Tested by Fire

In one paragraph

Brian opened the morning by connecting the California wildfires to two passages that, read together, reframe what fire does in a life. The message moved between Isaiah 43 and 1 Corinthians 3, with a stop in Revelation 3, to ask what we are building with and what will be left when the fire comes. The fires burning through Los Angeles were the entry point. Tens of thousands of structures gone,...

Read together

1. Isaiah 43:1-4 main text read aloud, God's promise to be with his people through deep waters and fire
2. James 4:7 quoted to show that drawing close to God causes the enemy to flee
3. 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 second main text, Paul's warning about building with wood hay or straw versus gold silver jewels
4. Psalm 23 congregation member connected 'walking through fire' to 'walking through the valley of the shadow of death'
5. Revelation 3:15-18 Jesus counsels the church in Laodicea to buy gold purified by fire

What was said

• Ask God to examine a specific area of your life this week and show you where you are building with wood, hay, and straw instead of something that lasts.
• When you pray for something you have been waiting on, pray with expectation rather than just going through the motions, trusting that God responds when we press in.
• If you have been avoiding an area of unconfessed sin or unfinished business with God, bring it to him plainly this week and let him clean it out.
• If you are new to Tribe and want to know more about the church, watch for the sign-up sheet next Sunday for the meet the tribe dinner on January 22.
• Find one of the sign-up sheets along the bar next Sunday and put your name down for an area where you could serve, whether that is Tribe Kids, setup and teardown, production, or worship.

Talk about it

1. Brian read Isaiah 43:2 and pointed out that the word 'when' appears repeatedly, not 'if.' What does that distinction mean to you personally, and how does it change the way you think about hard seasons you are going through or have been through?
2. Amanda noticed that Isaiah 43 says 'walk' through the fire, not sprint or stop and roll. What do you think it actually looks like in practice to walk, rather than panic, through a painful situation? Has there been a time when you managed to do that, or a time when you wish you had?
3. Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3 that fire will reveal whether a person built with gold, silver, and jewels or with wood, hay, and straw. Brian asked what we are investing our lives in. What is one area of your life where you feel confident you are building with durable materials, and one area where you are less sure?
4. Brian described inviting the refiner's fire into your own life before the final judgment, using the image of a practice test with the answer key right in front of you. What does it look like practically to invite that kind of honest examination from God, and what makes it hard to do?
5. In Revelation 3, Jesus tells the church in Laodicea to buy gold from him that has been purified by fire. Brian connected that to surrendering your gifts, skills, and priorities to the lordship of Jesus rather than using them for your own agenda. Is there something you are holding onto right now that you sense God is asking you to lay down? What makes it difficult to let go?