Lessons Learned

Stories by:

Teran & Lydia Adams

Allegra Adams

Big idea: Don’t Outrun the Lesson while Chasing the Promise.

Main Point: Dangerous prayer

Prophetic Paragraph: Moving into a new year can lead us to try and leave the struggle behind, or to speed past it while holding onto the promise of a better future. But this year, God reminds us that the lessons we learn from the struggle help prepare us for a future we might not even expect. While God promises a hope and a future, He first meets us in the highs and lows of our current trials. As we grow through the reality of "what was," we begin to see a different future in "what could be." The strength for your tomorrow is being built in the trenches of your today.

Application: Dangerous prayers.  Are you keeping a "minimum safe distance" from God because you fear His plans will disrupt yours? We worry that if we get too close, He will press us into an assignment we didn't sign up for. But listen: God’s disruption is actually your development. If you embrace the lesson in the trenches today, it will birth the character you need for tomorrow. You cannot carry the weight of the promise if you skip the work of the process. Don't fear the "interruption"—it is simply the birth pains of your purpose.