Have you ever felt like following Jesus should make life easier—but it hasn’t? Maybe you’ve done everything right, yet things still fall apart: you lose your job, your health fails, a relationship breaks down. It’s easy to think, “I tried Jesus, and it didn’t work.” The problem isn’t that Jesus failed us—it’s that we sometimes expect Him to promise things He never did. Jesus never said life would be comfortable. He never promised health, wealth, or hassle-free living. Instead, He told us that in this world we will have trouble—but that we can still have peace, because He has overcome the world.

BIG IDEA: A faith that has been tested is a faith that can be trusted.