We had another very good message. Tonight, Preacher spoke on the ministry of suffering.
No one wants it. No one is going to volunteer to get cancer, go through financial ruin, to go through any pain or death. BUT, suffering, trials, and the valleys bring out the best in people. That is not saying every person who has been through at trial will make it because some people love their sin too much or they will just quit when it starts to get hot.

1 Peter 1:6-7

6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:18-19

18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1 Peter 2:7-8

7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1 Peter 4:12-13

12Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Peter, the precious preacher, was talking about value, not the lovey-dovey sense of the word. Jesus is precious, His blood is precious, our saving faith is precious. These are very valuable.

Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1. They prepare us to comfort others

* Sin and quitting keep miracles away
* It takes a battle to have victory
* Don't worry when you suffer
* You will be able to help others because sufferers make the best comforters

2. They bring us to the end of ourselves

* Phil 4:11 was written in a jail cell
* You don't learn contentment unless in the valley
* Trials make us humble, make us lean on Him, show our weaknesses

3. They keep us close to Him

* We have to look to Him for strength because our own will run out
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This helps me to keep things in the right view. Every person has gone through something. I know I have. We shouldn't want to have nothing to ever go wrong in our lives because then there would be no growth spiritually. I know that all too often I have tried to hold things on my own. Didn't work well, that's for sure.

It was a good message.