Insights
Finding hope and strength in faith during difficult times
💔 The speaker shares a heartbreaking experience of losing multiple family members within a short period of time, highlighting the emotional toll of these back-to-back losses.
🌟 “When the hope is there, then you keep going even if you’re going slower than you used to, even if you’re going with sadness or tears or struggles or sleepless nights, you still go because God is still true to his word. He’s true to his promises.”
👨👩👧👦 “If you don’t have a dad to look at like I’ve been able to look at my dad or look at our Aunt or look at her siblings or look at each other for support, you do have somebody to look at, someone who is the author and the finisher of your faith.”
😢 The Evans family experienced deep sorrow and struggled with their faith, but they held on to it through the lowest of lows.
💪 “Your greatest ministry will come right out of your greatest misery.”
😌 The speaker found comfort and hope in their faith during a difficult time, believing that their faith would ultimately guide them through the challenges they faced.
💪 “When you have a history with God, you know that the difficult moments will pass.”
The importance of passing down wisdom and guidance in times of suffering
💪 The legacy of faithfulness passed down through generations has helped the speaker and their family stay strong in the face of difficult times.
📝 Keeping a journal of the Fingerprints of God in your life can help you see how seemingly disconnected events were actually part of God’s plan, building confidence in your current circumstances.
🙏 The purpose of the journal is to provide her sons with tangible evidence of God’s past faithfulness, so they can trust Him when they face challenges in life.
🗣️ “One of the things we know Mommy would say all the time is…” – Tony Evans suggests the importance of passing down wisdom and advice from previous generations to provide guidance and support in times of suffering.
The impact of personal losses and struggles on others
😢 God can use our personal losses and struggles to help others in their own grief and struggles, as He never wastes bad times on us.
🌍 “During this season of COVID and race and politics and economics and all the global crisis we’re facing, we’re not the only ones grieving.”
💔 “It was hard for you to watch your mother die but how much harder was it for me to watch my son die so your mother can actually live.”
Summary
TLDR: Suffering and loss can be used by God to bring glory to Himself and help others, so it is important to maintain faith and trust in His sovereignty and use our experiences to minister to others.
- 🙏 God can use our suffering and loss to help others and bring glory to Himself, so it’s important to maintain faith and trust in His sovereignty and use our experiences to minister to others.
1.1 God’s unconditional will overrides our desires, and even in our suffering and loss, He can use it to help others and bring glory to Himself.
1.2 The speaker discusses the close bond of their family, which was primarily due to the consistency and commitment of their mother, and mentions the need to change the locks because there are too many keys out there.
1.3 Priscilla Shirer and Tony Evans discuss their family’s experiences over the past 18-24 months, without providing specific details.
1.4 The speaker shares the personal experience of losing multiple family members over a two-year period, highlighting the emotional toll it has taken on them.
1.5 In the face of adversity, it is important to maintain faith and trust in God’s sovereignty, allowing hope to guide us through struggles and continue moving forward.
1.6 Amidst the various global crises, the speaker emphasizes the importance of ministering to others who are also grieving and using their own experiences to help others.
- 📚 Despite losses and hardships, the speaker and their family stay faithful by looking to Jesus, finding comfort in prayer, and relying on the generational legacy of faithfulness.
2.1 The book is a family conversation with different personalities, including a hyper emotional one, a smart and logical one, and one who used to talk a lot but now God has used all things for good.
2.2 The speaker discusses how different personality types can hold on to faith in moments of adversity and asks the audience for practical steps they have taken to maintain faith during difficult times.
2.3 Despite experiencing major losses and hardships, the speaker and their family have been able to stay faithful and endure due to the generational legacy of faithfulness that has been passed down to them.
2.4 Look to Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith, and if you don’t have a human example to follow, remember that you have someone to look to who is faithful and can help you through your suffering.
2.5 The speaker discusses their experience of going through a difficult time and wrestling with their faith, but ultimately finding comfort in the support of their family and the power of prayer.
- 📚 Suffering is inevitable for believers, but having a relationship with God before the storm hits can provide strength and stability, as God’s sovereign plan may use our suffering to help others.
3.1 The speaker discusses the challenges of experiencing disruptions and how to change one’s perspective to see God in those moments.
