verses 1 through 5.

James 1:1–5

We're gonna read today.

And I'm gonna walk through this text with you guys this morning.

Um and I'm gonna be reading from the ESV translation for those of you that have phone Bibles that are wondering.

James chapter 1, verse 1.

James 1:1

It says, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion.

Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you in when you meet trials of various kinds.

For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Can you say amen?

Thank you so much for standing for the reading of God's Word and go and have a seat.

Pastor Frank has been in this uh new series Lions, Giants, and Bears, but God.

But God, amen.

That's a big butt right there.

But God.

We've talked about some famous Bible stories.

Pastor Frank walked through David and Goliath and Daniel and the lion's dead.

And last week Pastor Brandon took the very bold challenge of taking on Elisha and the bears and the whole youth being devoured by the bears, and talking about that whole situation and scenario for those of you who are here.

But here's the reality: what we've been calling in this series lions and giants and bears is what Scripture calls trials.

And trials are challenging life situations that we experience that test our faith.

Now, I feel as though it's very important before I move forward with this message that I define and explain a little bit about trials.

Because there's been some misunderstanding in the church regarding trials.

We need to be very clear about what these are.

Trials are not consequences for our sinful choices.

Got a little quiet when I just said that right there.

Because everybody likes to call everything a trial.

I didn't obey God, and so I have this consequence, and well, I'm going through a trial.

That's not a trial, my friend.

That's not a trial, that is a consequence for our disobedience towards God.

Now, let me be very clear.

If we ever do experience consequences for our sin, that doesn't mean that God can't help us navigate those things.

That's not what I'm saying.

But that is not a trial.

A trial is a challenge, a challenging life situation that we face that tests our faith.

Furthermore, regarding trials, God is not the sender of trials.

God is not the sender of trials.

Some people get this idea that God is sending trials into our life.

God is not the sender of trials, but He can use trials to grow us.

God uses trials to grow us nonetheless.

Trials are the result of living in a world that has been corrupted by sin.

Some people ask this question, they why do bad things happen?

Pastor Joey, why do bad things happen?

Why are there uh challenges in our life and situations like this?

Well, the answer is very simple.

Sin has corrupted what God has designed.

And because of sin, we see the effects taking place where we face challenges and situations because we live in this fallen world.

This is why bad things happen in our society.

It's not because God caused them, it's not because God made them happen, it's because humanity rebelled against God and we're seeing the consequences of that in the world.

But here's the reality: every single one of us here in this room will face trials.

Every single one of us.

And the reason why I could say that so confidently, and the reason why I don't say that even Christians are not exempt is because Jesus told us that we would face trials.

Jesus told us in John 16, 33.

He said, if you guys can throw that up there, John 16, verse 33.

John 16:33

It says, I've told you all this so that you may have peace in me.

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.

Now, keep that up there for a moment.

This is what I call one of the most half-quoted scriptures in the entire Bible.

There's some half-quoted scriptures out there.

We're going to get to another one, potentially I'll I'll mention it later.

But people will just go, that's right.

Jesus said, In this world you'll have trials.

And life is just going to be hard, and that's just the reality of things, and things are difficult, and we just have to understand that there's going to be trials.

But they neglect the second part of the scripture, which I'm about to read to you.

Jesus also said, But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

And so, yes, every single one of us will face trials, but we have to understand that although trials are going to come and although there's going to be challenges, Jesus assures us that we will have victory because we belong to him.

When you're in Christ, he has victory, therefore we have victory.

What am I telling you?

What I'm telling you is this is that trials are an inevitable reality of life.

But just as trials are inevitable, victory is inevitable for the believer.

Can you say amen?

Victory is inevitable.

David didn't lose to Goliath.

David didn't lose to Goliath.

Daniel didn't lose to the lions and the lions.

Then as a believer, we are not designed to lose.

Can you say amen?

Get this: it is scriptural to be challenged, but it is unscriptural to be defeated.

We should never be defeated as believers because we have the victor on our side.

We belong to him.

And if victory belongs to Jesus, that means that victory belongs to us.

