Trials

Connect Group Questions

 

1.  Read 1 Peter 4:12-14 aloud in your group.  In verse 13 why does Peter say we should be glad when we go through trials?  Have you ever experienced a time where you knew God was with you in a difficult time?  How did knowing God was with you affect your ability to get through the trial?

 

“these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.”

Peter tells us that going through trials makes us more like Christ and that when we win the battle it brings joy.

 

 

2.  Read 1 Peter 4:15-18 aloud in your group.  Peter identifies two reasons we might suffer.  What are they?  The first step in determining if our trials are a test from God or an attack from Satan is to assess why we are suffering.

 

We might suffer from our own sin, disobeying God’s commands, rebellion against God’s purposes.  When we do stuff that God clearly says will harm us, we have only ourselves to blame.

 

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is

 

Proverbs 19:3 (TEV)  “Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the LORD.”

 

Ouch!  That hurts doesn’t it – LOL!

 

We might also suffer for being a Christian, for doing the right thing, for following God’s plan and obeying His will.  Peter says we should “praise God” when this is the case.

 

 

3.  What should we do if our suffering is a result of disobeying God’s plan?  Read 1 Peter 3:10-17 for insight.

 

The simple answer is to “REPENT” to turn from our disobedience and follow God’s plans and purposes.

Be sure and read through 1 Peter 3:10-17 for more insight.  Here’s an excerpt from the passage to guide your thoughts.

 

1 Peter 3:10-12 (NLT)
¹⁰ For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. ¹¹ Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. ¹² The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

4.  Read 1 Peter 4:19 aloud in your group.  What should we do if our suffering is a result of obeying God and doing what is right?  Does it surprise you that Peter says we can “suffer in a manner that pleases God”?

 

¹⁹ So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

I’ve also included this verse in the New International Version rendering.  I like the wording “suffer according to God’s will”

I don’t think it very often occurs to us that we can suffer in a way that is “according to God’s will”.  Somehow we’ve adopted the idea that God’s purpose is to always provide us with safety and comfort.  When in fact God is much more interested in our character and our strength for battle.

 

5.  Are you going through a trial right now?  Is it a result of disobeying God or obeying God?  Based on this study, what do you need to do?  Ask the group to pray for you “to do what is right and trust your life to the God who created you…”

 

I hope you are emphasizing the prayer focus each time your group meets.  Now that the group is getting to know each other better, you should encourage people to be real.  Especially when it comes to being honest about our struggles.  Just the other day I was thinking about the power of

 

James 5:16  “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

The flip side of that coin would indicate that when we aren’t in connections where we are real about our sin and confess those sins to others who will pray for us... we don’t get healed.

 

OK, that should give you plenty to chew on as your prepare for your groups this week.  As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

Have a great week,

 

Pastor Jim

 

 

1 Peter 4:12-19 (NLT)
¹² Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  ¹³ Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.  ¹⁴ So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.  ¹⁵ If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.  ¹⁶ But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!  ¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?  ¹⁸ And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”  ¹⁹ So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

 

1 Peter 4:19 (NIV)
So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

 

 

Schemer

I have some invites to Schemer if anyone wants an invite.  I only have 20.  Let me know!!!

When Your Hut's on Fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

 

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering.

 

Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground.

((It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God!))

 

 

New Madrid Earthquakes – A Warning From History

New Madrid Earthquakes – A Warning From History

Separation of Church and State

Constitution Bill of Rights Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
http://archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

Constitution does not say Separation of Church and State, nor does the 1st amendment.  The term was first used by Jefferson in 1802 in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association.  "whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html

With that established, we have the freedom of religion but the government cannot establish a religion.  Separation of church and state represents the wall built between government and religion.  Many will quote something from the constitution without researching what it actually says.  Our government leaders have misquoted the constitution.  Many people also confuse faith with religion.  Faith is the belief where Religion is the worship.  A church is a body of people coming together to share their worship.  The building they meet in just happens to be called a church.

My intention is not to offend, but to inform.  If I was wrong about something, I would want someone to set me straight on my error.

New Pledge of Allegiance

"New Pledge of Allegiance" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now I sit me down in school  

Where praying is against the rule  

For this great nation under God  

Finds mention of Him very odd.  

  If scripture now the class recites,  

It violates the Bill of Rights.  

And anytime my head I bow  

Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,  

That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..  

The law is specific, the law is precise.  

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.  

  For praying in a public hall  

Might offend someone with no faith at all..  

In silence alone we must meditate,  

God's name is prohibited by the state.  

  We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,  

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...  

They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.  

To quote the Good Book makes me liable. 

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,  

And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.  

It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,  

We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..  

  We can get our condoms and birth controls,  

Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles..  

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,  

No word of God must reach this crowd.  

  It's scary here I must confess,  

When chaos reigns the school's a mess.  

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:  

Should I be shot; My soul please take!  

Amen  

 

 

 

HOOAH Eddie Peoples!!

I woud like to see the guy after he got slammed to into the pavement!!

From http://www.newsmanatee.com/pages/local.html

SARASOTA COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- Sheriff Tom Knight today presented a Certificate of Recognition to United States Army Staff Sergeant Eddie Peoples for disarming and subduing the man who robbed the Bank of America, 3600 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota, on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.


Above, Sheriff Tom Knight and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples

Peoples was in the bank with his four- and six-year-old sons when an armed man threatened customers and tellers and demanded cash. As the suspect left the bank, Peoples followed him outside and blocked the getaway vehicle with his van. The suspect pointed his weapon at Peoples, who quickly took the weapon away and put the man on the ground. The weapon turned out to be an authentic-looking replica of a handgun.

