Throwback Thursday | November 2013 | Like and subscribe and turn notifications on!

Main message: The sermon teaches that if we want God to use us, we must be willing to face hardship, surrender our will, and trust God through suffering rather than trying to avoid it. Jesus in Gethsemane is presented as the model: he prayed honestly, submitted to the Father, and went through pain for our salvation.

Key points:

• Jesus is our example of living in dependence on God: using Scripture against temptation, praying, and relying on the Holy Spirit.
• In Gethsemane, Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow and asked if the cup could pass, but submitted: “not what I will, but what you will.”
• God often uses trials to purify, mature, and prepare believers for service; hardship is part of becoming holy.
• We should surround ourselves with supportive friends, pray honestly, and then listen to God instead of only complaining.
• Angels minister to Jesus, showing that God provides supernatural help in suffering.
• Courage is required to obey God in difficult situations, even when the trial is the result of our own mistakes.

Scriptures mentioned: Mark 14:32-36, Luke 22, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew, Mark, Luke 22, 1 Corinthians 10:13