So the question tonight or this morning, the question this morning is not if you should win or not.

That's not what this sermon's about.

If you should win or not in a trial, because Jesus is very clear on that.

The question is, how can we make sense of trials to victory?

How can we make sense of them?

And the title of my message this morning is remaining resilient, making sense of trials.

How many of you guys want to serve Jesus successfully for the rest of your life?

Amen.

Praise the Lord.

Well, I'll tell you this trials are a thing that the enemy uses to be able to get us to walk away from our faith.

I'm so, it is so amazing to me how the enemy can deceive people into thinking that God is the sender of trials.

God is a sender of trials.

We just as God works trials together for our good, there's a very real adversary of the enemy that is trying to use those same trials to be able to get us to quit on our faith.

And if we can understand or make sense of trials, then guess what?

We'll be more successful in being able to walk out this Christian life of faith.

So let's unpack this text.

We're gonna walk through James 1, 1 through 5 today.

And I'm gonna begin in verse 1, even though I already read it to you.

It says, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus, to the 12 tribes in the dispersion.

Greetings.

James here is writing to a group of Jewish Christians.

And these Jewish Christians have just been driven out of their homeland because of their faith.

And they had been scattered all around, uh, all around in something called the dispersion or the diaspora, and they're all scattered about, they've left everything that they've ever known, and now they're in this situation because of their persecution where they're in a foreign land and they're experiencing all of these challenges.

Now, for those of you that might wonder what persecution may have prompted this event, many Bible scholars suggest that the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapter 7 was the beginning of this great dispersion that is taking place.

Acts 7 · chapter mention

And so they're facing this extreme challenge or trial, and this is exactly why James begins the letter with it.

He greets them, and he greets them, and he tells, and he begins to immediately talk about trials.

And what does he do?

He helps these Jewish believers that are scattered make sense of this trial that they are in.

And the first thing that James is going to show them, and the first point I want to make to you this morning, is that trials are an opportunity for joy.

What a strange thing.

James begins in verse 2, and he says, Count it all joy.

When you go through trials.

Joy?

It's like what?

You James is like, we James, we just got kicked out of our homeland.

We're being persecuted for our faith.

This challenging situation is right here before us, but you're gonna tell us to be joyful about it?

But that's what he says.

He says, Count it, joy.

And I want to talk about this word count.

This word count in the original language of the Greek, it means to lead like a ruler or a governor.

What is it speaking of?

This is speaking of mental leadership.

Mental leadership.

Did you know that you have the ability in Christ to take over your mind?

You have the ability in Christ to be able to take thoughts captive in your mind and make it submit to Christ.

You have the ability in Christ to renew your mind and lead it to joy even in a trial.

We have the ability to choose joy despite the circumstances that are surrounding us.

And this joy, just to help us understand what it is, it is not pretending that the pain is not real.

It's not being like psychotic.

You, you know, you lose your job and you start.

Yes, I'm so excited, I lost my job.

This is great.

Yes.

It's not getting a bad diagnosis from the doctor and getting all pumped up about it.

Yes, I'm so excited.

It's not because it's a happy time in our lives, a trial.

No.

Because happiness and joy are not the same thing.

We have a world that teaches happiness.

But what if I told you this?

What if I told you that joy is greater than happiness?

Happiness comes and joy and goes, but joy is eternal.

Joy remains with us forever.

Let me explain.

Joy is not denial, it's interpretation.

It's not denial, it's interpretation.

It's choosing to see your situation the way that God sees it.

Let me explain.

It's not seeing what you're going through, it's seeing how what God can do through it.

See, understand, God didn't send the trial.

God didn't send the sickness, God didn't send the challenge that you're facing.

But guess what?

The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 8, verse 28 that he works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes.

Romans 8:28

God's not the sender of the trial, but he can take that trial and he can turn around for his good.

He's the God of the turnaround.

You know, I understand why some Christians believe that God sends trials.

I understand why they believe it.

You know why they believe it?

They believe it because God is so good at turning around trials that it almost seems like it's from him.

