WEBVTT 00:00:01.389 --> 00:00:04.190 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:04.330 --> 00:00:08.210 Hope is the oxygen of the soul. When all around 00:00:08.210 --> 00:00:10.750 you is falling apart and you feel the pressure 00:00:10.750 --> 00:00:14.289 squeezing the life out of you, hope is the oxygen 00:00:14.289 --> 00:00:17.469 that sustains you. So where do you get hope? 00:00:17.890 --> 00:00:20.589 How will you make it through these challenging 00:00:20.589 --> 00:00:23.589 times? That's today. Stay with me. You don't 00:00:23.589 --> 00:00:28.449 want to miss this. We're hardwired to avoid pain. 00:00:28.969 --> 00:00:31.690 When trials hit, our first instinct is to run, 00:00:31.850 --> 00:00:35.409 hide, or ask, why is God doing this to me? Sound 00:00:35.409 --> 00:00:38.149 familiar? I'm Dave Drewy, and today on Living 00:00:38.149 --> 00:00:40.829 on the Edge, Chip Ingram opens his Bible to James 00:00:40.829 --> 00:00:44.490 chapter 1, starting in verse 2. In this passage, 00:00:44.570 --> 00:00:46.710 we'll discover a truth that changes everything. 00:00:47.170 --> 00:00:50.090 God isn't trying to crush us. He's building muscle. 00:00:50.429 --> 00:00:53.429 Those unwanted trials we all face, well, they're 00:00:53.429 --> 00:00:56.149 not signs that God has abandoned us. They're 00:00:56.149 --> 00:00:58.950 his training ground for building character. In 00:00:58.950 --> 00:01:01.329 this study, Chip poses three powerful questions 00:01:01.329 --> 00:01:04.650 that move us from victim to survivor and shows 00:01:04.650 --> 00:01:07.569 us how enduring hardship produces something beautiful. 00:01:07.909 --> 00:01:11.769 Oh, and good news. Today is Giving Tuesday, and 00:01:11.769 --> 00:01:14.250 we're excited to add a Double Your Impact match 00:01:14.250 --> 00:01:16.829 to this special day. It's one of the biggest 00:01:16.829 --> 00:01:20.290 matches in our history. More details later. Right 00:01:20.290 --> 00:01:22.750 now, the message from Chip Ingram titled, An 00:01:22.750 --> 00:01:25.719 Attitude to Embrace. I mean, if Jesus walked 00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:28.579 in the room where you are right now and you could 00:01:28.579 --> 00:01:30.760 look him in the eye in his resurrection body 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:34.340 and you could say, Jesus, what do I do? What 00:01:34.340 --> 00:01:37.000 do I do with the situation with my family? What 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:39.840 do I do, Lord? I don't see my way in the future. 00:01:40.620 --> 00:01:42.560 Here's what he would say. He said, there's an 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:46.359 attitude that you must begin with. Verse two, 00:01:46.459 --> 00:01:49.420 consider it all joy, my brother, when you encounter 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:53.409 various trials, knowing. that the testing of 00:01:53.409 --> 00:01:56.670 your faith produces endurance, and let endurance 00:01:56.670 --> 00:01:59.650 have its perfect result, that you may be perfect 00:01:59.650 --> 00:02:03.730 and complete, lacking in nothing. Don't give 00:02:03.730 --> 00:02:07.430 up. Don't give in. Don't become a victim. You 00:02:07.430 --> 00:02:10.270 are more than a conqueror in Christ, but it starts 00:02:10.270 --> 00:02:13.509 with this kind of attitude. And now what he's 00:02:13.509 --> 00:02:19.050 going to say is don't ask why. Ask what? The 00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:22.509 first what question you need to ask in your world 00:02:22.509 --> 00:02:26.490 right now is this. What can I control when my 00:02:26.490 --> 00:02:30.830 world falls apart? What can you control? Here's 00:02:30.830 --> 00:02:34.830 what you can control. Your attitude. So the first 00:02:34.830 --> 00:02:37.770 question you need to ask and answer is where's 00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:41.270 my attitude? Second what question is what must 00:02:41.270 --> 00:02:45.099 I do to make it through today? Okay? And the 00:02:45.099 --> 00:02:48.219 answer is one word, and I don't like it and you 00:02:48.219 --> 00:02:52.259 don't like it, but it's endure. It's persevere. