WELCOMING
-first social of the year
We see all over the place new year new me.
-doesnt mean a year without pain
-a year without trials
-but the good news is that we enter the new year with the same God we finished 2025 with
A lot of people enter to the new year excited and ready
-i was thinking how a lot of people walk into this year hurting, already discurage
-tired
-confused
Tonight I want to talk about a man named Job.
JOB 1:1
'In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright;
he feared God and shunned evil. '
-this started off very well right?
Sometimes we think if we think if we do more we are not going to have troubles.
-but the bible doesn’t promise us a life without trials
It promises a God that is present in the middle of them
In fact sometimes the people that love God the most walk through the hardest seasons
Job 1:6-12
'One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came with
them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord , “From
roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have
you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright,
a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have
you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed
the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now
stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man
himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord . '
This part is important
-Job doesnt know this conversation is happening
-God brings up Jobs name
Satan says ofc hes good, youve blessed him with all of this
Now look sometimes our faith isnt tested because we are doing wrong
But because God trust us
In a short period of time right after this job loses everything
He loses his animals- his income
His servants- his support sistem
And he loses his children
And later on we see that his health is taking as well
The bible tells us that he was covered with sore from his head to his toes
All of this is happening while being a rightsus man of God
The word gives us this image of Job sitting in the ashes scrapping his skin with broken pieces of
pottery
Job isnt just in pain physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.
And i think some of us can relate to this
In one day is whole life collapse
The same Job that was faithful
The same Job who feared God
And this is where many people quit
Job 1:20-21
'At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and
the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” '
If you know the context of this, this verse is really heavy
JOb didnt say he wasnt hurting
Job didnt pretend everything was okay
But he refused to stop worshipping God
Faith does mean you dont feel pain
It means you dont let your pain decide who your God is
Some of you walked into this year carrying loss
- Confused
- Smiling in the outside, struggling in the inside
Job shows us that worship isnt about circumstances
Its about trust
As we enter this new year i want us to develop trust in God in new levels
-you know what you went through this 2025
But this 2026 we need to be able to say
Psalms 119:105
'Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. '
We’re talking about trust
It says he’s a lamp to our feet
That why he says hes the lamp to our feet ans not the light to our hallway
If we knew every step, what would be the point of having faith
Some of us ask God to show us the plan, but we want the whole thing
Job 2:9
'His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” '
Job was going trough so much pain thats what his wife told him
But i imagine how hard that must of been to Job
That probably the closes person to you is telling you to give up
Sometimes the hardest voices arent from starngers
Some of you have been told by your family to giveup
See who we surround ourselves with this 20206 can make us or break us
It can push us or hold us back
We need to be selective with the people we let pour into us
We need to be surrounded by spirit led people
We see Jobs response
Job 2:10
'He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not
trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. '
Job refused to abandon God
Not every season is about God fixing things
Some seasons are about God forming you
Jobs friends show up later and they beggan to tell him
“You must of done something wrong”
“This is your fault”
But Job continues to be honest
Throughout a few chapters Job cries
He questions
He vents
And God doesnt rebuke Job for being honest
After a few chapters of pain and suffering from Job
God finally speaks to Job
-God doesnt give him explanations or a list of reasons
But God reminds Job who he is
God is saying:
“Job,im still in control”
Even when you dont see it
Even when you dont understand it
And Job realizes something
God never left
God never lost control
God never stopped being God
STAND
Job 42:10
'After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much
as he had before.
God restores Job
But there is a key: Job didnt stay faithful because he knew the ending
He stayed faithful because he trusted God with every step
As we step into this new year I dont know what you might face
But i could tell you one thing
-God i still the same God
-God is still faithful
-God is still near
As we come to a close i would like to make a very special altar call
This altar is open to anyone
-who wants to trust God in a new level