Brand-New Perspective on Hard Times

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⁷ … even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. ⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:5)

¹ This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. ² God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)

1. Our troubles won’t .

¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

2. I can still have .

Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. ³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

3. Trials our faith.

⁶ So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

4. Everything God us through is an opportunity to people back to God.

² Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Additional Notes

What’s Happening at Crossroads

NEW HERE?

We’re so glad you’ve chosen to come to Crossroads today! We want to thank you for visiting and would love to get to know you. Stop by and say hello at one of our Welcome Centers, our First Step area, or check out ecrossroads.info for more. We can’t wait to meet you!

LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

The Global Leadership Summit is the world’s premier leadership event — more than 250,000 people around the world attend each year. It will include world-class leadership training from a diverse group of speakers from both ministry and marketplace. Crossroads’ South campus will be a host site on August 7-8, 2025. The theme of the 2025 Summit is “Lead where you are.” Get your tickets for this special 2-day event for only $149 before the price increases on May 7th. For more information.

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

We want to partner with you to impact your child’s faith. Crossroads South campus Elementary will be having their Family Experience on Sunday, May 18th, at 9:15 and 10:45 gatherings. Adults are required to attend with their elementary students. Alternate programming will be available for students who attend both gatherings. Come for donuts, family fun, and faith talk.

CRASH COURSE

We are launching a new version of Crash Course to help you discover your place at Crossroads. At this two-hour setting, lunch is provided and childcare available if prearranged. Our upcoming South date is April 13th. Our next Downtown date is May 18th. Find out more.

STUDENT CAMPS

• Elementary Camp (students going into grades 4-6) – June 8-12 at The Ark Ministries in Converse. Register by April 30th for a free camp t-shirt.
• Middle School & High School Camp (students going into grades 7-12) – July 6-11 at Epworth Forest Conference Center in North Webster. Price break before June 1st.

Taking a Step Toward Giving Find out more.

Pregnant and need help? We’re here for you. Email us at [email protected]