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b'Where do you find peace? How do you react when you\\u2019re faced with challenges and situations that are anything but peaceful?\\nWhen Paul and Silas were in prison, they still praised God. They had an inner peace that was not defined by their circumstances. They knew that God was still good, despite their chains.\\nWhen Stephen was being put to death by stoning, he had peace. He even prayed that those who were killing him would be forgiven. Stephen died at their hands, but he knew that this was not the end. He trusted in God, and he saw Jesus alive at the right hand of God!\\nIn this life, we will face hard things. Maybe our situation won\\u2019t be exactly like the examples above, but maybe it will feel just as hard. This world is not perfect, and no one, not even the most mature Christians, are immune to pain and suffering.\\nWhen we as Christians face hard times, we can put our hope in God. We can find peace in Him. Jesus said in John 16 that He has come to give us peace. Jesus invites us to bring our pain and suffering to Him in honest lament. He acknowledges that we will have struggles in this world, but Jesus also reminds us He has overcome the world. We can have peace because of that! \\u2022 Bethany Acker\\n\\u2022 Do you struggle to find peace in the hard times? Which stories in the Bible help you see God\\u2019s goodness in the midst of struggles? \\n\\u2022 How do you draw near to God when you\\u2019re experiencing pain and suffering? If you\\u2019re not sure, who is a trusted Christian you can talk to? \\n\\u2022 How might remembering Jesus\\u2019 finished work on the cross and His current place of authority give you hope?\\n\\u2022 Because God is so good, He can use even something as terrible as suffering to bring about good things. In Christ, what are some things suffering can produce (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4)? \\nI have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nRomans 13:12; Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:5-9'