things come out of situations. Luke 12:49-52 “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. Luke 14:12-14 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” Luke 18:22-23 “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. Luke 9:24-25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? Philippians 4:12-14 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. The calling of Christ might bring temporary discomfort, but it leads to eternal reward. CHOOSE YOUR HARD BECAUSE HARD WILL CHOOSE YOU. 3 types of discomfort 1. The Christ calls us to. John 6:53, 60, &.66 “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you…. Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”… At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” John 12:42-43 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. It’s not that we don’t know what to do… It’s that we don’t want to do it. Is there a limit to the discomfort you’re willing to experience on this side of heaven to follow Jesus? How do I prepare for whatever Jesus has for me? 2. The we choose. YOU CAN PAY NOW OR YOU CAN PAY LATER, BUT EVERYONE PAYS. 1 Corinthians 9:27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Proverbs 25:28 A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 12:1 To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. 3. The that happens to us. John 16:33 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” We can glorify Christ in all 3 types of “hard” What will my attitude towards discomfort be in 2026?