Life is hard.

This week, I saw many middle school students impacted by their first real tragedy. A Hudson Middle School teacher who also attended our church was arrested for showing an inappropriate video to a middle school boy. This teacher was so devastated that a few days later, he took his own life. Most middle school students cannot wrap their minds around such a tragic series of events with someone they knew and looked up to. I had the task of ministering to students impacted by this tragedy. My job, as their pastor, was to help them by responding biblically, but the bottom line is that this is terrible. For the first time, middle school students began to realize that life is hard. It's so important to remind them that Jesus himself said, "In this world, you will have trouble." I mean Jesus has given a ton of incredible promises throughout Scripture, but this one is not so easy to swallow. The truth is...life is hard and this won't be the last tragedy some of these students experience throughout their life. Let's not lie to them...let's not tell them following Christ equals an easy life. They must know the truth. But let's also make sure we finish Jesus words in John 16:33. It says, "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Followers of Jesus live with a hope that all terrible things in life will come to an end because Jesus has overcome it all.