Consider It Pure Joy
A tornado traps the gang in a pile of rubble. How are they going to get out, and why is Lucille acting so strangely?
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: God’s presence in the midst of hard times.
1. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2). A “trial” is a time of suffering or struggle in someone’s life. Trials often test a person’s faith and patience. Why would the Bible say that facing a trial is a good thing (pure joy)?
2. Acts 16:16-40 tells of the great trial of Paul and Silas. They sat bruised and bleeding in the middle of a dark jail. Their feet were in stocks so they couldn’t stand or move very much at all. But even in this difficult circumstance, the Bible tells us that Paul and Silas were “praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them.” You can listen to their whole story here.
After you listen
Memory Verse
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds”
Quiz
A: Oatmeal for breakfast, rain cancels field day at school, and his dog runs away.
A: His Z-box game console broke and he has to wait to get a new one.
A: There is a bad storm and they take cover under a bridge near an old warehouse.
Reflect
In this story, Liz and the gang were trapped in a collapsed building. What a horrible experience for them all. But Lucille began singing worship songs.
We know we can always pray to God, but not all of us sing songs to God when we are scared. And yet, singing the praise songs connected Paul and Silas to God’s power and love. The songs gave Paul and Silas courage to face whatever happened next. They also found peace in the knowledge that God was still in control of everything!
What about you? Do you have some songs of praise memorized that you can sing to yourself (and to God) the next time you find yourself in a scary place? Be prepared for any scary situation with a song of praise!
Want to dig deeper and learn more about ways to praise God during hard times? Check out 2 Timothy 2:8-9; Isaiah 25:4; Psalm 142:5-7
Challenge
Here are the lyrics to the song that Lucille and Liz sang during the episode. As a family, sing this song together through the next week. Search online for videos or downloads of the song “Awesome God”.
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Michael W. Smith - Awesome God Lyrics
