Faith helps us Trust in times of Uncertainty and Confusion!

Even when we mess up, God is there with His grace and His persevering love. If you have ever thought that God has left you out, then you have thought wrong! When we do fall astray and mess up, we will have consequences to our actions, but our salvation is secure in Him when we have genuinely received His grace through faith. Thus, we should respond with a life where fear and anxiety are extinguished by the trust and fear we have of Him-trust in times of uncertainty and confusion, fear as in respect and reverence. Because, we are deeply loved and pursued by the only eternal and wise God!

· Never lose sight of who you are in Christ, and the magnitude and wonder of the gift of your salvation!

· Never lose the promises of God, and the fact that He is God and you are not! That God is omniscient, omnipotent, that is, all knowing and all-powerful; this defines His incredible greatness. This applies to us. No matter what we are going through, God is there-through the valleys and the mountaintops, and the roads in between.

· When we have a healthy grasp on God's power and authority, it gives us correct confidence to persevere through battles and difficulties, as well as to stay firm in Him when things are going great (Col. 3:2).

· God is our strength and heartbeat and vision for life, regardless of our understanding. This all translates into our testimonies. Testimonies are the proof text to God's power working in people!

· It is never as bad as it seems! We tend to want to give up, but God does not give up (Zech. 12:10-13:1; 14:4; Acts 1:11; 9; Rev.1:7).

· Our greatest comfort is that God does not reject us, even when we reject Him. God is active in us, even we are not active in Him; this is a classic, human sociological pattern through our entire history (Duet. 29:4; Isa.29: 10-13; Psalm 69:22-23).

· Spurgeon said of vs. 5-6, "This is the gospel in a nut shell. He who remembers these distinctions is on the right road to sound theology."

· When we know things about God yet do nothing with them, it is like having eyes, but being unwilling to see, or having ears, but refusing to listen, while Satan uses you for his glory.

· The goal of Bible study and worship is to develop His character, and follow His will. It is not just about the gaining of knowledge, but about the indwelling of His love. Everything about life-thoughts, deeds, and meaning-are all about God. God is everything (not pantheism). Our service is because He first loved us, and we give our love back to Him.

· As pastors, it is essential that we know how to build and apply a value system that lasts a lifetime. We must know the value of God's love and allow it to affect us and flow to those around us, and that we are living, in response to His love, in the value of love.

Questions:

1. Have you ever had the thought that God has left you out?If so, what did it take to shake you out of it? If not, what keeps you focused?

2. As a pastor, what fears do you or have you had? How does it make you feel to know that you have been deeply loved and pursued by the only eternal and wise God? How does God's pursuing love affect your daily activity?

3. What are the promises of God that you take to heart?

4. How can you take comfort in that no matter what you are going through, God is there-through the valleys, the mountaintops, and the roads in between?

5. Why would a healthy grasp on God's power and authority give us confidence to persevere through battles and difficulties, as well as to stay firm in Him when things are going great?

6. What is your understanding of God's strength? Why would God's strength be important for your spiritual growth? How can God's strength give you the heartbeat and vision for life, regardless of your circumstances?

7. Are people in your church relying on their good works, their performance, and what they or their family have done, or on grace, and their trust and faith in Christ?

8. Life is never as bad as it seems! So, how can you live your life knowing all things will work out (Rom. 8:28)?

9. When you go through distressing times, by your own wrong choice or not, God is there. Do you know this to be true? If not, what do you need? How can your greatest comfort become the fact that God does not reject you, even when you reject Him?

10. God is omniscient and omnipotent, that is, all knowing and all-powerful; His incredible greatness is proclaimed throughout the universe. (Just look at the pictures from the Hubble Space telescope.) How does this apply to you? How can you make sure you never lose sight of the magnitude and wonder of the gift of your salvation?

11. How should you respond in a life where fear and anxiety are extinguished by the trust and fear we have of Him?

12. When we say the fear of God, it is not what is under a child's bed; rather, this fear is respect and reverence. So, how can you trust Christ in times of uncertainty and confusion?