Pathway to Victory

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Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory and Dr. Robert Jeffress.

We're dedicated to bringing you bold biblical teaching that transforms your life and strengthens your walk with God.

And you can study God's word alongside Dr. Jeffress in person on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

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Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking majesty of massive glaciers rising from crystal blue waters or stood in awe as bald eagles soar over snow-capped mountains?

I want you to experience these unforgettable moments with me on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th, 2026.

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Join Dr. Jeffress and the Pathway to Victory family for a spectacular seven-day adventure aboard Holland America's luxurious Koningsdam.

Indulge in elegant staterooms, world-class dining, and expansive decks perfect for breathtaking views.

Visit historic ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, where wilderness and frontier history await.

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There's something powerful about connecting with God and fellow believers in the majesty of his untamed wilderness. I truly believe this journey will refresh you spiritually, physically and emotionally.

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Cabins are filling quickly, so reserve yours today. To book your spot on the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

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Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program.

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On today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

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Count it all joy when you encounter various trials and that leads to the value of trials. How can we consider it all joy? Here's why you can consider it joy knowing that the testing of your produces endurance.

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Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. Trials are an inevitable part of life, even for Christians. But how we respond to those trials reveals something profound about our faith.

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress helps us develop the spiritual strength to stand firm when the storms of life hit as we view trials from God's perspective.

But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates.

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Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. In the modern world, we're inclined to pursue comfort at any cost. We don't step into the shower until the water's warm. We grow impatient when our microwave doesn't heat up our dinner quickly enough.

But here's the tragedy. Our inclination to dodge discomfort has weakened our spiritual resolve. In fact, when troubles hit, most people instinctively run away from God instead of running to Him; they shake their fist at heaven rather than fall on their knees in surrender.

But James reveals the first test of genuine salvation: Do your trials drive you toward God or away from Him? Listen closely today because I'm going to show you how to completely shift your response to life's inevitable storms.

In addition to this teaching series on radio, I've also written a brand new book for you. It would make a great choice for your personal devotions or your small group Bible study at church. My book is called *How to Know if You're Really Saved: A Study in the Book of James*. James is intensely practical, and in my book, you'll discover how your faith will impact your response to difficulties, your speech patterns, and your relationship with other believers.

Let me send you my book, *How to Know if You're Really Saved*. I'll be pleased to do that when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. We'll share more details about my book and other resources for this study in James later in today's program.

But right now, let's turn to James chapter one. I titled today's message "Triumph Over Troubles."

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Now remember, James was the first book of the New Testament that was written. James says, do you allow trials to drive you away from God or toward God? And so James addresses how we respond to trials beginning in verse two. He begins by sharing two truths about trials. Look at verse two of chapter one. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. Will you write this down and remember it forever? Trials are certain. Trials are absolutely certain. Secondly, trials are diverse. Count it all joy when you encounter various trials. And that leads to the value of trials. How can we consider it all joy?

Now, let me be clear. What James is not saying, he's not saying when you're on the Dallas North Tollway and a tire blows out to say, "Isn't this wonderful?" James isn't a masochist; he's not a stoic. But that word "consider," it's an interesting word. It means to lead. He's saying your leading thought, your final thought needs to be one of joy. It's not that there's not hurt; sorrow or fear are not also present in your life. But the leading thought is one of joy. What is joy? It's different than happiness. Happiness is a superficial emotion. I tell people happiness depends upon happenings. Your happiness, if it's tied to happenings, can change very quickly. But joy is that settled resolve that God is doing something in our life. He's at work, even though in the darkness we can't always see what he's up to.

That's what he means in verse three. Here's why you can consider it joy, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Now let's look thirdly at the reason for trials. We've talked about two truths about trials. They are certain and diverse. We've talked about the value of trials. It strengthens us and gives us endurance. But what about the reason for trials? Even though intellectually we know that the trial may be working for some future great purpose, we still can't help but ask the question, why? Why is this happening?

