Hope City Church
At Hope City Church, we’re passionate about helping you live out your Christian faith with purpose. Recorded in Edmonton, Alberta, our podcast shares Bible-based teachings and practical messages to encourage you to love God, grow in Christ, and find true hope in everyday life. Whether you're seeking spiritual growth or looking for hope and encouragement, join us for meaningful conversations that inspire faith and provide real-life applications of the gospel.
Hope City Church
Faith for the Trials | Phil Kniesel
In this episode, Pastor Phil unpacks James 5:7-11, teaching us how patience and trust in God help us endure life’s challenges. With a personal addition from Pastor Graham, we’re reminded that God is present with us in every trial. Learn how to build resilience and strengthen your faith during difficult times.
📖 Scripture References:
• James 5:7-11
• John 14:2-3
• Romans 8:28
• Hebrews 12:1-2
🏆Challenge for the Week: This week, practice patience by identifying one area in your life where you feel challenged to wait. Each day, spend five minutes in prayer or meditation, asking God for strength and perspective. Journal your thoughts and any changes you notice in your attitude or circumstances by the end of the week.
🎧Looking for More? Last week, Pastor Ken discussed submitting our plans to God from James 4:13-17. Catch up here to learn about aligning your decisions with God's will.
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- Hey, this is Phil Kniesel, lead pastor at Hope City Church. Thanks for tuning into our podcast. My prayer is that this helps and encourages you, gives you some practical ways to live out your faith and ultimately fills you with hope. Enjoy the message. Axel Rose saying the words, all we need is just a little patience. So hands up across this room and all our campuses. How many of you would say, oh yeah man, I definitely need a little bit more patience. You can be honest. We're in church. I, I mean who hasn't stopped by the store on the way home to pick up supper? Only to realize the lineup at the till is super long and you just sigh. Or maybe you finally made it to your favorite amusement park and you can't wait to get on that new ride and you find out the wait is two to three hours. Or maybe you just want to run quickly into Costco. . Yeah. Last weekend, Marlon and I were driving home on the he day and suddenly I noticed this massive backup of traffic in front of us due to construction and me being so observant and the awesome driver I am, I was able to switch lanes and get to the exit that was immediately to the right. I felt a little bit like a boss. You know when you do those moves you're like, yeah, but of course 99 others thought of the same thing. And so the exit ramp was completely backed up. Here's the best part. When we got off the ramp, the road we exited onto was also under construction and all that traffic went down to one lane. And so it took us considerable time to get through that. And then finally at the next light, we turned left, which a kilometer down that road was construction again going down to one lane and we were backed up for yet another massive lineup. All we need is just a little patience, but it's hard to wait. It's not in our human nature to want to wait. I came across a test that determines how patient of a person you are. And so I decided to take the test and it would ask questions and give you four options for the answers and questions like, if you're waiting for important results, what do you do? Or when you're in a hurry, do you stop to help others? And then there was this question, how would you answer this when driving behind a slow person you most likely won? Stay behind them. Chill out and listen to music. Two, attempt to get around the person but not like it's an emergency. Three, you tailgate switch lanes and speed past them like a firetruck with its sirens on or four you get angry and yell at them. How would you answer that? So I did this test and I thought I was answering pretty good going through this. And when you're finished you hit the enter button to get your results. And so I hit the enter button and this pops up on my screen. You are not a patient person. , What about you? All we need is just a little patience. Paul. He's a New Testament writer. He calls patience a fruit of the spirit. Jesus consistently encouraged and emphasized this idea of patience and the Bible repeatedly tells us to be patient specifically when we're facing a trial or when we're in a difficult time to be patient in suffering. Now that's probably the last area where we want to have patience. When I'm walking through stuff, it's kind of like get me out of it when there's a trial, get it over with. And I'm curious, are you facing a trial today? We're in a series entitled Faith for Real Life where we've been looking at the New Testament book called James and James was writing to early Christians about how to best live out their faith in Jesus. And this is week nine in our series and next week is our final week. And I just want to encourage you, if you haven't been around for all the weeks to go to our YouTube channel and check them out, they're helpful in living your Christian life. But I wanna pick it up in James chapter five, starting at verse seven. This is what he writes. And listen to how many times you hear the word patient. Be patient then brothers and sisters until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too. Be patient and stand firm because the Lord's coming is near brothers and sisters as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of job's, perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Now James hits the nail on the head here. Jesus followers need to have patience in our trials. Are you facing a trial today? Patients as James uses it as translated from the Greek because he was writing this letter in the Greek language can be defined as bearing hardships calmly without complaint. It's steadfast despite difficulty or adversity. Now the Hebrew equivalent in the Old Testament Hebrew because the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, it's this word pronounced re and it's in reference to God and it's used to describe how God is slow to anger. Interesting how patience and