James 1:3

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is..."

Where did you put your faith? Our faith can either be real and shaping us to be useful to God or it can be discarded or nothing more than a good luck charm.

Are you ready for the long hard chill of winter? Phil Ware talks about the harshness of a long, cold, hard winter and the trials and troubles we must endure as believers.

Can you tell if the imperfections have been cleansed? Rubel Shelly visits a kiln that fires ceramics and helps us think through the importance of purifying our imperfections.

Are you ready for the hard chill that's coming? We can survive times of trouble, trials, and temptation if we prepare.

Can they really be a blessing? Rubel Shelly reminds us of how hard times can actually shape us for the better and help us see our role in making the world a better place.

What are you going to find if you dig deep enough? Rubel Shelly reminds us that we need to not give up when our life seems to be in the toilet, because as often archaeologists do, we can sometimes find the greatest treasures in the most surprising places.

"Dear Disciple, I know most of you hate tests! Some of those tests are medical tests which can be terrifying. Some tests are necessary to get you into..."

How can you keep holding on and believing? Hanging and persevering is worth it because joy follows morning just as morning follow night.

What do you do when you are emotionally on fire? A recovery saying, HALT, reminds us to be careful when we are hungry, angry, lonely, and tired because then we are vulernable to temptation, sin, and weakness as well as addictions.

How did the snail get on the ark? Paul Faulkner encourages us to press on and persevere.

Why intentionally face hard opponents? Phil Ware shares insight on the challenges of trials and sufferings and also on the desire and passion to have God's character produced in our lives through perseverance in times that are hard and facing opponents that are challenging.

Are we looking in the right places to find happiness for ourselves? Teresa Bell Kindred reminds us that what we define as happiness is nearly always temporary pleasure that is soon gone and leaves us unhappy; happiness is really on our own shoulders.

Can you be as faithful at the foot of the mountain as you are at the summit? We can't always be on the mountain top, sometimes we face the valleys and must be faithful at the foot of the mountain.

What do your ears want to hear? Some folks only want to hear the cheery stuff from God, not the hard stuff, too.

When we have to do it, it isn't a game! Rubel Shelly reminds us to play through pain and go on to victory.

Joy in trials and the expansion of influence in times like these? YES! Alan Garner describes a prayer and exhortation he gave at the Volunteers of America meeting and how wisdom and opportunity can be found in caring for the trials and troubles of those around us.

Most important things require us to hang in and hang touch to get to our destination! So often we look for short cuts or ways to cut corners to get to a goal that can only be reached by hard work, perserverance, and a willingness to keep on working over time.

"Dear Faithful Follower, About the same time Paul was trying to help the Galatian believers understand grace, My half-brother James was working with....."

How well do you understand the whole situation? We are often critical of others and can't understand God because we don't see the big picture of what is happening.

We know that our God showers his grace upon us. One of his greatest gifts is heavenly wisdom, given when we ask for it in faith. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos encouraging us to recognize that God is our Father who longs to share His heavenly wisdom with His people.