Peoples, who has been deployed on multiple occasions to Iraq and Kuwait, is currently stationed in Vicenza, Italy. He and his wife Abra had just arrived in the Sarasota area on Monday with their children to visit family.

At today’s ceremony, Sheriff Knight said, “Due to the willingness of Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples to react immediately while disregarding his own safety, the perpetrator was apprehended before he could victimize anyone else.”

The bank robber, 34-year-old Matthew Rogers, is being held in the Sarasota County Jail without bond charged with Armed Robbery and Attempted Armed Carjacking.



From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43249972/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/



SARASOTA, Fla. — An Army staff sergeant home on leave in southwest Florida chased down a suspected bank robber and held him until authorities arrived.

Eddie Peoples was at a Bank of America branch in Sarasota with his two young sons Tuesday when a man walked in with a handgun and demanded cash from the tellers, officials said.

Peoples told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune he sprang into action after the man, identified as 34-year-old Matthew Rogers, threatened his sons.

"The only thing that went through my mind was, 'Don't let them get hurt,'" Peoples told the paper.

Rogers went to each of the four bank tellers at the branch and instructed them to put money in a recycled grocery bag, and told them to leave out dye packs or any other trackers, according to the Herald-Tribune.

He waved his gun toward Peoples, who is black, and warned that "the big black guy" shouldn't try to stop him. Before fleeing the bank, he pointed the gun at Peoples' kids, Ikaika and Kioni. "The kid will get it" if anyone messed with him, Rogers said, according to the Herald-Tribune.

"I could not let that pass," Peoples said.
As the robber tried to make a getaway, Peoples left his sons inside the bank and ran to his rented van, which he used to block Rogers' car in the parking lot. Rogers drove his Honda into the van, trying to bust through it. When that didn't work, he got out and pointed his gun at Peoples, who twisted the man's arm, stripped away the gun and slammed him to the ground.

"I've been through five deployments. I've fought the Muqtada militia, everybody you can think of, so weapons getting pointed at me, it doesn't really bother me anymore," Peoples told FOX News in Tampa Bay. "I took the weapon away from him and put him on the ground and the rest was history."

Sarasota Sheriff's deputies arrived and arrested Rogers, who is charged with armed robbery. The gun turned out to be a realistic toy.

"Every time I get deployed, I always tell my children I'm going to fight the bad men. When I walked back in the bank, my oldest boy said 'did you get the bad men?' and I said 'Yep, I got the bad men' and everyone applauded," Peoples told FOX.

'Piece of cake,' soldier says
Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight presented Peoples with a certificate of recognition at a press conference on Wednesday.

The sergeant is home on leave because his father-in-law is ill, reported the Herald-Tribune. He will return to work later this month.

Compared to being in a war zone in the Middle East, thwarting the bank robber was "a piece of cake," Peoples said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sitting is Killing You

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Facebook Rant

People don't realize that Facebook can be used against them.  Anything on Facebook is in a public domain and can be used in background checks, trials, criminal investigations, etc.  Just type facebook rant in a search engine and you'll get examples.

• A guardsman was banned from the royal wedding parade after ranting about bride-to-be Kate Middleton, Pakistanis and Jews on Facebook
• A Connecticut woman who was fired after she posted disparaging remarks about her boss on Facebook
• Clint McCance, a school board member in Arkansas, resigns after posting 'hateful' comments about gays on Facebook
• A North Carolina waitress learned about the dangers of social networking the hard way when she lost her job after griping on Facebook

Life is too short to waste your time posting negativity.  Why not do something positive about your gripe?  If you have a problem with someone, go to that person and tell them how you feel.  It's possible they don't realize what they are doing. If you have a problem with your job, try a different approach. Talk to your friends face to face about your issues.  If they are a true friend, they will be honest with you and help you.

Life is full of choices.  You are where you are because of choices you have made in the past.  Only you can decide what future choices you make and how that will affect your future.

When spite affects the innocent.

http://fxn.ws/id9eAn

"Comedian Jerry Seinfeld pulled out of an event benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital because Trump’s son, Eric, was hosting the event."

When adults are making a political statement, sometimes the innocent get caught in the fall out.  The plight of the kids at St Jude's far outweighs any political agenda.  An adult would put others needs above theirs. 

What does this teach the next generation?  They watch what the famous do and if no one speaks up about it, then they will think it's ok. 

I'm sure my decision to no longer watch Seinfeld will make an impact, but it matters to me.  If you can't be an adult, then you no longer have my support.

Hard to believe that Brett Micheal's was more adult about this than Jerry Seinfeld was.  I agree with what Brett had to say.  I don't approve of his lifestyle, but that wouldn't stop me form working with him on a charity.  That would be the open door/window to speak with him about other choices in life.

Ever notice how spite and bite you in the butt? You do something to someone else and it back fires?  Spite isn't worth the effort.

Confederate flag

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/04/05/confederate-flag-causes-uproar-in-palestine/

This really upsets me that the NAACP can push their agenda when someone is honoring the past.  If we can’t honor the past then why not do away with Black History Month?  What about having an English History Month or Irish History Month?  Are blacks so special because they are black?  Don’t other races have just as much value?  Very few people in America are of pure blood.  I am American of Irish, English, Dutch, French, and Cherokee descent.  I could understand more if this was something they personally experienced, but this was at least 3 generations ago if not more.  My ancestors were part the royal family, but I don’t go around demanding royal treatment.  This is reverse racism.  I see it every day.  My race is human and I live in America.