Look at verse five. James says, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." People say, why is he talking about wisdom here? No, wisdom in light of the trials. It's a wisdom tied to your trials. If you want wisdom, the ability to see your life from God's presence point of view, ask God to give you wisdom. Now, let me be clear. What he's not saying, he's not saying God will tell you all the specifics about why this is happening to you and why this is happening now. That's not what he's promising.

In fact, we make a big mistake when we try to explain why God is doing something when God hasn't explained it. Remember in Luke 13, some people came to Jesus and asked about why it was that some worshipers in the temple had been slaughtered by Pilate. Why did God allow that to happen? Jesus didn't answer their question. He said, "Do you think that those who were slaughtered were worse sinners than those who weren't killed?" And Jesus said, "Let me ask you about another situation. I'll go ahead and bring it up myself. What about that Tower of Siloam that fell the other day and killed 18 people? Do you think those who were killed were worse sinners than the others?"

We make a big mistake when we try to explain why God has done something when God hasn't planned it. Why are those fires hitting Los Angeles? Oh, it's all those sinners in Los Angeles. What about the hurricane in North Carolina? Well, there are a lot of sinners in North Carolina. I remember so well about 10 years ago, there was an earthquake in Haiti that killed thousands of people. A famous televangelist got on the air and proclaimed it was because of the idolatry of the Haitians. That's why when somebody pointed out to him there were many Christians in Haiti who were also killed in the earthquake. We better not try to answer for God when God hasn't spoken clearly.

So we shouldn't expect always that God is going to give us an answer for the why. But I think he is saying that there are some general answers that we ought to seek when we are going through a time of suffering. These are three questions you ought to ask yourself for God's wisdom on when you're going through any trial.

Number one, am I responsible in any way for this trial? Now, I'm not saying everything you and I go through is a result of sin, but sometimes it is. And we ought to at least ask God the question, is this happening because of anything in my life that is displeasing to you? If so, we can claim the promise of 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Second question when you're going through a trial: is there anyone who's experienced a similar problem that I could talk with? You know, if you've been abandoned by your mate, if you've lost a child or a grandchild, if you've experienced bankruptcy, you're not the first Christian who's gone through that. And that's one reason we are together in a church, so that we can encourage one another and strengthen one another.

By the way, one reason God gives you certain problems is so that you can experience his strength and share that strength with other Christians in the future who are going through a similar problem. That's what Paul means when he says in Second Corinthians 1, verses 3 and 4: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us." Literally, that word "comfort" means "strengthen," who strengthens us in all of our affliction so that we will be able to strengthen those who are in any affliction with the same strength with which we have been strengthened by God. One reason God may be allowing you to go through this problem is so that you'll have a future ministry with those who are experiencing the same thing.

A third question: is there any positive benefit that might come from this tragedy? I think there's everything right with asking God to reveal to you any benefit that could come from this tragedy. I think a good illustration of that is Joseph. In the Old Testament, we often use the story of Joseph as a story of God's forgiveness and restoration. You remember his story. He was left for dead by his brothers and sold into slavery, ended up in Egypt, was falsely accused of rape, ended back up in prison, and was forgotten there. But through a miraculous set of circumstances, he became the prime minister of Egypt.

And you remember, decades later, he met his brothers and remember his words to them: "You meant it for evil, but God used it for good." I don't think Joseph came to that conclusion at the moment he first saw his brothers. I don't think suddenly he said, "Oh, I forgive you. Oh, now I see how it's all worked together." I think for decades Joseph had been seeing gradually how these pieces of a jigsaw puzzle were working together. They were starting to form an image of what God's purpose was in Joseph's life. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so quick to forgive his brothers when he saw them.

I think when we're going through a trial, we can ask the question, "Lord, what might you be doing in my life? Can I see any positive benefit?" Sometimes, not all the time, sometimes God gives us an advanced preview of what he's doing in our life as a result of this trial. But regardless of whether he gives us that information or not, we can always claim the promise of Romans 8:28: "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose."

Now, in verses six to eight, James offers a word of warning about when we pray for wisdom or pray for anything. When we pray, we must ask in faith without any doubting. For the one who doubts is like the wind of the storm driven and tossed by the wind. That man ought not to expect that he will have anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all of his ways. Whenever we pray, we need to pray in faith.