anger correlate. And I think that makes sense because I believe we would all agree when we lack patience, what usually tends to happen is we get angry. And who here when walking through a trial hasn't asked in desperation? God, where are you? You've pleaded for God to help, to heal, to eliminate, to provide. And he's not doing anything. You feel like he's silent when you need him the most. And maybe friend, maybe that's you today you've pleaded with God and your trial seems to be getting worse, not better. Maybe it's a health crisis, Mary. Maybe it's a marriage challenge. Maybe it's a financial difficulty. Loneliness, pain, loss, rejection. We all suffer in one way or another. And James is saying, whatever trial you are facing, be patient, remain steadfast despite difficulty or adversity. That's what Jesus followers do. That's faith for real life. Now thankfully he doesn't just tell us to do this and leave us hanging. He provides us with some realities of how to be patient during our trials. Three things patience involves. And the first one, patience involves perspective. Listen again to what James says. He says this, be patient then brothers and sisters until the Lord's coming you to be patient and stand firm because the Lord's coming is near. So twice in two verses he says, be patient because of the Lord's coming. What he's referring to there is the second coming of Jesus. And one of the foundational things of Christianity and something Christians worldwide believe and have hope in is the return of Jesus. And I get it. For some of you this can seem a little bit difficult to wrap your head around. Maybe you've heard this consistently and repeatedly and since it hasn't happened, it seems a little unbelievable. Jesus himself said these words, my father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I'm going there to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, here it is, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. When Jesus ascended into heaven in the book of Acts we read this, they meaning the disciples were looking intently up into the skies he was going. When suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them, men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. John, the writer of revelation tells us that after the return of Jesus, he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away. So this is not something we hope to be true, like we kind of cross our fingers and hope it works. It's not something we naively put our confidence in. Jesus said it so we believe it. He is coming back again. And James is reinforcing this thought while in a trial he's reminding us to keep an eternal perspective, to keep the big picture in mind that life here and now is not all there is Now that's not to minimize what you're going through. He's just trying to move us from a Soto straw perspective. He's trying to get us to zoom out. And Paul emphasizes this when he is writing to Christians and Corinth and he says these words for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we have this eternal perspective that far outweighs or overrides all the stuff we are going through right now. And notice the words he uses, light and momentary troubles. Our future hope is that one day all things will be made right? Our future hope reminds us that now is only temporary, but forever is just that for forever. So patience in our trials involves perspective. Secondly, James tells us patience involves trust. Listen to how he says it. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. Okay, so farmers wait for the rain, which in time produces the crop that will bring about the harvest. They understand that they can't control the rain or the harvest timeline, they prepare, they plant and then they wait. That's what they can do. But the rest is out of their hands. It's up to nature, it's up to God In our own trials, we need to acknowledge that there are things we can't control. And even though part of our stress and anxiety is because of that lack of control, James is saying because you can't control it, leave the outcome to God, trust God. Period. Proverbs says it this way, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways. Submit to him and he will make your paths straight. Paul says it this way and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. So we're we're called to trust God's timing knowing that he will bring fruit out of our trials. And I know this isn't easy, but friends, no one said following Jesus was easy. Jesus himself said that in order to follow him, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. And notice, notice what James says here. He says, you two be patient and stand firm. Other versions say be patient and take courage or establish your heart or strengthen your heart. In other words, buckle up. This is gonna be hard to be steadfast despite difficulty or adversity is tough. So build some grit, get some courage because it takes courage to trust God. And the first step in building courage is to resolve in your own heart, to believe that he who got you here is gonna get you there. It's this call to build inner resilience with your faith. It's a call to look to God and not just at your trial. It's a call to grow spiritually instead of letting the circumstances weaken your faith. True patience then is not passive, rather it's active. It's an active reliance upon God. And so how do you do this? Well, you worship in the trial. You trust God in the trial. You pray in the trial, you cry out to God and you say, God I need you. I desperately need you. Come and fill me with faith. Come and fill me with hope. God I need to stand on the confidence you bring. Help me to know. Help me to trust that you are in control. Help me to have a perspective beyond today. God, I need you to surround me with peace and love so I can get through this. God grant me the courage to trust you. And so patience involves perspective, it involves trust. And thirdly, patience involves learning from others. This is what James says, brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of job's, perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. So James has given us two examples here. The prophets and a guy named Job. Now remember he's writing to believers of how