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AfterThoughts: October 19, 2025

October 19, 2025
By Faith Alone
John 4:46–54

This week, Dr. David Eldridge continued the series from the Gospel of John. In these verses, he expanded on one point:

  • When we get to the end of our rope, sometimes it’s the beginning of faith.

GOING DEEPER: 

  • In this week’s passage, we read about Jesus’ encounter with a desperate man who wants nothing more than for Jesus to save the life of his son. This man, who was a Roman royal official, traveled over six hours to find Jesus and plead for healing of his son. These verses display the very human emotion of desperation—when all other options have failed, every resource is tapped, and you’ve run out of strength. In what ways have you experienced being “at the end of your rope?" When you’ve walked through these seasons of desperation, what did you discover about your faith? About God’s provision?
     
  • Pastor David noted that John 4:52 mentions that when the father learns of the exact timing of his son’s healing the text tells us it was “yesterday.” This father, who so desperately rushed to find Jesus—suddenly knew the peace of having complete trust. His faith was not dependent on seeing his son restored with his own eyes, but rather on believing in the powerful words of Jesus that it would be so. When you stop to examine your life, do you find that it reflects your complete trust in Jesus? Or do you find that most days you are living a “breathless, frenetic, and anxious life?” What’s one area of your life you’d like to entrust to Jesus’ care this week and, in return, receive His peace?
     
  • Pastor David stated, “God is still in the business of using our difficulties to not only get our attention, but to deepen our allegiance and affection toward Him.” Just like physical muscles need to stretch and strain in order to grow, so does our faith in order to strengthen and deepen. God doesn’t promise to take away our difficult situations (not on this side of Heaven). But He does promise to use every single tear, sadness, and difficulty to help shape and grow us more and more into the image of Jesus (Romans 8:28). In light of this truth, is there a difficult relationship, surprising loss, hard diagnosis, or perhaps a continuing battle with sorrow or depression that you can understand now to be your spiritual “strength training of the soul?” How can you pray differently about these difficult circumstances this week?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 

  • To view past sermons, please click here.

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24–26

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