Now faith, remember, is not the assurance that God is going to do what we want him to do. We don't know if God's going to do what we want or not. To say you have to conjure up this positive emotion that God's going to do it, God's going to do it, that's presumption; that's not faith. No, faith means the confidence that God is going to do what he has promised to do. That's true faith. It is boldly asking God for what is in our hearts, but quietly resting in God's will. Not my will, but your will be done.

William Barclay says every Christian is a walking civil war, battling, constantly trusting God and distrusting God, constantly battling, resting in God's will and wrestling with God's will. If we're going to have God answer our prayer for wisdom or anything in life, we have to pray in faith, quietly resting in God's plan for our life. Otherwise, we're the double-minded person, unstable in all our ways.

When I read that, I think about Elijah, whom James is going to talk about in chapter five. But remember Elijah on Mount Carmel? He said to the Jews who were starting to engage in Baal worship, "How long? How long are you going to hesitate between two opinions?" That word "hesitate between two opinions" is a word picture in Hebrew of a bird that's walking on the branch of a tree and comes to a fork in that branch and has to decide which way it's going to go. He said to the Jews, "How long are you going to hesitate between two opinions? If Baal is really God, go ahead and serve him with all of your heart. If Yahweh is God, serve him with all of your heart. But don't try to serve both. Don't be double-minded."

We have to come to a conclusion in our life, ladies and gentlemen. Do we want God's will? Do we really trust it? Do we really believe God knows what's best? Do we want God's will or our will? Quit hesitating between two opinions.

We've seen the value of trials. We've seen James talking about the wisdom of trials. He gives one final word before the last topic in verses 9 to 11, and they seem out of place, these verses. Listen to this: "But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position, and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass, and its flowers fall off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. So too the rich man is in the midst of his pursuits and will fade away."

Why all this talk about the rich and the poor? James is going to talk about our attitude toward money later in the letter, but here's what he's saying. Contrary to what the Jews thought, being rich did not mean you were favored by God. Being poor didn't mean you were being judged by God. But that's what the Jews believed. They believed if you had money, it was a sign of God's blessing. If you didn't have money, it was a sign of God's curse. James is saying, don't fall for that. It doesn't matter whether you're rich or poor. Your financial status is not a sign of God's favor or disfavor because it could change your financial status at any moment.

Peter Lowe is a motivational speaker, and he one time asked his audience, "If I could guarantee you that in 30 days you would be a millionaire, how many of you would sign up for that deal?" Everybody raised their hand. He said, "Now suppose I told you, in 30 days I can make you a millionaire, but you'll only be a..."

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Millionaire for a day.

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After that, you'll be bankrupt for the rest of your life. How many of you would do it then? Nobody raised their hand. James is simply saying, here our financial status, whether it's rich or poor, is temporary. The day is coming that all that matters is what we have with God in our relationship with him.

Finally, James talks about, after talking about the value of trials, the reason for trials, and he talks about the reward for trials. Blessed, verse 12. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Blessed Makarios. Same word that you see in the Sermon on the Mount that James' older brother Jesus gave. Happy, more accurately joyful, is the person who perseveres under the trial. Why? Because once he's been approved, there's that word again. Dokimos, approved, tested, he will receive the crown of life.

In other words, there are two reasons we can rejoice in trials. One is a present reason, the benefit it is to us right now. It's making us stronger, able to stand in the midst of the storm. But there's a future reason, too. There is a reward, a crown of life. That crown is the Stephanos, the victor's crown. It refers to one of our rewards in heaven. Did you know there are seven different crowns mentioned in the Bible? Now, whether these crowns are literal crowns or they're symbolic of some kind of reward, I don't know for sure. I think they're actually both. I think they're literal crowns, but they were also symbolizing something that will last for all eternity, a special privilege in heaven.

But the Bible says one day we're all going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one of us may be rewarded for what we've done in the body in this life, whether it be good or worthless. And one of those rewards is for refusing to abandon our faith when we experience a trial, not just martyrdom, but any kind of trial in life. When we say, I am not going to allow this to drive me away from God, I'm going to allow it to drive me closer to God. There is a future reward for those who endure.