It's like this thing worked out so well in my favor, this very terrible thing that happened.

How did it work out so good for me?

It must have been God, but that's where people get it confused.

God can be dealt whatever uh deck of cards that he wants to be uh dealt, and he can turn around and make it good.

It doesn't matter what's dealt to him, he turns it around and he makes it good.

Can you say amen?

He's so good, he's the God of the turnaround, he turns all things together.

And so, guess what?

Don't let a trial take your joy.

Don't let a trial take your joy.

Look at your circumstance through the lens of God's promises.

What does God say?

What can God do?

Don't let a trial take your joy.

Jesus already said that you have victory.

He already said you have victory.

You're walking through this trial and you're walking through it with the understanding that on the other side of this is victory, because Jesus told me that I have victory.

Despite any trial, despite any opposition.

And let me just mention this as well.

Although, yes, victory in this life, we also need to be people that have an eternal perspective.

Sometimes, as believers, we forget about eternity.

How amazing it is to wake up every single morning with the understanding that if I were to die today, that I wouldn't even have to worry about it because I'd be in heaven with God.

What an amazing reality to be able to hold on to, despite a trial, despite a situation.

Guess what?

The Bible says this present suffering is nothing in comparison to the future glory that we will experience.

No matter what you're facing, you still have a decision to choose joy or not.

Joy is not contingent upon circumstance because in God, joy sees his perspective.

Choose joy today.

I don't know what you're going through today, and I'm not going to pretend that I understand every single situation, but let me encourage you that you still have the choice to be able to choose joy.

Trials are an opportunity for joy.

But the second thing I want to show you, and the second thing that the text points out, is that trials reveal faith.

Trials reveal faith.

James chapter 1, verse 3.

James 1:3

It says, For you know that the testing of your faith, the testing of your faith.

Trials can create faith to a degree.

Because we can learn things through them or we can grow because of them.

We'll talk a little bit about that in a second.

But trials don't primarily create faith, trials reveal the faith that we already have.

Trials reveal where our faith is at.

This is meaning that trials reveal the genuineness of our faith.

A trial is like game time.

I'm I'm a, or I don't know if I could still say I'm an athlete because you know I'm I'm retired now.

But I was an athlete.

I I love sports still, and so I think of things a lot in a sports analogy.

And see, trial trials are like a game.

Trials reveal who you really are, it exposes who you really are.

I had this kid on my baseball team, and he was a great guy, and he and he was a pretty good baseball player, but this guy was a batting cage pro.

You guys don't realize it yet, but it's kind of an insult.

He was a batting cage pro.

This guy would get into our warmups, and he you would watch his swing and warmups.

Oh my goodness, he'd be hitting everything.

He would look like one of the best hitters.

If a college scout were to come watch this guy play, they would go, This guy right here, we got to offer this guy a full scholarship right here.

This guy, this guy's amazing.

But see, scouts understand that practice is practice, but a game is a game.

A game reveals what's really up.

See, when he got out there in the game, he wasn't bad, but he was not nearly as good as what he looked like in the cage.

He couldn't hit an off-speed pitch, a breaking ball to save his life.

All of a sudden, he got exposed for what he really is.

And see, here's the reality: it's easy for many of us to present as if, yeah, you know, I have such a strong and deep faith in the Lord and I love Jesus, but you know when we really find out if where somebody's faith is at?

When a trial.

In a trial.

When it's game time.

When it's game time.

Because game time exposes who you actually are.

See, a trial is a time of self-evaluation.

Just like a game, it reveals what we need to work on.

You find out a lot about yourself when things aren't going well.

When pressure comes.

I'll use another sports analogy.

I had a high school basketball coach, really, really tall guy.

He was like a 6'8 guy.

Had, I don't even know if he had body fat on his body.

Like, seriously, this guy was ripped.

He was a former professional basketball player and he coached my basketball team, and I loved playing for him.

And one time we were getting ready for a big game, and the guys were warming up, the other team was warming up, and I looked at them and I said, Coach, I said, they have some really good fundamentals.