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.780 And I know what I'm saying is challenging and 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:59.000 difficult, but you have the spirit of the living 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:02.379 God who, as you choose to count it real joy, 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:05.000 he will give you just what you need, not for 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:09.759 tomorrow, but for today. His grace is sufficient 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:13.699 for you. Power is perfected in weakness. And 00:03:13.699 --> 00:03:16.599 so the one thing you can do to make it through 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:22.240 today is choose. I will endure. The testing of 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:25.819 your faith will produce this endurance, this 00:03:25.819 --> 00:03:29.080 ability to hold up. And I know the moment you 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:31.240 think about tomorrow, how will I do it? You don't 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:35.259 know. Choose baby choices. I won't give up today. 00:03:35.819 --> 00:03:38.199 I'll do what I can today. I may not have quite 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:40.379 enough food today. I don't see how I'll make 00:03:40.379 --> 00:03:44.259 it tomorrow. But as you do that one day at a 00:03:44.259 --> 00:03:47.259 time, what happens is you're strengthened and 00:03:47.259 --> 00:03:52.639 God will provide both within and without. I remember 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:56.319 a most challenging time where there was a total 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:00.969 collapse of money and the dot -com market. I 00:04:00.969 --> 00:04:02.650 just took over the leadership of an organization, 00:04:02.729 --> 00:04:05.669 and we had people all around the world, and the 00:04:05.669 --> 00:04:07.830 budget was millions and millions of dollars. 00:04:08.050 --> 00:04:11.770 And like a faucet, it turned off. And I was the 00:04:11.770 --> 00:04:14.210 new leader, and we didn't have the millions of 00:04:14.210 --> 00:04:16.389 dollars. And I wondered, what in the world will 00:04:16.389 --> 00:04:21.089 we ever do? And I remember being in Psalm 34, 00:04:21.209 --> 00:04:24.329 and I would read it out loud over and over and 00:04:24.329 --> 00:04:27.870 over. And I would not just cry out to God, but 00:04:27.870 --> 00:04:31.060 I would just cry. Because I thought, Lord, what 00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:33.699 will we do? These people are depending on me 00:04:33.699 --> 00:04:36.100 and our organization in all these countries and 00:04:36.100 --> 00:04:38.579 we don't have the money. And it's very interesting 00:04:38.579 --> 00:04:43.060 as I look back, it was devastating. And yet a 00:04:43.060 --> 00:04:46.240 year, two, three, four, innovation happened. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:49.500 Those groups learned how to do the ministry without 00:04:49.500 --> 00:04:52.399 the same amount of funds. They innovated in new 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.259 ways. And we went from about 19 to 100 countries 00:04:55.259 --> 00:04:58.529 in the next four or five years. It's during times 00:04:58.529 --> 00:05:02.509 like this that God changes things where crises, 00:05:02.610 --> 00:05:05.110 they're difficult, they're painful. I don't mean 00:05:05.110 --> 00:05:09.170 to minimize, but for those who endure, those 00:05:09.170 --> 00:05:12.569 who pay the price, God will do something in you. 00:05:12.730 --> 00:05:15.050 And I will guarantee he'll do something great 00:05:15.050 --> 00:05:18.149 through you. Question number one is what can 00:05:18.149 --> 00:05:20.870 I control? The answer is my attitude. Question 00:05:20.870 --> 00:05:24.149 number two is how do I get through today? And 00:05:24.149 --> 00:05:28.339 the answer is I will endure. I will endure because 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:32.180 I will claim God's promises. It was David who 00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:34.879 said, it's good for me that I was afflicted, 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:37.800 that I may learn thy statutes. If your word was 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:40.240 not my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 00:05:40.620 --> 00:05:43.899 What you find all through scripture is the men 00:05:43.899 --> 00:05:46.740 and the women of God in the midst of difficulty, 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:51.519 pain, devastation, and what's unfair, they cling 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:55.379 to the promises of God. I can do all things through 00:05:55.379 --> 00:05:58.800 Christ who strengthens me. But my God will supply 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:01.639 all your needs according to his riches and glory 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:05.699 in Christ Jesus. If God be for us, who can be 00:06:05.699 --> 00:06:09.699 against us? Jesus said, I will build my church 00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:11.839 