1. When Trials Come
Understanding Suffering from the Outside Looking In: The Suffering Church
Revelation 2:8-11
Trials and suffering are a part of life. Too often our focus is on the actual difficulty that we're going through instead of learning to respond to that difficulty in a way that honors God. Today we're beginning a series on suffering called "When Trials Come". In this three part series we'll look at: The Suffering Church, The Suffering Believer, and The Rejoicing Sufferer. How can we stay faithful to God when suffering overpowers us? How can we have hope and rejoice in the midst of suffering? These are questions that we hope to answer in the next few weeks.
In today's text we see the church at Smyrna going through severe suffering brought on by the devil. But as they suffered God taught them three truths: the purpose of their suffering, the length of their suffering, and the fate of their suffering. Let's look at the passage in Revelation today and learn what God has in store for us.
-Pastor Terry