When Life Gets Hard, Stand Firm
Practical reminders from 1 Peter for growing your faith, enduring difficult seasons, and trusting the God who will never fail you.

Tim Dye • Lead Pastor
August 7, 2026

3 Minute Read

I have to admit that some seasons in life are harder than others. At first when I first came to faith in Jesus, I developed a super hero mindset that viewed hardship as something I was going to be immune from. Funny this is, I thought that being a Christian meant that I was not ever going to actually have to stand firm in times of my life. Somehow in my little christian bubble, i hadn’t fully realized that the muscle of faith grows in hardship. 

For so many of us here at Freedom, this has been a season of difficulties. From accepting the fact that change is happening and going through health battles to trusting God for what you can’t see in the here and now. I see you, friends. Navigating through trials is never easy and now in my life I see just how important it is to find inspiration.  Listen, in the midst of struggle, we must find inspiration that develops our faith. 

So what do we do when life is hard and things don’t seem to be going like we think they should? I offer a simple yet practical guide for giving us motivation to stand firm. 

The Apostle Peter writes to the first century followers of Christ in an attempt to strengthen them from turning back, surrendering and giving in. Here is my reminder to you from 1 Peter:

He’s reminding the believers that God’s great mercy through Christ is proof that they are born again and have a priceless inheritance. This is kept in heaven for us and it’s beyond change and decay! 

Trials reveal a faith that is genuine. He says’ “So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor…  Friends, we must have faith in the God who saves!  “Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him with a glorious, inexpressible joy”

After we commit our lives to Christ, we sometimes feel a pull back to our old ways. Simply put, our focus and priorities must be His. Rely on God’s power to free you from giving up and giving in so you can truly live to show others that God can be trusted. 

Recently God gave me a reminder to allow Christ to receive the glory of my sufferings. This is exactly what Peter is saying…”God is pleased with you”,  when we do this. Christ Jesus is our example who “left his case in the hands of God”. That is powerful. Can we just leave our case in the hands of God like Jesus did? Yes, we can! 

Let’s break up with a theology that thinks the Christian life is rainbows and butterflies. Don’t get me wrong, this life in Christ is the best decision that you will ever make but hear the last words of Peter from 1 Peter 4:19. “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you”.

Peace to all of you, God’s word stands forever. 

Pastor Tim Dye

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From this Tag: Faith
August 10, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
August 10-14
5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide – August 10-14 “From Comfort to Commendation — Becoming a Vessel for the Living God” Day 1: The God Who Manifests Himself; Reading: Exodus 3:1-14 Devotional: God did not wait for Moses to conjure a religious experience. He showed up in an ordinary place and made it extraordinary. The burning bush was not a trick or a spectacle — it was the manifest presence of a God who refuses to remain distant when he has a purpose to accomplish. The great I Am revealed himself not because Moses had earned it, but because God initiates. Examine where you have been waiting for a feeling or a formula before drawing near to God. He is already present. The question is whether you are paying attention. Reflection: Where in your daily life might God be manifesting himself that you have overlooked because it seemed too ordinary? Application: Set aside ten minutes today in silence. Ask God to make his presence known, and resist the urge to fill the quiet with noise or distraction. Day 2: The Danger of Comfort; Reading: Revelation 3:14-22 Devotional: The letter to the church at Laodicea is one of the most sobering passages in all of Scripture. God does not commend their comfort — he confronts it. A church that is neither cold nor hot has made peace with mediocrity and called it stability. Comfort is not inherently sinful, but when comfort becomes the standard by which we measure our obedience, we have replaced the living God with a manageable one. The same God who confronted the seven churches in Revelation is still in the business of confrontation. He does not do it to shame you. He does it because he loves you enough to call you higher. Reflection: In what area of your spiritual life have you settled for comfort rather than pressing deeper into obedience? Application: Identify one habit or routine that has kept your faith shallow. Commit to replacing it this week with something that requires genuine trust in God. Day 3: Weapons That Are Not Worldly; Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 Devotional: Paul's appeal to the Corinthian church is urgent and personal. He understands that the greatest battles believers face are not fought with strategy, influence, or intellect. They are fought through prayer, obedience, and the demolition of every thought that sets itself against the knowledge of God. Opinions rooted in self-preservation, denominational habit, or fear are strongholds just as much as any obvious sin. Taking every thought captive is not passive — it is an act of spiritual warfare. The mind that is surrendered to Christ becomes a weapon against the very lies that once imprisoned it. Reflection: What recurring thought pattern most consistently pulls you away from full trust in God? Application: Write down one thought that has been resisting God's work in your life. Pray over it specifically and declare it surrendered to the obedience of Christ. Day 4: Stepping Out of the Boat; Reading: Matthew 14:22-33 Devotional: Peter did not step out of the boat because conditions were favorable. He stepped out because he heard the voice of Jesus and chose to respond. The moment his attention shifted from the voice to the waves, he began to sink. This is the pattern of every believer who starts well and falters — not because God moved, but because the noise of circumstance grew louder than the word that called them forward. Faith is not the absence of fear. Faith is the decision to move toward the voice of God even when every opinion you hold tells you to stay seated in the boat. Reflection: What is the boat you are currently unwilling to step out of, and what is the voice of God saying to you about it? Application: Take one concrete step today toward something God has been calling you to do that you have been delaying out of fear or comfort. Day 5: Boasting in the Lord — Walking Without Contradiction; Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:12-18 Devotional: Paul warns against the trap of self-commendation. A life measured against itself will always find a way to justify its own limitations. The standard is not what others are doing or what we have already accomplished — the standard is the Lord himself, and the commendation that matters is his alone. The church that wants to grow must first become what it proclaims. Faith that increases in private will always enlarge the ministry in public. There is no version of authentic witness that tolerates contradiction between Sunday confession and Monday conduct. The God who commended Abraham, Moses, and Peter is ready to commend you. Reflection: Where does your private life contradict what you profess publicly about your faith? Application: Choose one area where your words and your actions have not aligned. Make a specific, measurable commitment to close that gap this week and ask a trusted believer to hold you accountable.Share Your Prayer Request

