“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9 ESV)

Testing of your faith makes you steadfast

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 2:2-4 ESV)

Jesus strengthens you

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

He proves the way of escape

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 ESV)

He will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10 ESV)

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1 ESV)

 “From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.” (Prov. 12:14 NIV)

What you say and what you do are powerful tools you should use together.

What you say...

• Death and life - “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Prov. 18:21 ESV)

• Healing - “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Prov. 12:18 ESV)
• Health - “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Prov. 16:24 ESV)
• Good is produced - “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45 ESV)
• Stomach is satisfied - “From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.” (Prov. 18:20 ESV)
• Salvation – “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9 ESV)

What you do…

• Work heartily for the Lord - “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Col. 3:23 ESV)
• Receive back from the Lord - “Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.” (Eph. 6:7-8 ESV)
• A model of good works - “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity...” (Titus 2:7 ESV)
• Skillful in work - “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” (Prov. 22:29 ESV)

Therefore, keep your tongue from evil and do good!

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalms 34:13-14 ESV)

 “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-16 NIV)

Whoever welcomes a child in Jesus’s Name welcomes the one who sent Him

“He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:36-37 NIV)

Little ones have angels in heaven

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 18:10 NASB)

 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'” (Gen. 1:27-28 NIV)

Two become one flesh

“Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:22-24 NIV)

Your body belongs to your spouse

“The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.” (1 Cor. 7:4 NIV)

He who loves his wife loves himself

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” (Eph. 5:25-28 NIV)

Wives submit and husbands love

“Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” (Col. 3:18-19 NIV)

Two are better than one

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" (Eccles. 4:9

“Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.” (Job 12:12 ESV)

They still bear fruit

“They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green.” (Psalm 92:14 ESV)

With long life

“With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:16 ESV)

Moses died at 120 and he was strong with good eyesight

“Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.” (Deut. 34:7 ESV)

The inner self is renewed

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16 ESV)

Ripe old age

“You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season.” (Job 5:26 ESV)

Old men dream dreams

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28 ESV)

Old people have purpose

“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good.” (Titus 2:2-3 ESV)

You are temporary

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14 ESV)

 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:21 NIV)

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” ( Eccles. 5:10 NIV)

Don’t Love money and be content

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5 NIV)

Be rich in good deeds

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19 NIV)

Honor the LORD with your wealth!

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” (Prov. 3:9 NIV)

 “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 17:6 NIV)

Confidence in approaching God

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14 NIV)

If we know that He hears us…

“And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:15 NIV)

Humble yourself and pray!

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14 NIV)

Seek His face always

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (2 Chron. 16:11 NIV)

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Eph. 6:18 NIV)

“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (Prov. 16:32 ESV)

Anger defined: a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility, rage, vexation, exasperation, crossness, irritation, irritability, indignation, fury, wrath, ire, irascibility, outrage.

Be slow to anger

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1:19 ESV)

He who is slow to anger quiets contention

“A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.” (Prov. 15:18 ESV)

Anger lodges in the bosom of fools

“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.” (Eccles. 7:9 ESV)

A soft answer turns away wrath

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov. 15:1 ESV)

Put away anger

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” (Col. 3:8 ESV)

Do not let the sun go down on your anger

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Eph. 4:26 ESV)

Put away all bitterness, wrath and anger

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” (Eph. 4:31 ESV)

“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.” (Psalm 37:8-9 ESV)

“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Cor. 1:21 ESV)

Established defined: accepted, set, fixed

The above passage says God has established you in the following ways.

• He has done it for you in Christ. Christ is the authority that makes this passage powerful!

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matt. 28:8 ESV)

• He has anointed you. God’s anointing abides in you and teaches you about everything.

“But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” (1 John 2:27 ESV)

• He has put His seal on you. The Holy Spirit Himself is God’s seal that was applied to you the moment you heard and believed the Gospel of your salvation.

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14 ESV)

• He has given you His Spirit in your heart. The Holy Spirit came to dwell in your heart when you received Him by faith (John 1:12). Your body became a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

“Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.” (1 Cor. 6:19 NLT)

• He has given you His Guarantee. The Holy Spirit Is our guarantee.

“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Cor. 5:5 NIV)

Said again

You are anointed, sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit, which firmly establishes you in the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is wonderful news you can joyfully share with others

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts. 1:8 ESV)