and you're part of it. And the gates of hell 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:16.160 cannot prevail against it. This is a time. When 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:19.660 you grab the invisible promises of God and you 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:23.680 hold them dear and you choose to obey and trust 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:26.300 when you have no idea how it's going to work 00:06:26.300 --> 00:06:29.579 out. And that is the story of how God has built 00:06:29.579 --> 00:06:32.360 his church throughout the centuries. The third 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:35.560 what question you need to ask is what hope do 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.420 I have for tomorrow? Someone has wisely said 00:06:39.420 --> 00:06:43.000 that hope is the oxygen of the soul. Once you 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:47.540 lose hope, you know, you're done. So where do 00:06:47.540 --> 00:06:51.180 you get hope? Here's the answer. God will take 00:06:51.180 --> 00:06:54.500 the worst that you're experiencing today and 00:06:54.500 --> 00:06:57.939 use it for your best. God's going to take the 00:06:57.939 --> 00:07:00.779 very worst, the very most difficult, the most 00:07:00.779 --> 00:07:03.759 desperate, the most painful things in your life 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:06.819 today. And here's the promise. An all powerful, 00:07:07.019 --> 00:07:10.959 good, kind and sovereign God in the midst of 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:14.689 a very fallen and evil world. is going to take 00:07:14.689 --> 00:07:18.250 whatever you're going through and he's going 00:07:18.250 --> 00:07:21.089 to use it for good. And the first thing he's 00:07:21.089 --> 00:07:24.050 going to change is not your circumstance. I think 00:07:24.050 --> 00:07:27.509 we've lived in a world where some teaching about 00:07:27.509 --> 00:07:32.050 the gospel, some prosperity ideas that if you 00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:35.670 love God, if you are obedient, if you do what 00:07:35.670 --> 00:07:38.310 God wants you to do, then everything's going 00:07:38.310 --> 00:07:42.019 to go your way. And many people are disillusioned 00:07:42.019 --> 00:07:45.720 and very discouraged because when they do what 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:48.920 God wants them to do, like many of you, and yet 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:51.759 you find a relative has died, that you can't 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.019 open your business, that you don't have any money, 00:07:54.139 --> 00:07:57.279 that there's not enough food, that life is not 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:00.839 going better. And you say, God, why? I love you. 00:08:01.500 --> 00:08:05.379 This last portion explains, he says, let endurance 00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:10.050 or perseverance have its perfect. result, that 00:08:10.050 --> 00:08:15.550 you may be complete and mature, lacking in nothing. 00:08:16.209 --> 00:08:18.470 In other words, what God is saying in this passage 00:08:18.470 --> 00:08:21.490 is that as you attitude, choose to consider it 00:08:21.490 --> 00:08:25.350 all joy. And as you choose to endure just moment 00:08:25.350 --> 00:08:28.730 by moment, day by day, he says, cooperate with 00:08:28.730 --> 00:08:32.370 God, let this endurance, let God have his way, 00:08:32.450 --> 00:08:34.250 cooperate with what he's doing in your heart 00:08:34.250 --> 00:08:36.549 and your life, that you could be perfect. And 00:08:36.549 --> 00:08:38.759 the word doesn't mean you're going to be. sinlessly 00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:42.399 perfect. The word is teleos. In English, we get 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:45.820 our word telescope. It's the idea of something 00:08:45.820 --> 00:08:50.120 that fulfills its design. God has a design for 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:53.879 you and his design is more than to make you happy. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.940 His design is not that everything works out and 00:08:56.940 --> 00:09:00.460 wonderful in your circumstance. His design is 00:09:00.460 --> 00:09:03.759 to make you and to make me like Jesus, to conform 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:07.059 you to the image of his son. What's that promise 00:09:07.059 --> 00:09:09.940 we quote in the most challenging of times? For 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:13.159 we know that God works all things together for 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:15.860 the good to them that love God, to those that 00:09:15.860 --> 00:09:18.860 are called according to his purpose. And we usually 00:09:18.860 --> 00:09:22.860 stop there. That's Romans 8, 28. Verse 29 says 00:09:22.860 --> 00:09:25.460 whom he called, he also predestined that he's 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:28.240 going to conform us to the image of his son. 00:09:28.580 --> 00:09:32.059 And so what he's saying is in this process, allow 00:09:32.059 --> 00:09:36.309 God to mature you. to have His way. And notice 00:09:36.309 --> 00:09:39.429 the promise that you'll be complete, lacking 00:09:39.429 --> 00:09:43.350 in nothing. You know, sometimes in my weakest, 00:09:43.370 --> 00:09:47.450 most difficult moments, Lord, where are you? 00:09:47.730 --> 00:09:51.490 And I've asked why. Lord, I took a big step of 00:09:51.490 --> 00:09:54.850 faith or I moved or I gave a lot of money away 00:09:54.850 --> 00:09:57.529 or, you know, like you, you do something, you 00:09:57.529 --> 00:10:00.409 say, I'm stretching, Lord, to do what you want 00:10:00.409 --> 00:10:03.210 me to do with all my heart. And this is what 00:10:03.210 --> 00:10:08.009 I get. We'll hear more from Chip Ingram's message 00:10:08.009 --> 00:10:10.450 in just a moment. First, we're inviting you to 00:10:10.450 --> 00:10:12.850 multiply your year -end donation through an exciting 00:10:12.850 --> 00:10:15.230 match that's active right now. You know, when 00:10:15.230 --> 00:10:17.509 you give to Living on the Edge, you're not just 00:10:17.509 --> 00:10:20.269 supporting one ministry. You're creating a ripple 00:10:20.269 --> 00:10:23.730 effect. You begin to mobilize people who help 00:10:23.730 --> 00:10:26.230 other people who help other people, and that 00:10:26.230 --> 00:10:28.269 makes a huge difference. Your gift to the match 00:10:28.269 --> 00:10:31.429 will make an impact. Picture these scenes. A 00:10:31.429 --> 00:10:33.789 single listener in Iowa shares our teaching with 00:10:33.789 --> 00:10:36.320 a small group Bible study. A grandparent in Texas 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:39.019 sends our resources to a son in Oklahoma that 00:10:39.019 --> 00:10:41.120 pastors a local church. Yes, the ripple effect 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:44.360 of giving to Living on the Edge. For 30 years, 00:10:44.419 --> 00:10:47.299 Living on the Edge has been God's vehicle to 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:49.779 not only help pastors, but to teach God's Word. 00:10:49.980 --> 00:10:52.559 And right now, we're on the threshold. We're 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:55.299 at a season where God is using Living on the 00:10:55.299 --> 00:10:57.259 Edge like never before. Double the impact of 00:10:57.259 --> 00:11:01.279 your gift at livingontheedge .org. Don't let 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:04.159 this opportunity slip by to double your gift, 00:11:04.279 --> 00:11:06.639 and even more importantly, to double your impact. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.440 Today, let's multiply God's ministry through 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:11.179 Living on the Edge while there's still time. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:15.460 Go to livingontheedge .org. From a series called 00:11:15.460 --> 00:11:18.259 The Art of Survival in an Age of Chaos, Chip 00:11:18.259 --> 00:11:21.779 Ingram is teaching from James chapter 1. I remember 00:11:21.779 --> 00:11:28.940 in my basement when my world fell apart. I had 00:11:28.940 --> 00:11:31.460 all these people around the world that I felt 00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:34.179 like I needed to take care of and I didn't have 00:11:34.179 --> 00:11:37.580 anything to help them with. And I remember crying, 00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:42.059 just literally weeping. And I remember the Lord 00:11:42.059 --> 00:11:45.700 saying, so when is it your responsibility to 00:11:45.700 --> 00:11:48.940 make the world work out? Chip, I just want you 00:11:48.940 --> 00:11:53.779 to trust and obey me. I have a plan and my plans 00:11:53.779 --> 00:11:56.320 don't always work out in this life the way that 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:59.460 some of you all think. And as I was literally 00:11:59.460 --> 00:12:03.840 crying, I remember thinking, well, all the apostles, 00:12:03.940 --> 00:12:06.860 they obeyed God. They loved him with all their 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:10.620 heart. They birthed the church. What happened 00:12:10.620 --> 00:12:14.080 to them? And I thought they were obedient. And 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:16.860 every one of the apostles, except the apostle 00:12:16.860 --> 00:12:20.970 John, was martyred. They were killed. And John 00:12:20.970 --> 00:12:22.970 was stuck on a rock so he could write the book 00:12:22.970 --> 00:12:26.009 of Revelation. And then I remember the last half 00:12:26.009 --> 00:12:28.769 of the book of Hebrews, and it talked about those 00:12:28.769 --> 00:12:33.389 that trusted God and the world was not even worthy 00:12:33.389 --> 00:12:36.129 of them because of their faith and their dedication 00:12:36.129 --> 00:12:39.169 and their commitment and their loyalty to Christ. 