25 Oct ‘Where is Your Faith’ | 9 – ‘Enduring Faith: When Life Doesn’t Go Your Way’ – All Locations

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NOTE:

Two opportunities to pray: 

Leaders only: Please be available at the end of services to pray for those who come forward. If you are not actively serving during the service you are attending, make it a priority to head to the front when the invitation is given. Your presence matters!

North Attleboro Leaders and members: If you or any member of your group who currently serves is available, there is an opportunity to meet for prayer in the conference room off the break room during the second and third services.  Please see Doug and Joanie White or Felix Shyllon if you would like to be a part of that ministry.

Please note: if you have a member who is not currently serving and would like to be part of the prayer during the service team, please have them take the appropriate steps to become a serve team member.

NORTH ATTLEBORO

Prayer at the Altar – AFTER SERVICES

If possible, please try to be at the altar after this service to pray for others.

Your presence makes a difference—thank you for serving!

Key Verse: Hebrews 11

Icebreaker

If you could have a completely unnecessary but amazing feature in your house—like a secret passage, a snack conveyor belt, or a slide between floors—what would you choose?

Opening Prayer

Father, thank You for bringing us together. As we open Your Word, help us grow in an enduring faith. Give us honest hearts to recognize the conditions we place on trusting You. Teach us to follow You through uncertainty and to find our deepest joy in Jesus. Help us encourage one another tonight. In Jesus’ name, amen.

We need to learn that life won’t always go the way we want. 

Faith and testimony also require endurance.

Question: How do I know if I have true faith in Christ?

Answer: True faith ENDURES.

Hebrews 11 talks about the conquerors, but some suffered. 

Jesus warned that the test of our faith would be endurance.

Enduring faith says:

1. I will trust God regardless of the OUTCOME.

The life of faith is not formulated or mathematical. The Lord is not obligated to make your life work out the way you want.

You will see miraculous deliverance and powerful stories you can tell, and there will be times when you simply have to endure.

The SUCCESSFUL:

Hebrews 11:33a ESV

Faith can conquer; faith can heal, but not always.

The STEADFAST:

Hebrews 11:33b-34 ESV

We may want to be in the successful category, but sometimes we need to be in the steadfast category. 

The SUFFERERS:

Hebrews 11:35–38 ESV

Sometimes we suffer, and sometimes we suffer and see no deliverance, but we know the Lord is in charge.

Q. When things don’t turn out the way you hoped, what can you do to keep your faith strong instead of allowing disappointment to shake your trust in God?

Leader Prompt:
Encourage the group to identify how disappointment or unanswered prayers can affect their trust in God. Remind them that faith isn’t measured by getting the outcome we desire, but by continuing to trust God’s character regardless of our circumstances. Help them consider practical ways to strengthen their faith when things don’t go as planned.

Practical Application:
This week, when something doesn’t go the way you hoped, pause before reacting. Instead of focusing on what God hasn’t done, remind yourself of what you know to be true about Him. Bring your disappointment to Him in prayer and choose to trust Him even if your circumstances don’t change.

Enduring faith says:

2. I will trust God without SETTING CONDITIONS.

Faith to overcome is biblical, but surrendered faith is also biblical.

True faith does not put conditions on God. Faith is trusting the unknown outcome and obeying God anyway.

Luke 14:28 ESV; Acts 14:22 ESV

Following Jesus requires total surrender.

1 Peter 4:12 ESV

James 1:2 ESV

Revelation 1:9 ESV

1 Peter 1:6–9 ESV

Non-believers, believers, and false believers will all experience trials. What reveals whether we are truly following Jesus is how we respond to the trials we suffer.

Q. How have you found yourself placing conditions on God, and what have you learned about trusting Him even when things don’t go your way?

If you_________ then I will__________.

Leader Prompt:
Help the group consider expectations such as “I’ll obey if it’s comfortable,” “if people support me,” or “if God answers my prayer the way I want.” Encourage them to recognize that following Jesus includes hardship, andthat trials can deepen their faith. Allow room for honest struggles while encouraging continued obedience.

Practical Application:
Identify one area where you have been waiting for things to become easier before obeying God. Ask Him for the strength to follow Him through the difficulty, and take one specific step of obedience this week.

Enduring faith says:

3. I will trust God without having EVERY ANSWER.

Hebrews 11:36 ESV

God’s goodness must never be measured by the world’s sinful results.  Your results do not prove or disprove that God is at work.

Job 13:15 ESV

Q. What unanswered question are you wrestling with, and what step of faith can you take even without an explanation?

Leader Prompt:
Encourage the group to see that trusting God does not mean pretending we have no questions. We can bring our confusion and pain to Him while continuing to follow Him. Help members consider what they know about God’s character that can sustain them when they do not understand their circumstances.

Practical Application:
Bring one unanswered question to God in prayer this week. Instead of waiting for an explanation before moving forward, act on something He has already made clear—whether that means forgiving someone, asking for help, serving, or continuing in prayer.

Enduring faith says:

4. I will find my DEEPEST JOY in Christ Himself.

Hebrews 11:39–40 ESV

There is something better than what you hope for in this life: meeting Jesus face to face.  There is nothing better than knowing Christ.

Romans 5:5 ESV

Ephesians 1:7 ESV

Q. What helps you find joy in Jesus Himself when something you’ve been looking forward to or praying for hasn’t happened?

Leader Prompt:
Help the group reflect on what they already have in Christ—God’s love, redemption, and forgiveness. Encourage them to name something about Jesus they treasure. Remind them that joy in Christ can coexist with sadness and longing.

Practical Application:
Each day this week, thank Jesus for one blessing you have through Him, apart from your circumstances. Use these Scripture references to guide your gratitude, and spend a few minutes in prayer focusing on Him.

Sermon in a sentence:

Enduring faith trusts God beyond what I RECEIVE, UNDERSTAND, or EXPERIENCE because Christ is ENOUGH

Closing Prayer

Father, You know the prayers we are waiting on, the questions we carry, and the struggles we face. Help us trust You regardless of the outcome, without setting conditions or needing every answer. Remind us of Your love and the forgiveness we have through Jesus. Let our deepest joy be found in Him. Give us strength to take our next step of obedience and help us support one another this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.