LOL4: joy in trials

Welcome!!!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to EFC East Valley's HS blog. We are glad that you have found our site. We will try to update this as much as possible to update you on the happenings of our HS fellowship. Anyway, here is our mission statement for our group:

EV High School Fellowship exists to build a strong community of believers who are growing in their faith through the teaching of Scripture to equip and train them to reach out to their friends and community around them who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus and glorify God in all that they are.

Our key verse comes from Matthew 22:36-40: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? "Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments."

We hope that you will continue to drop by our blog and come join us on Fridays and Sundays!

Monday, January 17, 2011

joy in trials

this past sunday we started a new study on the book of james ("james: guidelines for a happy christian life" by john macarthur). in the first 12 verses james explains that we should have joy in times of trouble because these trials are a way to test our faith to see if it is genuine. and as we persevere through these trials, it leads to spiritual maturity.

i like how james challenges us to have joy "when we face trials of many kinds" not "if we face trials of many kinds." life is not easy. we will face difficult situations in our lives. physical ailments. relational problems. struggles with our faith. but as christians, we should have joy because we know that they aren't pointless.

in our study, we saw that trials "test the strength of our faith; they humble us; they wean us from our dependence on earthly things; they call us to eternal and heavenly hope; they reveal what we really love; they teach us to value God's blessings; they develop enduring strength for greater usefulness; they help us better encourage others who are in times of trial" (pg. 3).

as you face different trials in your life, we pray that you would have joy!