They pass well, they look like they have good shot form, their ball handle looks good.

If you don't know basketball, some of you are very confused right now.

But the summary is they looked really good, their fundamentals were strong.

And my coach stopped me and he said, I see it.

But he says, You know what breaks down fundamentals?

I said, What?

He said, Pressure.

He said, Let's see how they do under pressure.

And that's what happens in a trial.

You get to see how you're gonna do under pressure.

You're gonna get to see how what you're gonna do when the challenge comes, when the rubber meets the road.

But see, trials don't just reveal things that we need to work on, it reveals things that we're also good at.

It reveals uh where our faith is strong as well as where it needs improvement.

There was a situation that I was in one time where um somebody uh there was some type of serious injury that somebody sustained that was potentially life-threatening.

And I happened to be there when it happened.

And I remember being there and everybody was panicking and freaking out, and I learned something about myself.

I learned that I had the ability to be able to stay calm in pressuring situations.

I was very calm.

I was giving instruction on what we should do.

Okay, let's do this, let's do that.

I I for some reason I wasn't freaking out, and I realized through that challenging situation that I had that ability that I didn't realize that I had before.

See, trials they expose things, they bring things to the light.

It is an opportunity to see where our faith is really at.

It is important to watch how we respond in our faith when a trial arises.

How do you respond?

Do you run from God or do you run to God?

Do you stop coming to church when things are challenging?

You know, it's just been really hard lately with my finances, and I've just been working really hard and stuff, so I haven't had time for church.

When things are hard, do we run from God or do we run to God?

Because that will reveal a lot about where our faith is really at.

See, it's it's easy to play the game, it's easy to pretend, it's easy to uh try to expose ourselves to be one way.

But when it's game time, who are you really?

Trials reveal our faith.

We should be pressing into God more than we ever had.

Something that I really love from the scriptures.

There was a story in the book of Acts about the Apostle Peter.

And the Apostle Peter was just arrested for his uh preaching the gospel.

Well, listen, let me just make a quick comment on this.

We talk about trials and we talk about situations.

Read the scriptures and you'll find out about some real trials and some real situations, all right?

I'm not trying to minimize what you guys are going through.

I'm sure that there's challenges, there's things that I've gone through too, but if you read the scriptures, the things that we go through are not new because if you look at the scriptures, they went through some things as well, alright?

But Peter, he's arrested for preaching the gospel, and his friend was just killed and executed for his faith.

And he's sitting there in the prison.

And you would think that Peter's in the prison, and he's like praying.

He's like, God help me.

God help me.

You know, I'm I'm Pentecostal, it's a Pentecostal church.

We believe in speaking in tongues, starts speaking in tongues all night.

Just, you know, speaking in tongues, speaking in tongues, speaking in tongues, speaking in tongues.

But the text doesn't say that that's what Peter is doing.

The text says that Peter's asleep.

You know why?

When you already are pressing into God before the trial, you can rest during it.

When you're already seeking after God before the trial, you can rest during the trial.

See, when it comes to be game time, it's not time to work on things.

When I was a baseball player and I got up into that batter's box, it wasn't time for me to work on different things that I'm trying to do.

It's game time.

It's time to see what's really there.

Well, guess what?

Well, uh, I need to practice really hard so that when I get to the game, then it's time, then I'm able to perform in the same way.

Begin to seek after God before you're ever in a trial.

When you get to that trial, God will be able to bring you through it.

It'll reveal where your faith is really at, and you'll see yourself come out in victory.

Trials reveal our faith.

The third thing I want to point out to you that James shows is that trials are an opportunity to build endurance.

Trials are an opportunity to build endurance.

James chapter 1, verse 3.

James 1:3

I already read the first half, we'll read the second half.

It says, For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

What is steadfastness?

It is the ability to remain faithful under pressure without collapsing.

The ability to remain faithful under pressure without collapsing.

And when we remain steadfast, God builds something in us, and that thing is called spiritual endurance.

Spiritual endurance.

It's kind of like this.

