You Asked for It - Why is It Sometimes So Hard To Follow Jesus?

Answering the Top Questions that YOU asked about faith last Easter.

Digging Deeper into the Bible’s Teaching on Hardship

Benefits We Experience from Following Jesus:
1. Assurance of Eternal, Abundant Life (John 3:16, John 10:10)
2. Increased peace, strength and guidance (1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:6-7, James 1:5)
3. A God-anchored sense of self-worth & identity (Ephesians 2:8-10)
4.A sense of family & community (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
5. Knowing you are part of something larger than yourself (Matthew 16:18)
6. Miraculous intervention (sometimes) (James 5:14-16)

Factors That Make Life Harder:
1. Elevated conscience - You care more. (James 4:17, 1 Timothy 3:9)
2. God’s discipline/ training - Hardship God allows for your benefit. (Hebrews 12:7-11)
Why - Jesus invites you to come and die to yourself. (Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24)
3. Spiritual Resistance - There is an enemy who will do anything he can to cause you to pull away from God, God’s people and God’s work. (1 Peter 5:8, Ephesian 6:10-18, James 4:7-8)

Questions to Discuss:
How have you found yourself caring more as the result of your relationship with Jesus? How? What about?
How have you experienced God’s discipline/ training in your life? What did it result in?
How have you experienced spiritual resistance? How do you stand firm against the enemy’s attacks?
What truths do you especially want to remember the next time you experience hardship?