00:12:39.529 --> 00:12:42.289 And it says they never saw the promise. They 00:12:42.289 --> 00:12:45.009 never got to see like the big, wonderful answer. 00:12:45.710 --> 00:12:49.669 Could I remind you? that we do not live for a 00:12:49.669 --> 00:12:53.730 temporal world and circumstances of today. Our 00:12:53.730 --> 00:12:58.909 anchor, our hope, our promise is heaven. Jesus 00:12:58.909 --> 00:13:01.250 said to his disciples, knowing what they would 00:13:01.250 --> 00:13:04.750 go through, he said, I'm going to prepare a place 00:13:04.750 --> 00:13:07.169 for you. And if it weren't true, I wouldn't have 00:13:07.169 --> 00:13:11.450 said it. But here's the heart. I want you to 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:16.169 be with me where I am. And as painful And as 00:13:16.169 --> 00:13:20.190 devastating as death is, we need to get our New 00:13:20.190 --> 00:13:23.690 Testament eyes. Precious in the sight of God, 00:13:23.789 --> 00:13:27.090 says Psalm 116, is the death of his godly ones. 00:13:27.350 --> 00:13:31.730 This life is not all that there is. I would remind 00:13:31.730 --> 00:13:35.779 you historically. that in the first three centuries 00:13:35.779 --> 00:13:39.240 of the early church, they were persecuted. They 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:42.960 were viewed as atheists because they didn't worship 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:45.600 the emperor. In the midst of all these gods, 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:47.820 they were the ones that there were three major 00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:49.879 plagues in the first three centuries. I mean, 00:13:49.879 --> 00:13:53.039 pandemics that would wipe out hundreds of thousands 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:56.179 of people that took down whole metropolitan areas. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:59.379 And the only people that stayed in the cities 00:13:59.379 --> 00:14:02.220 were Christians nursing people back to health 00:14:02.220 --> 00:14:04.679 and those who were too sick to leave the city. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:08.179 And Rodney Stark, a sociologist in his book, 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:11.000 The Rise of Christianity, looks at the lens of 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.659 the growth of the church, not through maybe a 00:14:13.659 --> 00:14:16.299 spiritual view of the Holy Spirit and what God 00:14:16.299 --> 00:14:18.480 did through his word, but just from a pragmatic 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:25.820 sociological view. He says, 313 AD, when Constantine 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:29.120 became the emperor, he said of the 60 million 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.360 people in the Roman Empire, it's estimated that 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:36.340 33 million were followers of Christ. And they 00:14:36.340 --> 00:14:38.960 were followers of Christ because of the early 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:42.360 church's commitment through these pandemics to 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:46.679 love people, to literally give their life. When 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:49.299 you would serve someone who died in one of these 00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:52.879 pandemics, you were a martyr. You were among 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:56.399 the most esteemed in the church. God wants us 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:58.460 to know that there is an attitude that we're 00:14:58.460 --> 00:15:01.100 to have. And the attitude that we need to have 00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:04.679 is we choose to consider it all joy. That we 00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:07.120 are going when we ask ourselves, you know, what 