I've been on my gym grind in 2026, you know.

I've been uh going to the gym most weeks five times a week, but at least three times a week.

All right.

I'm getting I'm getting stronger, I'm working out, I'm trying to get in good shape, you know what I mean?

I'll tell you what, it's it'd be hard sometimes, though.

I'll be honest with you.

But anyway, I've been going to the gym.

I've been having a good time going, and I've been working, and something that I've realized at the gym is that there comes a point where the pressure hits.

You do the first couple of reps on your curls or your tricep pushdowns, and you're doing the first, yeah.

Yeah, oh yeah.

You're like, yeah, I'm feeling good now, and it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm feeling good.

And you just keep repping them out, and then all of a sudden you kind of reach that point, it gets a little harder.

It's getting a little harder.

And then you get to a very important point in your workout, and that's when you don't want to go any further.

It's hard to go further, but you've still got a couple more in you.

And see, that is the most important part of the workout because that's when the most muscle is grown.

When you're at your point of exhaustion and you keep pressing in anyway, and you keep on going, that's where growth takes place, and that's where uh muscular endurance happens.

Well, guess what?

It's the same way with our faith.

It's the same way with our faith.

When we choose to remain faithful in the middle of pressure, your faith is strengthened.

There's endurance that is formed.

When I keep on going, when there's that challenge, that breaking point, when I don't want to go anymore, but I remain faithful to God, all of a sudden there's endurance.

And when there's endurance, that means I can handle more for God.

That means I can do more for God.

God can add more to my plate.

When your faith grows, you can do more for God the same way that when you keep pressing in and keep going in your workout, what happens?

You can lift more weight.

You can handle more in the same way you can handle more for God when you keep on going in your faith, despite a challenge or an obstacle.

Something that I wondered, I think for a while, I wondered, God, I know what you've asked me to do and called me to do.

I know things that you're promised to do in my life.

But how come I don't just like have them now?

You told me what's gonna come.

I have people have come up to me, you know.

Obviously, I'm I'm a young minister, I feel called to the ministry in Bible school and stuff like that.

People come up to me, you know, that they'll say, you know, an older minister will come up to me and say, I feel this to be the word of the Lord for you.

And I'm like, well, why can't I just have that now?

But here's the thing: I know the answer.

The answer is because I'm not ready.

And if I had it now, it would crush me.

There must first be a faithfulness and a spiritual endurance that is formed in me to be able to receive everything that God has for me.

I first became the youth pastor.

Uh, actually, it's it's been pretty much five years of being the youth pastor here.

And when I first started, we were starting at the end of COVID and we had about 40 students in the youth ministry.

We met in here.

Imagine meeting with 40 students in here, all scattered out.

I was like, all right, here we go.

And when I first started as youth pastor, I remember.

I remember being bothered by any problem or challenge that took place.

I remember if two students got into an argument, I thought it was the end of the youth ministry.

I I remember I remember when two leaders had an issue.

Oh my goodness, what am I gonna do?

And I would freak out.

And I'd be like, what's gonna happen?

Which, by the way, here's what I do now.

What I do now when I hear there's a problem between two students or a leader of you know why?

Because I've learned that sometimes people are just gonna be people.

People, I don't go to that church anymore because I had a problem with you know, someone, or I don't go to that church anymore because there's some problems there.

Did you know that every church in the New Testament that's written to had a problem that was going on in there?

You you know why?

You can never escape problems in church because people go to church.

That's the reality.

People go to church, there's gonna be problems.

But here's the reality: we have a job as a church to be able to grow through those problems, to be able to work through them, help people, help people settle disagreements with each other.

That is part of this Christian life.

I it would be so hypocritical of me to stand up here today and say, I expect, if if if somebody isn't perfect, because I'm standing up here, and I know I, for one, have not been perfect.

And so now when I get problems and or when when problems come my way, and so I shrug my shoulders, and God has now advanced.

We just had 200 students this last Wednesday at youth group.

God has taken us so far.

But if God would have just said, here's 200 students, it would have crushed me.

It would have crushed me.

