Thursday September 18, 2014

Read: Romans 12:11-12

It seems easy to talk about loving and serving others when life is good. When our needs are taken care of, when we are feeling happy and satisfied and when we know that everything is good with those we love it is easy to want to help and look after other people. But the hard truth about life is that this kind of state rarely lasts long. The truth is that all of us face hardship and suffering in our lives. The real question is not whether we love and serve others when life is good. The question is whether we love and serve others when life is hard.

This is what Paul turns his attention to here in verses 11 and 12. After talking about loving one another and being devoted to one another he turns his focus to when circumstances seem to be against us. He commands us not to lose our zeal or passion for the Lord but instead to maintain our spiritual passion and fervour as we serve the Lord (and by extension His people). It is easy when circumstances are against us to lose our passion for the Lord and our devotion to His people. It is easy for us to serve half heartedly or not at all, retreating into our own shell to look after our own needs. Instead we are to maintain our passion and zeal for the Lord and serve Him and His people.

In verse 12 he gives us three more encouragements for when life gets difficult. Let’s look at each of them individually.

Joyful in Hope

Too often we lose hope and slip into despair when life gets difficult. We lose sight of the hope that we have in God. Instead we are to remember the rock-solid, indestructible, Titanium-coated hope we have in Christ regardless of the circumstances we face. When we remember this hope we can continue through suffering with joy knowing that God is always with us and serve others joyfully as He has served us. If you need reminding of this hope have another look and Romans 8:18-39.

Patient in Affliction

Patience can be hard at the best of times, but when we are suffering it can be even harder. However when we keep our rock solid hope in mind and remember the glory that is to come (Romans 8:18) we can patiently wait knowing the Lord is in control. This patience enables us to serve others lovingly and be patient with them, even when we are suffering.

Faithful in Prayer

There are potentially hundreds of passages that talk about the power and necessity of prayer. Prayer becomes especially vital in times of trouble and trial. We can know that the Spirit will help us to pray (Romans 8:26-27), that God will hear our prayers and that God somehow works to change us and our attitudes when we pray also. We not only pray for ourselves but we also pray for other believers when they are suffering. In this way we are devoted to them.

Even when it is hard let us grow in our love for one another, our devotion to one another and our service of one another.

Prayer:

Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

¥ Pray for those in your church who are suffering at the moment. Pray that God would encourage them and give them hope. Pray that God would give you wisdom as to how to serve them.

¥ Pray for other believers who are suffering all over the world.

  Worship Moment:

Sometimes our most powerful times of worship are when we are suffering. It takes effort to worship God for who He is when things are not going well for us. How can you remember to worship God when you are suffering?

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What do you think it would look like to be joyful in hope when facing trials? How would this affect others around you?

2. What do you think it would look like to be patient in affliction? How would this affect other believers around you?

3. What do you think it would look like to be faithful in prayer? How would this affect those around you?

 Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro: When we are in trouble it helps us to have someone to talk to who can help us.

Share: Who can you talk to when you are in trouble? Does it make you feel better when you talk to them? What do they do that makes you feel better?
Read: Romans 12:12 Paul tells us to do three things when we are in trouble. What are they? Who does Paul say we should talk to when we are in trouble? When can we pray to God? Paul tells the believers to be ‘faithful in prayer.’ What does it mean to be faithful? What does it mean to be faithful in prayer?
Pray Together: Thank God that we can always talk to Him no matter what. Pray that He would help us to always be faithful in prayer and talk to Him.

 Discipleship Moment For Boys

Intro: When we are in trouble it helps us to have someone to talk to who can help us.

Share: Who can you talk to when you are in trouble? Does it make you feel better when you talk to them? What do they do that makes you feel better?
Read: Romans 12:12 Paul tells us to do three things when we are in trouble. What are they? Who does Paul say we should talk to when we are in trouble? When can we pray to God? Paul tells the believers to be ‘faithful in prayer.’ What does it mean to be faithful? What does it mean to be faithful in prayer?
Pray Together: Thank God that we can always talk to Him no matter what. Pray that He would help us to always be faithful in prayer and talk to Him.