3.2 Suffering is inevitable for believers, but it is important to have a relationship with God before the storm hits in order to find strength and stability.
3.3 God has both an unconditional and conditional will, and even when we meet the conditions, His sovereign plan may override our desires for His glory and our good, using our suffering to help others.
- 📝 Keeping a record of God’s fingerprints in your life can build confidence and serve as a reminder of His guidance; the speaker keeps a journal for her sons to trust God during difficult times, realizing that His answer is always yes or yes and that His unconditional will is better than what we pray for.
4.1 Keeping a record of the times you see God’s fingerprints in your life, even in seemingly ordinary moments, can build your confidence and serve as a reminder of how He has guided you in the past.
4.2 The speaker keeps a journal for each of her sons, documenting moments where she sees God working in their lives, so that she can give it to them as a reminder to trust God during difficult times.
4.3 The speaker discusses the realization that God’s answer was yes or yes and the need to meet the conditions and wait patiently.
4.4 God reminds the speaker that although they were disappointed when their prayers were not answered, they should remember that Jesus’ sacrifice was much greater and that His unconditional will is better than what they had prayed for.
4.5 God has provided everything we ask for, even beyond our understanding, but we may not fully comprehend it until we mature.
- 💪 Keep pushing through suffering because your greatest ministry comes from your greatest misery; lessons learned in training prepare you for challenges you didn’t know you were capable of, so maintain hope and faith and continue doing the right thing.
5.1 Keep playing hard and pushing through your suffering because your greatest ministry will come out of your greatest misery, just like how football players retire and the coaches say “well done” and give them a gold jacket.
5.2 The speaker discusses the lessons they learned in their life that prepared them for the difficult moments they are currently facing.
5.3 Daniel, the main character in The Karate Kid, becomes frustrated with his training but eventually learns to block punches and kicks.
5.4 The speaker reflects on how their seemingly mundane and unnecessary training prepared them for the challenges they faced, including the fight they didn’t know they were capable of.
5.5 The speaker discusses the importance of maintaining hope and faith in the face of suffering, and emphasizes the need to continue doing the right thing in daily life.
- 📚 Even in times of pain, seeking advice and reassurance can lead to success and raising law-abiding children; focus on the next small step, ask God for new experiences in times of struggle.
6.1 Even in times of pain, the speaker’s daughter sought her advice and heard her voice, as the speaker reassured her that although the problem was new to her daughter, it was not new to the speaker.
6.2 When facing difficult moments, knowing that it will pass and focusing on doing the next right thing can lead to success and raising law-abiding and involved children.
6.3 Focus on the next small step rather than the big picture, as it is often the obvious and easy thing to do that will lead you forward in your journey.
6.4 God allows disruptions and chaos in our lives to reset and reorder things, and in times of pain and struggle, we should ask God for new experiences and to reveal Himself to us.
- 🔑 The speaker shares their personal experience of a life disruption leading to a new perspective on family and ministry, emphasizing the importance of appreciating what we have and finding joy in the present moment.
7.1 The disruption in our lives can lead to a new perspective and purpose, as seen in the speaker’s personal experience of a drastic change in the importance of family.
7.2 The speaker discusses how their perspective on ministry and family has shifted after experiencing loss, realizing the importance of appreciating what they have and valuing time with loved ones.
7.3 The speaker emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment, enjoying life, and not taking things for granted, as well as the need to intentionally pause and find joy in the journey, even in the midst of ministry and responsibilities.
- 🙏 Hold on to faith in times of heartbreak and struggle, relying on God’s word and the Holy Spirit for comfort and allowing His truth to change us.
8.1 Enjoy your life, be intentional, slow down, and make time for the people around you, both for your own enjoyment and to be present for those God brings into your life.
8.2 The speaker shares a message from their mother about the importance of holding onto faith and how they are here to talk to and support those who may be struggling in their faith.
8.3 Hurting but anchored, start your own chosen family and hold on to faith when life breaks your heart.
8.4 The speaker encourages viewers who are experiencing heartbreak to hold on to faith in this moment.
8.5 In times of struggle and hardship, it is important to hold onto God’s word, rely on the Holy Spirit for comfort and encouragement, and allow the truth of God to change us rather than expecting our circumstances to change.