But can I can I tell you this?

If you are faithful to God, what feels like is crushing you is going to build you.

What feels crushing to you is actually going to build you if you remain faithful to God.

This is what the Bible is talking about.

When it says that faith, it produces that steadfastness in our life.

God can only give you more if you're faithful with what He's given you now.

Be faithful, keep going, and you'll be able to handle more for God and do more for the kingdom of God.

Can you say amen?

Number four, and this one's very important.

Very, very important.

Trials produce nothing without our decision.

Trials produce nothing without our decision.

Trials by itself don't do anything.

What do you mean?

You just told us all things trials do?

Yes.

If we remain faithful, there's a cooperation that we must have.

Trials produce nothing in itself.

It is our response that determines the outcome.

Finish this statement for me.

What doesn't kill you.

You guys know who's that who's that song by?

Is that Carrie Underwood Kelly Clarkson?

Oh, somebody else got a different song.

Okay, I don't I don't know what song's out there.

But here's the thing what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

It's kind of true.

The answer to that is determined in how you respond.

Because it doesn't, what doesn't kill you doesn't necessarily make you stronger.

And that's exactly what James here says in James chapter 1, verse 4.

James 1:4

He says this, and let say let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Let means it involves our decision.

It's up to us if it's actually gonna do something.

Trials do not automatically mature people, but our response does.

This is where we either grow in our faith or remain stagnant in our faith.

We have to make a decision.

Responding by walking away from God in the middle of a trial is not gonna strengthen us.

Well, I went through that trial and I came out stronger, but did you seek after God?

I know I must have come out stronger only if you sought after the Lord, only if you let steadfastness, only if you make a decision to be able to do that.

Can I be honest with you?

There are some people that are here in this room that have never grown in their faith.

You know why they've never grown in their faith?

Because they always give up in a trial.

They've never grown.

There are some people that have been saved for 25 years that are like a newborn believer.

In contrast, I've seen students in our youth group that have been saved for three years and they're like a 25-year-old believer.

You know why?

Because it's all about response.

Hypothetically speaking, on paper, someone that's been saved for 50 years should be far more mature than somebody that's been saved for five years.

But the sad reality is that's not always true.

You know why?

Because of their response.

Their response in trials, their response in challenges.

How do you respond to a trial?

We have to make a decision to let steadfastness have its way.

I'll be honest with you, I'll go one further.

Some people have been living in the same trial for 20 years.

Not because the trial continued, but because their response never changed.

They've been living in a trial.

What does the Bible say?

It says, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you're with me.

But here's the thing the text says, though I walk through.

Some people have a tent set up in the valley.

They built their house in the valley.

They're like, they're like, okay, you know, yeah, yeah, you know, I'm in the valley right now.

You've been in the valley for 20 years.

Why are you still in the valley?

Because the scripture says that we walk through the valley.

That means that that's not our that's not our eternal place, that's not our resting place.

That's just a time of walking through, and you don't have to do it alone because God is with you.

God is with you.

He is walking through it with you.

Yeah, we're gonna walk through challenges, we're gonna walk through situations, but it's time to grow up, it's time to get past it, it's time to move on from what happened a year ago, it's time to move on from what happened six months ago, it's time to move on, and it's time to move forward with what God has for our life.

Can I be honest with you for a second?

Thank you.

Somebody gave me permission.

Okay, good.

I'll be honest with you.

Some people are professional victims.

And can I and can I even be more honest with you?

Christians are the greatest, they're the greatest at it many times.

The devil.

He's been after me.

Pastor Joey, you don't know what the devil's been doing to me.

Sorry, last time that I checked, he's under our feet.

Last time that I checked, we have victory over the devil.

The devil may try, but victory belongs to us in God.

Say victory.

Amen.

Victory belongs to us.

We have to stop with the professional victim mentality.

Yeah, you know, you know, this happened to me.

Oh, when did it happen?

Oh, 15 years ago, and I just never recovered.

Why didn't you ever recover?

I'm not trying to be mean.

