At Alive Church, we recently launched our At The Movies series by watching Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and the clips we showed featured some of Ethan Hunt’s most challenging moments. Replacing a computer chip deep underwater, driving from a band of bad guys in motorcycles and hanging off the side of an airplane were some of the highlights.
As impossible as his situations were, he and his team came through and defeated their enemy each time. While action films like the Mission: Impossible movies are fun to watch, they can also serve as a reminder that even when we think success is impossible, it’s really just within our reach when we invite Jesus to help.
By referencing the Bible and watching parts of the movie, we learned three ways that, with God’s help, we can overcome our own “impossible” situations:
1. Stay Alert
God’s enemy—and our enemy—Satan is constantly working to “steal, kill and destroy” God’s perfect plan for our lives (see John 10:10). In 1 Thessalonians 5:6and 1 Peter 5:8-9, we’re told to “stay alert” against him, which means staying strong in our faith.
2. Step out in Faith
In John 16:33, Jesus acknowledges that we will have to endure “many trials and sorrows” while living on Earth, but he also assures us that He has “overcome the world.” With those words and with His love, we can be confident to step out in faith by obeying him and trusting the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and direction, even when we’re being tested (see James 1:3-4).
3. Strengthen Relationships
When we try to overcome challenges on our own, we’re bound to fail. Seeking Jesus through every joy and every sorrow strengthens our resilience and seeking the counsel of others can make us even stronger against our “impossible” situations. Remember that there is strength in numbers (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) and that we can feel empowered when we ask Jesus for help since he has authority over everything (see Matthew 28:18).
Come to Alive Church this weekend to see how more blockbuster movies can show us biblical truths as we continue At the Movies. Keep in mind that we cannot archive our talks during At The Movies because of copyright laws. So, join us on campus or online Saturday at 5 pm and Sunday at 9:30 am or 11 am.
In Christ,
Jeff