Title: Hard Knock Faith

Key Points:

• The greatest danger to faith is the desire for comfort.
• Worship is putting power back in the proper hands.
• You can do hard things when it’s in God’s hands.
• Connecting with people’s pain is where deep relationships are formed.
• Power is not a commodity, it’s connective.

For Personal Journaling and/or Connect Groups:

• Brad asked the question, “what happens when God’s promise becomes your disappointment?”. When have you felt that in your life? When have you thought that the things God seems to promise weren’t happening for you? How did that make you feel towards God? Did you feel betrayed? Could you relate to the feelings and experience of Judas in that moment?
• Jesus suffered the cross because suffering is the one human experience that everyone can identify with. Relating to people’s’ pain allows deep relationships to form. Where in your life have you seen a deep relationship come out of pain and suffering? How has God used that pain?
• This week, as we enter into Hope Week, think about ways you can unleash HOPE in your community. We want to remind our communities that God has not forgotten them or their pain, but loves them to the end. Have you been on the receiving end of service like that? Have you been served when you were in the midst of pain? How did that communicate the love of God to you?