Sour Grapes and the Justice of God - Romans 8:37

Welcome to another episode of Weekly Wisdom with Jeff Schreve, brought to you by Pray.com. In this inspiring episode, Pastor Jeff explores Romans 8:37 and its powerful message of overcoming adversity through faith. Join us as we navigate through life's tribulations, learning how to trust God, keep our eyes fixed on Him, and ultimately emerge as victors, not victims. Tune in for a reminder of God's unwavering love and how it empowers us to become more than conquerors in our spiritual journey.

Welcome to Weekly Wisdom, an inspirational series hosted by Pastor Jeff Schreve. Each week, Pastor Jeff illuminates different sections of the Holy Bible, meticulously extracting pivotal themes and life lessons that can enrich and uplift your daily life. 

This series invites you to delve deeper into understanding the scripture, offering a transformative platform for spiritual growth. As you navigate through this journey, you will be offered an opportunity to fortify your relationship with God, accompanied by Pastor Jeff's insightful guidance. 

Join us weekly as we engage in heartfelt prayer and foster a stronger connection to God, under the expert guidance of Pastor Jeff Schreve. Experience a profound transformation as you embrace the wisdom of the Bible, distilled for you, each week.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Romans chapter eight, verse thirty seven says this, in all
these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that
loved us. Let's pray together, Father in Heaven, thank you
for your word. Thank you for the promise that tells
us that in Jesus Christ, we're not victims. We're victors.

(00:21):
And all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who
loved us. And Lord, we know that we face lots
of difficulties in life, and people are facing difficulties right now.
You have said in the world you have tribulation, but
be of good courage. I have overcome the world. So Lord,
help us to trust you even in the dark times,
and help us to know that deliverance is coming. As

(00:45):
we walk with you and we keep our eyes fixed
on you, the author and perfector of faith in Jesus' name. Amen, Hi, friends,
Welcome to this episode of the Weekly Wisdom podcast from
pray dot Com. I'm Past Jeff Stree, the pastor of
First Baptist Church in Texas, Canada, Texas and the founder
of From His Heart Ministries. Wanted to read to you

(01:07):
from Romans chapter eight, verse thirty seven. In all these things,
Paul says, we are more than conquerors through Him that
loved us. I want to talk to you about the
real truth today concerning victimhood. What does the Bible say
about it. It's easy for you and me to blame

(01:29):
others for the difficulties in our life. It's always tempting
to shift the responsibility for our pitiful lot in life
to others and see ourselves just as innocent victims. That's
a game that the devil loves to play, and it
goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden,
the beginning of humanity, with Adam and Eve. You know,

(01:51):
when they sinned, they said to God, well, it's not
my fault. Adam blamed Eve, the woman whom you gave
me to be with me, she gave me a lie,
and i ate, and the woman blamed the serpent. The
serpent deceived me and i ate. Neither one of them
wanted to take responsibility for their own actions, and they

(02:11):
presented themselves to God as innocent victims of circumstance. Now,
as Christians, we are not meant to live as victims.
We are meant to live as Victor's overwhelming conquerors through
Jesus Christ. Now at my church here in Texarkana, Texas,
we had a dear lady who worked on her staff.

(02:33):
She gave her testimony one day before the church. She
had endured unspeakable evil as her mother turned her out
as a young child to prostitution. She had been used
and abused. She turned to drugs and alcohol and even
sex trafficking as a way to cope with all of pain.

(02:53):
But then she came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and he changed her from the inside out. When she
gave her testimony, she ended it by saying this, I
want everyone to know that I am not a victim.
I am a child of the King. She knew Romans
eight thirty seven. She knew that she was more than

(03:15):
a conqueror in Jesus Christ. Now, I love the fact
that this dear lady doesn't let what happened to her
in the past define who she is. She refuses to
see herself as a helpless victim who gets a past
to live in bitterness, hatred, and blame shifting. She refuses
to live the rest of her life as quote unquote

(03:36):
damaged goods. Now, no doubt what happened to her was
awful and so much of It was not her fault,
but it was her problem, and she had to take
that burden to the Lord and leave it with him.
And you and I can learn from her courage and
choose to take responsibility for our own lives. Joseph in

(03:57):
the Old Testament, in the Book of Genesis, he's another
example of someone who faced incredible hardships, and he could
have easily played the blame game. He was sold into
slavery by his own brothers. And if that's not bad enough,
he was wrongly accused of rape, a crime that he
didn't commit that landed him in prison. Yet Joseph didn't

(04:20):
lash out in bitterness over those who wronged him. He
didn't blame everybody for his situation. He trusted God and
he said God placed him where he was for a reason,
for a purpose, and he remained steadfast in his faith.
No doubt. It can be difficult to take responsibility for
our own lives, especially when we've faced tragedy or injustice.

(04:43):
But when we choose to put our faith in the Lord,
that's when we can find peace and strength in the
midst of the worst of situations and circumstances. Hey, it's
time to put an end to the blame game and
start embracing the power that comes from being at child
of the King. Now Here are some questions for you
to consider this week. Are you playing the blame game

(05:07):
in one or more areas of your life? Are you
covering any broken pieces of your heart with the label
of victim? Would you be brave enough to come to
the Lord and do business with him concerning these hurts
from your past. It's never easy, but it's always worth it.

(05:27):
The Bible says that God is near to the broken hearted,
and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. You've
been listening to Pastor Jeff Shree, the pastor of First
Baptist Church in Texas Andada, Texas, and the founder from
his Heart Ministries. May the Lord bless you and keep you,
and make his face shine upon you, and be gracious
to you and grant you peace