"Is the Seed"

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" ~ Romans 5:3-4

As our community recovers from another horrible tragedy involving violence, and this one much closer to home, we are forced to digest the information we receive and confront the many emotions that flow through us. From anger to grief to anxiety to fear, the feelings we have about the world's darkness threaten to extinguish the light that we shine because of Christ. My friends, this is when that light must shine the brightest, for darkness cannot overcome it. The hope that we have is because of the promises of God which can be trusted because of Jesus. His presence on this earth followed by the presence of His Holy Spirit within us are proof that God is sovereign over all things, even when we experience unspeakable suffering and tragedy. It is only by enduring suffering that we develop perseverance; it is only by persevering that we develop character; and it is only our character as children of God that develops hope. What we say we believe is nothing if not tested. But when tested, we are given the opportunity to spread the seeds of the gospel of Jesus even wider. This week at Friendship, the message titled "Is the Seed" comes from the second part of the ancient Tertullian quote, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church". We'll talk about how the suffering and martyrdom of the early believers caused a scattering of the seeds of the gospel so that many more could come to know salvation through Jesus. Join us for this crucial message which can be applied on a universal and an individual level regarding suffering.