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:09.940 can I control? My attitude. What do I do to make 00:15:09.940 --> 00:15:13.419 it through today? Endure. How do I have hope 00:15:13.419 --> 00:15:16.820 for tomorrow? I can know for certain that an 00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:20.580 all -wise God. an all -powerful God, the God 00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:22.860 who brings about the best possible ends by the 00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:25.460 best possible means for the most possible people 00:15:25.460 --> 00:15:28.919 for the longest possible time, that's the wisdom 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.940 of God, is on your side. And in this present 00:15:32.940 --> 00:15:35.940 life, it may not work out the way we choose, 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:41.190 but if we are faithful, if we trust, regardless 00:15:41.190 --> 00:15:44.269 of what happens. God will take that. And at the 00:15:44.269 --> 00:15:47.129 end of this passage, verse 12, he said, blessed 00:15:47.129 --> 00:15:51.230 are those who endure in suffering. And there 00:15:51.230 --> 00:15:54.269 is a great reward. There's a great reward in 00:15:54.269 --> 00:15:56.970 what happens in our life now, what happens in 00:15:56.970 --> 00:15:59.570 us and then through us. And there is great reward 00:15:59.570 --> 00:16:02.830 that God has promised for all of us. We need 00:16:02.830 --> 00:16:06.370 to keep our eyes on the prize. Fixing our eyes 00:16:06.370 --> 00:16:09.389 on Jesus, the author and perfecter of the faith, 00:16:09.529 --> 00:16:12.789 who blazed the trail so that we could come before 00:16:12.789 --> 00:16:15.549 the Father, the throne of grace, to find mercy 00:16:15.549 --> 00:16:19.450 in our time of need. As I wrap things up, I would 00:16:19.450 --> 00:16:22.809 just give you some perspective. And these are 00:16:22.809 --> 00:16:25.610 things that you can pass on. And they're things 00:16:25.610 --> 00:16:28.210 that will help you begin to think and ponder 00:16:28.210 --> 00:16:30.850 and respond to this passage. But there's five 00:16:30.850 --> 00:16:33.889 observations I have about adversity, difficulty. 00:16:35.009 --> 00:16:38.309 pain, and challenges like we're facing. Number 00:16:38.309 --> 00:16:42.169 one, God uses adversity to make us mature because 00:16:42.169 --> 00:16:45.049 we're forced to depend on God at a new level. 00:16:45.330 --> 00:16:48.110 Left to ourselves, we tend to be self -sufficient, 00:16:48.350 --> 00:16:52.429 proud, and insensitive to the Lord. In this time, 00:16:52.529 --> 00:16:55.769 we will depend. Second, we are weaned from the 00:16:55.769 --> 00:16:57.990 temporal, the urgent, and the worldly affairs 00:16:57.990 --> 00:17:01.429 of life, and we're forced to reexamine our values, 00:17:01.610 --> 00:17:04.829 our priorities, our commitments. and our future. 00:17:05.930 --> 00:17:09.410 You know, it's in times like this where God says, 00:17:09.569 --> 00:17:12.690 why are you really living? What really matters? 00:17:12.910 --> 00:17:16.109 What are you giving your life to? And it's a 00:17:16.109 --> 00:17:19.410 time that can only happen when things are this 00:17:19.410 --> 00:17:22.970 difficult. Third is trials allow us to witness 00:17:22.970 --> 00:17:26.890 firsthand the reality and the power of God. Our 00:17:26.890 --> 00:17:30.569 need becomes the vehicle of God's grace and our 00:17:30.569 --> 00:17:34.289 problems become the object of His power. you 00:17:34.289 --> 00:17:37.750 will see the supernatural power of God like never 00:17:37.750 --> 00:17:41.049 before as you trust him. He is Jehovah Jireh. 00:17:41.089 --> 00:17:43.710 He is the great provider. He is the great protector. 00:17:44.109 --> 00:17:50.509 Lean in, trust, refuse to have self -pity. The 00:17:50.509 --> 00:17:52.890 spirit of the living God that raised Christ from 00:17:52.890 --> 00:17:56.750 the dead dwells in you. He is your hope. And 00:17:56.750 --> 00:17:59.390 as you do, you will see his power working in 00:17:59.390 --> 00:18:02.829 you and through you. And four, they serve as 00:18:02.829 --> 00:18:05.049 an awesome testimony of the unbelieving world. 00:18:05.329 --> 00:18:10.309 How we endure hardship shows the world how real 00:18:10.309 --> 00:18:14.730 God is. I spent an afternoon yesterday for about 00:18:14.730 --> 00:18:16.890 an hour and a half with a man going through cancer 00:18:16.890 --> 00:18:19.250 with his wife with every treatment under whatever 00:18:19.250 --> 00:18:21.990 they've tried. Problem, problem, problem, problem, 00:18:22.289 --> 00:18:25.910 problem, problem. And he has been steadfast and 00:18:25.910 --> 00:18:28.269 he was very, very concerned about, you know, 00:18:28.269 --> 00:18:30.390 if his wife dies, will that be a bad testimony? 