I'm not trying to say that you haven't gone through some real stuff.

Maybe there's some of you in here today that have gone through terrible things, things that I don't understand, things that I haven't been through.

I'm not standing up here saying that you haven't been through anything that it hasn't been terrible.

I am confident that there have been some atrocities that have taken place here in this room.

But it's time to move on.

Because in Christ you are not a victim, you are a victor.

You're a victor.

It's time to move on.

It's time to walk through the valley and come out on the other end.

In Jesus' mighty name.

The Bible tells us to let steadfastness, it's a choice.

We have to make a decision to move forward.

We have to make a decision to do our part.

And I have good news for you.

I love what the text says at the end in James chapter 1, verse 4.

James 1:4

I'm going to read it to you again.

It says, let steadfastness have its full effect.

Watch this.

That you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What does that mean?

Does that mean perfect?

I'll never sin again, I'll never do anything wrong.

That's not what the text is indicating.

What it's saying, it's not saying sinlessness, it's saying that we will become strong mature believers.

If you really break it down and study it, that's exactly what James is saying to these people.

When you let steadfastness have its way, when you go through a trial the right way, you are actually going to come out of it, and you're going to come out of it a mature, strong believer, stronger than you were before.

God is raising up some mature, strong believers in Jesus' name.

Amen.

And we need it.

We need it in the body of Christ.

We need strong believers.

We need believers that actually know the Bible, that hold on to the promises of God, that don't drift to the right or the left, despite what they're going through, despite the challenges, despite the circumstances.

We need some strong, mature believers.

Can you say amen?

And my last point, worship team, you can go ahead and make your way on up.

My last point.

Trials are an opportunity to gain wisdom.

Trials are an opportunity to gain wisdom.

James chapter 1, verse 5.

James 1:5

I love this.

I really have come to love this text.

I've really come to love this text because it's so practical.

It's so practical.

I think that in the body of Christ, we can either drift to one or two understandings.

Either one where we have victory in Christ, which is great, but we should never have any challenges.

You'll never have a challenge in life.

The Bible doesn't promise that.

But then you can go to the other end where it's all about challenges, but there's no victory.

What if I told you the Bible's in the middle?

The Bible's right in the middle where we do have challenges, but we also have victory.

James chapter 1, verse 5.

James 1:5

It says, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all, without reproach, and it will be given him.

Now, perhaps you've heard this scripture quoted before, and you've heard this scripture quoted just about wisdom in general.

You've heard a quote about wisdom in general, seeking God for wisdom, and it's certainly applicable to say that we can seek God for wisdom at any time.

Amen.

But this is specifically James speaking to this audience that is going through this trial.

He is specifically saying, wisdom in a trial.

If you seek God for wisdom in a trial, he will give it to you.

God does not abandon us during trials.

Some people think that.

Where's God?

He's right there.

He's right there.

God doesn't abandon us during a trial, he gives us wisdom to navigate it.

He gives us wisdom to navigate it.

Wisdom is not information, by the way.

That's knowledge.

Knowledge is, you know, knowing something.

What is wisdom?

Wisdom is God's instruction for action.

Wisdom is not just information, it's God's instruction for action.

It is God literally saying, here's how you can get out of this trial.

Here's how you can walk through this trial.

Here's what you can do.

Here's an action step for you.

God gives us wisdom to be able to walk through the trials that we face.

Make this decision, make this choice.

There's been many times in my life, even just in the ministry in general, where there's been a trial or a challenge of some kind.

And I've sought after the Lord.

And I said, Lord, what are we gonna do?

What are we gonna do?

How should I do this?

And the Lord says, do this.

I say, okay.

And I do it, and all of a sudden I'm like, oh.

And then he's like, now do this.

Now do this.

And I'm like, I don't know.

And then people ask me, Pastor Joey, where did you get the idea to be able to do God?

Because I'm not creative enough to think of this on my own.

Wisdom from God.

He gives us wisdom.

He doesn't abandon us in the trial.

He gives us the wisdom to navigate the trial.

Instead of asking God, why is this happening?