You know, it's been well said. If you will tell me ahead of time that the road is difficult, then every bump and jolt along the way will remind me I'm headed in the right direction. James says the road of this life is difficult. There are a lot of bumps and jolts, but when you go through those bumps and jolts, it means you're headed in the right direction. But those bumps and jolts in and of themselves can be of benefit to you right now. It may result those trials in a strengthening of your faith for the future. It may be as an encouragement to other Christians. That's why God's allowing you to experience this. It may be as a witness to unbelievers.

But never forget, God is working through this trial. He's got his eye on the clock, his hand on the thermostat. And remember this above all, that God is not some distant deity who has no idea of what we're experiencing, but he took on human form in the person of Jesus Christ. And there is nothing you're experiencing right now that Jesus didn't experience as well. And that's why Hebrews chapter four says, for we don't have a high priest Jesus, who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, he was tested in all points as we are, and yet without sin. Let us therefore come with confidence to the throne of grace that we might receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

That's how to experience triumph over troubles. Yes, we have the assurance that God causes all things to work together for good. But it's not for everyone. It's to those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Only those who are related to God as his spiritual children have this promise that all things work together for good. Are you a child of God? There's only one way to join his family. It's by faith in Jesus Christ, specifically trusting that Christ died to forgive you and me of our sins so that we can have eternal life.

And so today I want to ask those of you here in our worship center, those of you watching or listening to this broadcast, is there a time...

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You can point to with absolute certainty.

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When you trusted in Jesus to be your savior? If not, I want to give you that opportunity right now.

Let me encourage you to pray this prayer in your heart as I prayed out loud, knowing that God is listening to you.

Dear God, thank you for loving me. I know I have failed you in so many ways and I'm truly sorry for the sins in my life. But I believe what I've heard today.

You love me so much that you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross for me to take the punishment I deserve for my sins. And right now, I'm trusting in what...

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Jesus did for me.

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Not in my good works, but in what Jesus did for me to save me from my sins. Thank you for forgiving me and help me to live the rest of my life for you.

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In Jesus name.

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Amen.

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It's our prayer that you've made this life-changing decision to trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. If you've done that, would you please write and let me know? In any case, we're praying that today's study in James is preparing you to face whatever unwanted surprise might be in your future. Your troubles are designed by God not for your demise, but for your triumph.

I've written a comprehensive study on the Book of James that'll transform how you view your trials. By reading this book, you'll learn to see every trial as God's strengthening process. He's shaping you and preparing you. This book isn't filled with shallow, feel-good theology. It contains life-changing truth that reveals 10 biblical tests of genuine faith. And a copy is yours today when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Again, it's called "How to Know if You're Really Saved."

In closing, I want to share a word of encouragement to all who make these daily programs a reality. Henry wrote to us and said, "I always had doubts about my salvation, a misunderstanding about what true faith—saving faith—really is. I am not a person who cries, but when I heard one of your messages about salvation, I broke down right there. I finally understood what saving faith really is. I know I am saved now because I trust in the blood of Jesus Christ."

To those of you who support Pathway to Victory, Henry's story of spiritual victory involves you as well because you help make this ministry possible. Thanks so much. Here's David with all the details.

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When you contact Pathway to Victory with a generous gift, we'll send you "How to Know If You're Really Saved." That's the brand new book by Dr. Robert Jeffress based on our study from James. Give us a call toll-free at 866-999-2965 or give online at ptv.org. When your gift is $75 or more, you'll also receive the "How to Know If You're Really Saved" teaching series on both DVD and MP3 format audio discs. Again, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to write to us, here's that mailing address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. That's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins. When you find yourself on the verge of making a decision you know you'll regret, how do you find the power to say no? Learn how to handle temptation. That's Friday on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Experience the breathtaking majesty of America's last frontier on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

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This seven day journey combines spiritual growth with unforgettable adventures aboard a five star luxury cruise ship. It's a vacation you won't soon forget.

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Space is limited, so reserve your cabin today. Call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org.

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