00:18:30.490 --> 00:18:34.589 Or he said, I believe I'm trusting. And I said 00:18:34.589 --> 00:18:37.950 to him, your testimony is not whether your wife 00:18:37.950 --> 00:18:40.910 lives or dies. Everyone's going to die sometime. 00:18:41.569 --> 00:18:45.390 I said, the way that you and your wife are going 00:18:45.390 --> 00:18:48.710 through this, both for us as believers and your 00:18:48.710 --> 00:18:52.269 unbelieving friends, is a testimony of an unexplainable 00:18:52.269 --> 00:18:56.069 power. Your attitude is amazing. Your love for 00:18:56.069 --> 00:18:59.430 your wife is amazing. Her attitude is spectacular. 00:18:59.690 --> 00:19:02.069 And you've been through things that I could never, 00:19:02.150 --> 00:19:06.230 ever imagine. And God's going to use your life 00:19:06.230 --> 00:19:10.869 and the lives of others as they see how you endure 00:19:10.869 --> 00:19:13.670 and respond. And you don't just respond with, 00:19:13.750 --> 00:19:16.470 I'm somehow going to make it through. You choose 00:19:16.470 --> 00:19:19.430 in the power of God to be the Paul and Silas 00:19:19.430 --> 00:19:22.750 who you don't feel like it. But you start singing 00:19:22.750 --> 00:19:25.609 hymns in the prison. You say, God, you are a 00:19:25.609 --> 00:19:28.369 great God. You are the Lord. You're the maker 00:19:28.369 --> 00:19:31.089 of heaven and earth. You are my God. You are 00:19:31.089 --> 00:19:34.170 my hope. And as you sing and worship and thank 00:19:34.170 --> 00:19:36.509 God in the midst of things, you will see his 00:19:36.509 --> 00:19:39.170 power and the world will see his power in you 00:19:39.170 --> 00:19:42.410 and through you. And finally, we become sensitive 00:19:42.410 --> 00:19:45.309 and caring, compassionate, Christlike people. 00:19:46.089 --> 00:19:50.609 Those who have been hurt deeply, love deeply. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.960 Those of you who will go through the most devastating 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:57.960 and painful things in this season, it won't last 00:19:57.960 --> 00:20:03.480 forever. You will become a tender, kinder, more 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:07.380 compassionate, more Christ -like person as a 00:20:07.380 --> 00:20:13.579 result of this. If you choose to ask what and 00:20:13.579 --> 00:20:18.259 don't ask why. May the Lord Jesus fill you with 00:20:18.259 --> 00:20:22.960 His grace and His power. Lord, thank you that 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:26.339 you promised to give us all that we need for 00:20:26.339 --> 00:20:30.319 this moment on this day. May your spirit fill 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:34.160 us with hope and encouragement by the power of 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:37.180 your word and your spirit. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:20:41.339 --> 00:20:43.960 This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:20:44.019 --> 00:20:46.819 He's talking about the art of survival in an 00:20:46.819 --> 00:20:49.759 age of chaos. And please stay with us because 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:52.180 Chip has an encouraging word coming up in just 00:20:52.180 --> 00:20:55.259 a moment. Living on the Edge is celebrating 30 00:20:55.259 --> 00:20:58.240 years of God's faithfulness. And what started 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:01.180 as one man's voice on radio has blossomed into 00:21:01.180 --> 00:21:04.240 a global movement. Last year alone, this daily 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.359 program has been listened to more than 100 million 00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:10.940 times, with active ministry taking place in 28 00:21:10.940 --> 00:21:14.200 countries. Astounding. And none of this would 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:16.380 be possible were it not for the generous support 00:21:16.380 --> 00:21:19.490 of people like you. visionary friends who choose 00:21:19.490 --> 00:21:22.190 to make an impact for God's kingdom through their 00:21:22.190 --> 00:21:25.410 voluntary gifts. Here's a snapshot of what that 00:21:25.410 --> 00:21:28.470 means. Chip? I want to take a minute and paint 00:21:28.470 --> 00:21:31.109 a picture for you. So kind of lean back and listen, 00:21:31.190 --> 00:21:34.089 if you will. I want you in your mind's eye to 00:21:34.089 --> 00:21:35.869 imagine that you have a very close relative. 00:21:36.089 --> 00:21:38.269 You know, it's a cousin. You grew up, you played 00:21:38.269 --> 00:21:40.869 together. And right now they're in another country. 