Series: GROWING IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD with Pastor Mark Finley
🌧️ Lesson 11: Setbacks
✨ God is faithful, even when we do not understand the way
Introduction:
Every person experiences times of disappointment, loss, illness, or unexpected challenges. Such setbacks can test our faith and raise questions about God’s guidance and love. In this lesson, we encounter people such as Job, the disciples in the storm, and the disciples on the road to Emmaus, all of whom went through difficult experiences. Their stories show that God is present even when we do not recognize Him or understand His ways. Setbacks do not have to be the end of our faith; rather, they can become opportunities to know God more deeply and to trust Him more. The Christian’s hope lies in the fact that Christ accompanies us through every storm and never leaves us alone.
Content:
🌊 11.1 Life’s Storms
Jesus is with us even in the storm
The story of the storm on the Sea of Galilee shows that even people who follow Jesus experience difficult times. While the disciples were overwhelmed by fear, Jesus slept peacefully in the boat because He trusted the Father completely. In their distress, the disciples did not doubt Jesus’ power, but His care: “Don’t You care?” We, too, sometimes ask this question when we experience crises. But the story reminds us that God’s silence does not mean that He is absent. Jesus is with us in the storm and can calm both the outer waves and the unrest in our hearts.
❤️ 11.2 Be Made Well
Faith reaches out to Jesus
The sick woman in Mark 5 is an impressive example of persistent faith in the midst of suffering and hopelessness. Although she had suffered for many years and had found no human help, she did not give up hope in Jesus. While many people merely crowded around Jesus, she deliberately reached out her hand toward Him and trusted that He could help her. It was not the touch itself that healed her, but her faith in His power and love. Jesus did not overlook her in the crowd, but gave her personal attention and healing. This story reminds us that we should not give up in our difficulties, but may come to Jesus in faith, because He sees our need and responds to sincere trust.
🌑 11.3 Job
Remaining faithful, even when we do not understand God’s ways
Job experienced some of the hardest setbacks a person can endure: he lost his possessions, his children, his health, and even the support of those closest to him. Nevertheless, he held on to God, even though he had no explanation for his suffering. His friends thought he must be to blame, but Job knew that his worth and his hope did not depend on human judgments. In the midst of his pain, he confessed his faith in the living Redeemer and trusted that God would ultimately act justly. His story shows that true faith does not depend on whether we understand everything, but on whether we trust God even in dark times. When we experience setbacks, we may remember that God’s love and faithfulness are greater than what we can currently see or feel.
🚶♂️ 11.4 The Road to Emmaus
Jesus accompanies us even when we do not recognize Him
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were disappointed and confused because their hopes seemed to have been shattered. They saw only the defeat of the cross, while Jesus had already won the victory over sin and death. Even when Jesus walked beside them, they did not recognize Him at first; yet He patiently explained the Scriptures to them and showed them God’s greater plan. We often experience setbacks in a similar way to the disciples of Emmaus and do not understand why certain things happen. But God sees the whole picture, while we often recognize only a small part. This story reminds us that Jesus is at our side even in our most difficult moments and wants to transform our doubts into trust.
👀11.5 See Jesus
Finding hope by fixing our eyes on Christ
The dream described shows the deep longing of the human heart for the presence of Jesus. It is especially moving that Jesus knows the person completely and yet receives them with love, acceptance, and the words, “Do not be afraid!” Often we focus on our worries, mistakes, and setbacks, but Jesus invites us to fix our eyes on Him. Romans 8:18 reminds us that the sufferings of the present cannot be compared with the future glory that God has prepared for us. And Romans 8:28 assures us that God can cause even difficult experiences to work together for good for those who love Him. This hope gives us the strength to keep going even in hard times and to trust that Jesus never loses sight of us.
🌈 11.6 Summary
God accompanies us through every crisis
Lesson 11 shows that setbacks, suffering, and disappointments are part of the life of a believer, but they never have the final word. Whether the disciples in the storm, the sick woman, Job, or the disciples of Emmaus — all experienced situations in which they initially could not understand God’s actions. Nevertheless, God remained close to them and often worked precisely in the most difficult moments of His life plan. The lesson reminds us that faith means trusting God even when we cannot recognize His ways. Jesus is present in our storms, in our suffering, and on our lonely roads. Whoever fixes their eyes on Christ finds hope, strength, and the certainty that God Himself can lead setbacks toward good.