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August 7, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
When Life Gets Hard, Stand Firm
I have to admit that some seasons in life are harder than others. At first when I first came to faith in Jesus, I developed a super hero mindset that viewed hardship as something I was going to be immune from. Funny this is, I thought that being a Christian meant that I was not ever going to actually have to stand firm in times of my life. Somehow in my little christian bubble, i hadn’t fully realized that the muscle of faith grows in hardship. For so many of us here at Freedom, this has been a season of difficulties. From accepting the fact that change is happening and going through health battles to trusting God for what you can’t see in the here and now. I see you, friends. Navigating through trials is never easy and now in my life I see just how important it is to find inspiration.  Listen, in the midst of struggle, we must find inspiration that develops our faith. So what do we do when life is hard and things don’t seem to be going like we think they should? I offer a simple yet practical guide for giving us motivation to stand firm. The Apostle Peter writes to the first century followers of Christ in an attempt to strengthen them from turning back, surrendering and giving in. Here is my reminder to you from 1 Peter: Live with great expectation. (1 Peter 1:3-4) He’s reminding the believers that God’s great mercy through Christ is proof that they are born again and have a priceless inheritance. This is kept in heaven for us and it’s beyond change and decay! Joy is ahead. (1 Peter 1:6-8) Trials reveal a faith that is genuine. He says’ “So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor…  Friends, we must have faith in the God who saves!  “Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him with a glorious, inexpressible joy” Don’t slip back into your old ways of living. (1 Peter 1:14-16) After we commit our lives to Christ, we sometimes feel a pull back to our old ways. Simply put, our focus and priorities must be His. Rely on God’s power to free you from giving up and giving in so you can truly live to show others that God can be trusted. Suffer for good and endure it patiently. (1 Peter 2:20-21) Recently God gave me a reminder to allow Christ to receive the glory of my sufferings. This is exactly what Peter is saying…”God is pleased with you”,  when we do this. Christ Jesus is our example who “left his case in the hands of God”. That is powerful. Can we just leave our case in the hands of God like Jesus did? Yes, we can! Let’s break up with a theology that thinks the Christian life is rainbows and butterflies. Don’t get me wrong, this life in Christ is the best decision that you will ever make but hear the last words of Peter from 1 Peter 4:19. “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you”. Peace to all of you, God’s word stands forever. Pastor Tim Dye

Tim Dye

Lead Pastor