Purpose and an End

Message Notes: Purpose and an End Message by Tim Perkins
5/31/2020

(Hebrews 12:2-3 MSG) Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

(John 19:30) “It is .”

: Be assured, there is a and an .

Job 2:8-10; Job 30:20; Job 38:1-5; Job 38:18-21; Job 40:3-4; Job 42:1-5;

The Attributes of God

God is . (Job 42:1; Colossians 1:16-17)

• I’d rather have hope in an all-powerful God than certainty in a very-limited me!

God is . (Hebrews 4:13)

• I never need to be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all-knowing God!

God is . (Hebrews 13:5-6; Isaiah 43:2-3; Jeremiah 1:8; Jeremiah 1:18; Matthew 28:18-20)

• When I know God is with me, I can face whatever is against me!

Confessions of the Convinced: (2 Timothy 1:12)

1. I know that God . (Lamentations 3:21-23)

2. I know that God wants the for me. (Romans 8:31-32, 35-37)

3. I know that God has a for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

4. I know that God will bring me ! (2 Timothy 4:18)

Key Takeaway: My struggles have a and my pain has an .

Discussion Guide

Think About it…

This week, we learned another way to live through a bad day by observing how Jesus handled His worst day. After hours of suffering on the cross, Jesus declared, “It is finished.” While Jesus Himself was not finished, His work on the earth was complete when He defeated the enemy once and for all through His death on the cross. As He recognized His most difficult trial had come to a victorious close, Jesus reminded us that our struggles have purpose and our pain has an end. Whatever your present suffering may be, you can rest assured that it will come to an end and that good will come from it. There may be times when we, like Job, question God and find it difficult to trust Him in the midst of our struggles or feel like He is far away and doesn’t answer when we call to Him. The truth is, if we come to truly know God, we will learn to trust Him because He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present. When God is with us, we can face whatever is against us. As we spend time in His presence, we learn that He loves us, He wants the best for us, He has a plan for us, and He will bring us through. God has plans to prosper us – to give us a hope and a future.

Talk about it…

• Describe a time in your life when you could relate to Job – a time when you questioned God or felt like He was ignoring your prayers in a season of pain. What did you learn through this difficult time?
• Talk about the truth that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present. How does this truth shape your view of Him? How can this truth help you withstand a season of pain?
• Share a challenging season you’ve been through that taught you one of the following truths: God loves you, He wants the best for you, He has a plan for you, and He will always bring you through. Since that time, how has this truth impacted your perspective in the face of other challenges?

Pray about it…

• Praise God for being all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present. Thank Him for the following truths and declare them out loud: God loves you, and through His love, you can endure any season. God wants the best for you, and you have victory in and through Him. God has a plan to prosper you and not to harm you. He gives you hope and a future.

Act on it…

• Reading Plan: Join us this week in our church-wide reading plan as we continue the conversation & explore “Purpose in Pain.” Click here.
• Make these declarations every day for the next 5 days:
  • I know that God loves me.
  • I know that God wants the best for me.
  • I know that God has a plan for me.
  • I know that God will bring me through!
  • I know my struggles have a purpose and my pain has an end.
  • Invite someone to join you for church online next week. Here are some tools to help.