No one can take away your joy and your trouble!

John 16:22 "So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

This Sunday I had the privilege to share with our students that no one will take away their joy if they are in a relationship with Jesus Christ! I also had the privilege to share with them that no one will take away their trouble. I reminded them that the peace Jesus offers us in this world doesn't take away the trouble. For us to know His peace we must know trouble. You can't know one without knowing the other. The peace Jesus offers is peace right in the middle of trouble. Therefore, we all can take heart because on the cross Jesus made our trouble His trouble. It was for the "joy set before Him" (Heb.12:2) that Jesus died. It's in the "taking up your cross" and "walking the Calvary" experiences of life that Jesus' peace is most present with us and able to give us the greatest joy!

There is no question that this message challenged me more than it did the students.