to practically live out their faith. And he's referencing people and context from their scriptures, meaning these believers back then would have known their scriptures, which is just a reminder to every single one of us today. You need to know God's word. You need to learn what is in the Bible to better live out your faith in the trial. And firstly, James references the prophets. Now these were God's spokespersons or God's voice to the people. Despite intense persecution, prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They stayed the course. They were mocked, ridiculed, and experienced personal costs. And yet despite all that, they were patient in the face of suffering, meaning they endured. And here's something we need to particularly remember. The prophets were at the center of God's will and yet they experienced what they did. They were following God and what he wanted them to do. And that plan included hardship. And I'm like, who wants a plan like that? And James says, we count as blessed those who have persevered or endured blessed meaning bestowing great honor. Jesus says The one who endures or the one who is patient to the end will be saved. Perseverance is always a measure of our faith. And if you were to go to Hebrews in New Testament book, chapter 11, the writer talks about faith and perseverance and what those two things look like. It's called the Faith Hall of Fame in the Bible. And he starts by giving a shout out to a guy named Abel. You can read about him in the book of Genesis and he doesn't have a great life because he was murdered by his brother. And then he mentions Noah, Abraham and Sarah who faced challenges but endured. He gives a shout out to Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Moses and Rahab, old Testament people who live by faith. And then he talks about those who conquered kingdoms, who administered justice, who received what was promised, who experienced miracles and who escaped the edge of the sword. Those who were powerful in battle and one those who their dead back to life again. And those are kind of like the hero stories. Those are the wins every single one of us want. That's what we wanna believe faith and endurance should look like and how we want it to end. However he goes on. And next he talks about how some were tortured, others were in prison, others were beaten and flogged, some were put to death, some lived destitute lives away from civilization. Others were persecuted and mistreated. And no one wants a life like that. They didn't want it back then. We don't want it today. And then we read this, these were all commended for their faith. They were all commended for their faith. Whatever the situation was, they endured through the trials. They were commended, meaning they were count as blessed, they had massive faith. Perseverance or patience is always a measure of our faith. And so James talks about the prophets and then he talks about a guy named job. Job is another guy in the Old Testament who has a book written about his life story. And he literally lost everything he suffered. He faced deep grief and pain and his friends who tried to comfort him were actually quite useless. And yet despite all this, he held onto his faith even when he didn't understand God's plans. He persevered, he remained steadfast despite difficulty and adversity. See, faith involves learning from others. And there are countless examples that we can find in scripture. And I believe the Bible gives us so many to remind us in your trial you're not alone. Others have done it. Others have walked through things like you or maybe worse than you. And their stories are cheering you on. Now, if you were to go to Hebrews chapter 12, that's the chapter right after the Faith Hall of Fame I just referenced. We read this therefore meaning hey because of all that, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And here it is and let us run with perseverance or patience. The race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith. So a great cloud of witnesses is in reference to all those people I just talked about. Now it doesn't mean that they are literal spectators in the race we run, but it does help to imagine stands full of people cheering you on as you're walking through the trial. Those words are there to encourage us to act like they did as if they were watching friends endure. Have patience in the trials. Millions of believers before us have done it so you can do it too. In fact, today is International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church where churches all over the world on this day are praying for those in persecution for those who are facing hardship. So that they endure that they have patience. And I thought it'd be good for us to pray for them today. And so why don't you join me in praying for those who don't have it like we do. Let's pray. God, I thank you that you are a source of strength, that you are our guide and that you surround. And so today as Hope City Church, we come before you and we pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who definitely don't have it as free as we do. We know that they are in countries, in cities and situations where they are maybe persecuted for their faith, where they are mocked and ridiculed, where they are put in prison and at times even put to death. And so today we pray that you give them endurance. We pray that your Holy Spirit surrounds them and gives them the ability to have patience in the trial. We pray that you lift their spirit today, that they know believers around the world are praying for them and are cheering them on. And so God, we ask that you give them the tenacity to stay strong, give them the tenacity to push through. And God may they know, may they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are present. You are real. May your Holy Spirit surround their heart and mind wherever they are at in this moment. And we pray this in your name Jesus. Amen. You know we have stories from the past to learn from, but it's not just people from the past. We can learn from our friends and family today. And I could give a shout out to many of you. I know your stories. You're walking through some deep, heavy and hard challenges and your faith is intact and you are patiently enduring. And I'm cheering you on, I'm standing with you, I'm saying way to go and I'm believing God's best for you. Friend. Some of you know of Pastor Graham and the journey he has been walking through these past number of years. And I'm actually gonna ask him to come out here right now because I want him to share a little bit of his story with you this morning as we learn from someone else in the trial. So give it up for Pastor Graham. Hi Graham. Hi. So tell us what's up and how and when this started in your life.