Which we already discussed, we live in a fallen world.

That's why it's happening.

Until the day comes where Jesus returns and he rules and reigns on earth and we're with him forevermore, there's going to be trials and challenges because we live in a world that is awaiting the fullness of redemption.

It's the reality.

It's the reality.

Instead of asking God, why is this happening to me?

Why what's going on here, God?

Ask God, what can you bring out of this?

Ask God, how can I respond in a way that is honoring to you?

God, give me wisdom to be able to navigate this.

This is what I was talking about earlier with joy.

Seeing things the way that God sees them.

If I can see things the way that God sees them, then I can have a joy in knowing that He is going to work it out.

Seeing things the way that God sees them.

Seek God for wisdom.

Trials are an opportunity to gain wisdom from God.

And can I say this?

That wisdom will stick with you for the rest of your life.

The wisdom that I have received in trials in my life is some of the greatest wisdom that I carry with me throughout the rest of my life.

God will continually give us wisdom and wisdom through a trial.

Remember, this trial is not going to end in your defeat.

Because it is biblical to be challenged, but it is unbiblical to be defeated.

In the book of Joshua, Israel loses.

Joshua chapter 7.

Joshua 7 · chapter mention

They lose to AI.

If you know the story, if you don't, you can read it.

Oh, AI.

Be careful about that.

It's prophetic.

No, I'm just kidding.

I think it's pathetic, actually.

You have to know a difference.

Sometimes stuff is prophetic, sometimes it's pathetic.

You gotta be able to tell a difference.

But Joshua loses to AI and Israel, they lose to AI.

And Joshua doesn't go.

Eh, you win some, you lose some.

Because that's how some Christians, eh.

You win some, you lose some.

That's just the way that it is.

As if it's a sports game.

Joshua gets on his face before the Lord.

And he says, What happened?

We're not supposed to lose.

And God says there's sin in the camp.

I'm gonna step on some toes with this for a second.

But maybe.

The reason why you're always losing, the reason why things are not going the way that God wants them to go in your life is maybe because of your own choices.

It's the reality.

I'm not saying that to condemn anybody in here or make anyone feel bad.

I'm actually saying it to do the opposite.

Saying it to point something out to help you.

Help you be able to see the victory that God has for you.

As long as we do our part, God's gonna do his part and he's gonna lead us out in victory.

Here's the flow of a victorious Christian in a trial.

It all starts with, of course, we believe the word of God.

We're Christians, we're living the Christian life.

And then a trial comes that seemingly contradicts the word of God.

A trial comes in our life that seems to challenge our faith in what we believe, and it could make us want to turn from God.

But what does a victorious Christian do?

They remain faithful and they refuse to move from their faith.

Then you seek God for wisdom.

And guess what?

As a result of remaining faithful, you come out stronger, and now you're victorious, and you could do more for God than you could do before.

That's what should happen in a trial.

This is what James is saying.

This is what James is encouraging the people with.

He's not telling them that, hey, you're in a trial right now, it stinks, it's just gonna, you know, you're just gonna have to, you know, endure it and nothing good's gonna come out of it.

No, he tells them endure it, remain faithful to God, and it will come out where you are stronger and you're on top.

A key to true growth in our faith is remaining resilient.

Not just when everything is going right, but even when challenges arise in our life.

Don't allow a trial to take you out of your faith.

Remain faithful to God, keep believing Him, watch Him take you out of that trial stronger than you were before.

If you remain faithful in a trial, your story ends in victory.

I promise you.

How can you promise that, Pastor Joey?

Because I believe this is the word.

Of God.

And if the word promises something, then I can promise it too.

It's not my promises, it's God's promises.

You'll come out in victory in Jesus' mighty name.

That is this that statement is not motivational, it's biblical.

Challenges are real.

But watch and see as God turns them around for your good.

It may look on paper like there's been loss or like there's been uh like there's been defeat, but there's not.

Because God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes.

Do you love them this morning?

If you love them, everything's working out for your good in Jesus' mighty name.

Because that's what the scriptures say.