00:21:40.890 --> 00:21:43.250 I mean, another country that a lot has changed 00:21:43.250 --> 00:21:46.410 in. They're in desperate circumstance. I mean, 00:21:46.450 --> 00:21:49.269 it's violent. It's scary. They've sent you text 00:21:49.269 --> 00:21:52.750 messages and FaceTime. Here's the question. Would 00:21:52.750 --> 00:21:56.619 you ignore them? Of course not. But here's the 00:21:56.619 --> 00:22:00.619 reality. You do have brothers and sisters, some 00:22:00.619 --> 00:22:02.880 that you've never met, and they're part of God's 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:05.579 family just like you. But unlike you, they're 00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:09.140 risking their lives every single day when they 00:22:09.140 --> 00:22:11.859 gather to worship. They hide their Bibles. They 00:22:11.859 --> 00:22:14.380 whisper in their prayers. They live in constant 00:22:14.380 --> 00:22:16.970 fear because of the name of Jesus. I just came 00:22:16.970 --> 00:22:19.009 back from Dubai and they act like they're having 00:22:19.009 --> 00:22:22.230 parties when they're outside where they baptize 00:22:22.230 --> 00:22:25.170 people in the ocean. We have teams in Nepal and 00:22:25.170 --> 00:22:28.210 in India. We have a huge movement that we've 00:22:28.210 --> 00:22:30.809 been able to equip in China. And right now the 00:22:30.809 --> 00:22:34.309 persecution is intense. In the Middle East, multiple 00:22:34.309 --> 00:22:37.109 countries where we're doing training, they can't 00:22:37.109 --> 00:22:39.250 go public and say they're Christians or they 00:22:39.250 --> 00:22:43.970 find themselves in jail. Giving Tuesday is living 00:22:43.970 --> 00:22:48.130 on the edges statement to say we are going to 00:22:48.130 --> 00:22:50.990 serve the persecuted church and we're asking 00:22:50.990 --> 00:22:54.369 you to stand with them too. And when you give 00:22:54.369 --> 00:22:56.529 to this match, you're telling believers around 00:22:56.529 --> 00:22:59.849 the world. And it may not be direct DNA, but 00:22:59.849 --> 00:23:02.609 it's spiritual DNA. You're saying, brothers and 00:23:02.609 --> 00:23:07.380 sisters, I'm not going to forget. I can let go 00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:10.579 of some of my daily luxuries to give you some 00:23:10.579 --> 00:23:14.220 necessities. Would you do that? Would you give 00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:17.079 to this Giving Tuesday and help us help them 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:19.799 walk with God in the midst of great persecution? 00:23:20.259 --> 00:23:22.660 You can respond to Chip right now by giving online 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:27.480 at livingontheedge .org. If you're among those 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:29.839 who use our convenient mobile app, just click 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:32.859 on the heart icon and follow the simple instructions. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:40.150 Or you can call right now, 888 - On Giving Tuesday, 00:23:40.490 --> 00:23:42.789 our collective gifts to Living on the Edge will 00:23:42.789 --> 00:23:45.269 bring biblical discipleship to more than 100 00:23:45.269 --> 00:23:47.970 million people through our teaching ministry, 00:23:48.210 --> 00:23:50.869 equip hundreds of thousands of pastors for their 00:23:50.869 --> 00:23:53.269 kingdom work around the world, and accelerate 00:23:53.269 --> 00:23:56.069 the launch of critical new initiatives to reach 00:23:56.069 --> 00:23:58.730 a skeptical generation with the truth of the 00:23:58.730 --> 00:24:02.099 gospel. Together. Let's make an impact by giving 00:24:02.099 --> 00:24:04.700 generously to the match that's active right now. 00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:07.680 This means that every dollar you send on Giving 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:11.240 Tuesday is automatically doubled in size, having 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:14.079 twice the impact. To send your donation in the 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.420 mail, address your envelope to Living on the 00:24:16.420 --> 00:24:21.900 Edge, P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia 30024. 00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:27.940 You can also call 888 -333 -6003 or visit us 00:24:27.940 --> 00:24:33.700 online at livingontheedge .org. Ever feel frozen 00:24:33.700 --> 00:24:36.619 in fear? I'm Dave Drewy, inviting you to hear 00:24:36.619 --> 00:24:39.279 Chip Ingram describe how to take your next steps 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:41.619 tomorrow on Living on the Edge.