- So just over five years ago. So in June, 2019 I had a series of seizures on a Friday afternoon, um, kind of outta the blue and ended up me being hospitalized through that, which was um, pretty dramatic. Yeah. And then I uh, discovered after some diagnosis that I had a brain tumor. And initially they thought it was um, relatively benign but it still needed to come out. So I scheduled for neurosurgery and underwent that in August. Um, and during the surgery they were able to take out most, but not all of it 'cause it was close to a a motor area in my brain. So they didn't want to paralyze me and I was kind of okay with that. Yeah, good call. So yeah. Yeah. And then after the surgery though, the pathology came back and it was actually a cancerous tumor. Right. And so then I needed to go for uh, six weeks of radiation, daily radiation, um, with oral chemotherapy concurrent with that, uh, to try and get the rest of the tumor cells that uh, they hadn't been able to get through surgery. And so that was six weeks. Um, and then four every four weeks after that, um, for six months, uh, oral chemo for a week.- Wow. So how do you find patients in the trial?- I mean, the way it unfolded was pretty dramatic. Uh, yeah. And you know, there was definitely the shock of coming to the realization for me and my family that our lives has kind of changed in an instant, um, or our perception of what our future was gonna be. One thing Charlene and I said, uh, to each other is instead of asking why us, um, it's why not us? Because wow, we know we're not exempt from trials and struggles and sickness and disease are just kind of part of living in this sinful world, right? And so it's not a punishment from God, uh, it's just something he's allowing us to walk through. And so I worked and we worked to pay attention to the way God was at work in the, through the trial. Uh, and seeing him at work in our lives in different ways of provision and just, you know, the little ways he says I'm here.'cause we knew trials are something God allows in our life to develop character. Um, so yeah, that was, that was how we went through it. Yeah. And still go through it.- How do you face tomorrow with joy and hope knowing that the cancer still exists?- Yeah, so I mean with this tumor, they think and it's, you know, likely to recur. So I'm on kind of six months cycles of monitoring. So that is a, a cloud and something we work to deal with. And one of the challenges in the Christian life is discerning what are challenges, obstacles, things we need to overcome and what are some of the them that are just boundaries God has put around us and in our lives. That's good. And you know, Psalm 16 says, the boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places. And so when I realize and you know, okay, these are actually just boundaries now God has put around my life. It's learning to live with contentment in there, the physical, the mental limitations that are new, that things that I've had to um, realize and there's things I used to enjoy that I can no longer do, but just recognizing those are new, my new boundaries and learning to live within them.- Wow. What would you say to someone walking through a trial today?- You know, trials always involve loss, uh, and you know, sometimes significant loss and you have to name that loss, you have to identify it, you have to grieve it. Um, you know the things that you've lost and you know, God is with you in that grieving process and that loss process. But you can't get stuck in grief and you can't go back to what was and try and recreate or restore what there was there. That's not healthy. You have to look forward to what's next. And so, 'cause you are, you're different. You know, your circumstances are different. Yeah. And so you have to look what's what's ahead of you. And with that, God's got a next. And so keep hope alive. Remind yourself constantly that God has this, he always wins. Um, no matter you know what it, your circumstance looks. And God is allowing this trial in your life to develop you and to mature you and to refine you. So work on that. Um, in the midst of the trial. Wow.- Skip it up for Graham. Thanks bud. Love you. I wanted you to hear a little bit of his story because I've observed his Christian character through these last five years. Like what perspective? We didn't ask why us? We just asked why not us? Patience learns from others after a long day of ministry, Jesus said to his disciples, let's get into the boat and crossed the lake to the other side. They were all tired and they needed a break. A bad storm broke out in the middle of the night so bad that the waves were crashing over the boat and the disciples thought they were gonna die. And Jesus was in the boat sleeping and panicked. The disciples woke him up, they said, teacher, don't you care that we're gonna drown? And Jesus just rebuked the wind and the waves and said, quiet, be still. And after that it was completely calm. Then he looks at his disciples and he says, why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? And maybe like the disciples, your trial is causing you to say, God, don't you care that I'm drowning here? God, where are you? Are you even listening? You're telling me to have patience. I'm having a hard time making it through the day, let alone my life. Friend, listen to me. The crossing of the lake was Jesus' idea. He said, let's go to the other side. And being the son of God, God in the flesh, he knew that a storm was coming. So that tells me the disciples were in the storm, not because they were out of the will of God, but because they were in the will of God following Jesus's direction. Could it be that God knew before you were born that you would be in the storm? You find