What do you do when life comes crashing in around you? What if you experienced what people who went through Hurricane Michael experienced? As I spent time preparing to teach this week's Explore the Bible Study: With Perseverance, I searched for video illustrations. As I read comments below the videos, my heart was saddened by the cold, callous, hardened hearts of so many. It seems that they hate God and hate people who love God. While they were making fun of the people of faith, the people of faith were trying to stand strong and demonstrate the hope they have in Christ. 

We must be a light to this dark world when faced with our own trials and temptations. We must stand strong and demonstrate that our trials make us stronger in our faith. Our witness and endurance demonstrate the light of Christ, the light of hope in the wake of dismal circumstances that will pierce the darkness of so many hearts. This is why the book of James is so important. We need to stand strong in our faith and demonstrate through our good works that Christ is real and that the gospel does change everything in our lives.

As you prepare to lead the session, consider using illustrations from one or both of the following recent events: Hurricane Michael and/or the release of Pastor Brunson from prison in Turkey. The downloadable teaching plans provide direction on how to use these events to guide the discussion.

In addition, the following videos could be used as well: