January 5, 2026

Will SUFFERING be your WRECKING BALL or CROWN 👑

Philippians 1:29 “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Ephraim Meaning- “Fruitful, fertile, or productive”
A reminder that God uses affliction and hardship to produce spiritual growth, character, and blessings, echoing themes in Romans 8:28. 

Menassah Meaning- “Causing to forget”
The name reflects a shift from suffering to divine favor while being in the presence and will of God, where the past troubles are erased.

When we invite God into our pain, He can bring life from the most hopeless situations.