yourself right now? Could it be that God knew what was gonna happen in this season of your life before you did? The circumstance that you are in is placed there with the permission of God. And he knows you're scared. He knows you're wondering what's gonna happen, how he can make it through. And James is saying, friends, Christ followers endure. Be patient. Jesus. He led the disciples into the storm. But here's what you gotta know, he didn't let them go alone. He went with them. And I'm here to tell you friend, that he's walking with you through your trial. He has always been there and he always will be there. Whether it's a health scare, a disappointment, a heartbreak, a loss. Remember you're in the trial by his appointment because he knew it was gonna happen. You know, someone once said in storms, we want God to do a removing job, but he wants to do an improving job. You know, we don't always know the why, but we definitely know somehow in the trials, God becomes more real to us. And that's the greatest outcome of patience. And listen to how James concludes this section in chapter five. Remember he's talking about, Hey, learn from the prophets, learn from job. And then he says this, the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Are you facing a trial today? Do you need to have patience? Remember, patience involves perspective. Meaning there's more than just the here and now. Patience involves trust, believing that God is fully in control of the outcome. Patience involves learning from others and perhaps the story of someone else can be the wind in your sail today. And so friends, I'm gonna ask you to stand if you are able to. And as you do, I'm just gonna ask you to close your eyes. And I want to read these verses again from James chapter five from the Message Translation. And I want you to hear this as if God was speaking to you in your trial. Friends, wait patiently for the master's arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature patiently, letting the rain do its slow, but mature work, be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The master could arrive at any time. Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything and never once quit all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course. You heard of course of Job staying power. And you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares. God cares right down to the last detail. And so hope city in your trial, God cares about every single detail. All we need is just the little patience. And so if you're in a trial today and you're saying, God, I need you to help me have patience here, I need you to help me endure. I'm gonna ask you cross our campuses, even if you're at home or in the building, just to raise your hands like this in a posture of receiving.'cause I wanna pray over and for you in your trial. And so let's pray together. God, I thank you that no matter what we face, no matter what we are going through, no matter what is ahead of us or behind us, God, you are faithful and strong. We know that in the trial you are present. And so I pray over my friends today, God, may they have endurance, may they have patience. I pray that they trust you with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding. I pray that they look to you with all their faith and know God that you can be trusted through this all. I pray that you instill faith and hope and assurance today. I pray that you instill life and confidence in the trial. When it's hard, may we walk with you, may we know you, may we depend upon you. And may we understand that in our patience you are building our faith. And so build our faith, we pray. And so I ask that you be the comfort, the guide, the source, the strength in every circumstance, in every situation. I pray that my friends may not give up, but God, may they endure, may they persevere, may they have patience. May they push through for your glory and for your honor, you know, and maybe you're joining us and you don't know Jesus personally, friend Jesus went to the cross to die for your sins. He rose and he offers you life both now and forever. And a journey with Jesus just begins with a decision to follow him. I would say it's the best decision of your life. And if you're here today and you want to make that decision, I'm gonna pray a prayer that helps you put into words the beginning of that decision. And I'll ask you to pray along with me. So let's pray. Jesus today I see my need for you. I thank you for going to the cross, for dying, for my sins, for rising, for offering me life and hope both now and forever. And so today I just ask you to come into my life. I wanna follow you. I wanna make you Lord and leader. I wanna pattern my days after you. Thank you for the forgiveness, for the strength, for the grace, and just for the ability to love and serve you in my life. And God I pray over every individual, every couple, and every family. I pray that as they go into this week, they may sense your nearness, your guidance and your strength. And I know we all face something. So I pray that there might just be greater endurance, greater patience in their trial. I pray that you show yourself strong, that your word becomes alive and that your Holy Spirit fills 'em daily so that they can face whatever it is that you and they are walking through. May they remember God, that you are with them and they can reach out to you. And so I pray this over and for them in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. If you pray at the prayer of surrendering your life to Christ today, can I ask you just to scan the QR code on the screen? We have a digital booklet we'd love to get into your hands. It talks a little bit more about knowing and following Jesus, and it's our way of getting in touch with you. If you want prayer and you're joining us here at the Millwood campus, we're gonna have a prayer team available down at the front, left after the service. They would love to pray over and for you as you go. Friends, remember this, God cares about every detail. He is full of compassion and love. Whatever you're walking through today, remember He's with you. He's got you. I'm praying for you. Love you lots. God bless. Thanks for being in church today. Have an incredible Sunday.