OPENING ACTIVITY: My Response to Difficulties

After students arrive, ask them to think of a difficult circumstance in life they experienced recently or face now. Then ask them to think of a few words or a slogan that they could print on a plaque or t-shirt that would give them a laugh or inspire them to persevere through these hard times. Write some of their responses on a board or sheet of newsprint. They might say something such as “He Was There All the Time” or “God Came Through—Again!”

As you close this time say, “Today, let’s learn about individuals who are facing serious difficulties in their lives, and how God’s blessing has affected their response to hard times.”

OPENING STORY: Read aloud or pass out copies for students to read.

TWO WOMEN CONFRONT CANCER WITH PEACE, JOY, AND HOPEFULNESS

The daughter of the late Rev. Billy Graham and a well-known country music star are both fighting cancer with hopefulness and a peace that only God can give.

Anne Graham Lotz has said that she has “no fear of death” as she goes through chemotherapy in her fight against cancer.

“My heart aches for the multitude of people who have also dealt with this deadly disease. Yet I am praising God for His keeping power and for your prayers that I know are sustaining me in a constant state of peace, joy, and expectancy of blessings along the way,” Lotz wrote on her website.

“I have been told that my prognosis is excellent. But to be honest, even if it wasn’t, I can truthfully say I have no fear of death. None at all,” she added. “My perspective is the same as the Apostle Paul when he declared, ‘For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21). As my brother-in-law, Dr. Denton Lotz, stated when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the same time I was diagnosed with breast cancer, we are in a win-win situation.”

As inspiration for her state of mind, she shared Hebrews 2:14-15, which also talks about not fearing death. “Since the children have flesh and blood, He [Jesus], too, shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death— that is, the devil—and free those, who all their lives, were held in slavery by their fear of death,” the passage reads.

The AnGel Ministries evangelist said that she is still confident that God “will walk with me each step of the way until He sees me safely through!” Lotz revealed this past September that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent surgery on September 18, which she said at the time, “went well.”

She wrote then, “Cancer seemed contained with none apparently in the lymph nodes. Praise God! I stayed overnight and returned home this morning. Thank you for your prayers. God has poured out His blessing. I’m at peace with joy and expectancy that this is a journey He wants me on. I love following the Shepherd.”

Lotz has said that the hardest thing for her is facing up to the necessity of clearing her schedule. “I will have to cancel commitments throughout next year in order to take the cancer treatments. As I looked ahead at the calendar, I could almost audibly hear the ‘click’ of the Divine pruning shears,” she wrote. “I’m confident that the Gardener knows exactly what He’s doing. I’m more expectant than ever of bearing much eternal fruit. For His glory.”

Christian country music star Jo Dee Messina says she is “leaning on God” to walk her through cancer a year after revealing to her fans that she is battling the disease. She has released new music inspired by her battle.

“I’m leaning on God,” Messina told People magazine. “I’m letting Him take charge. It’s what’s best for my soul right now. Every biopsy and every result…it feels like an eternity goes by. I know that God has me. I’m filled with gratitude and joy.”

While Messina did not reveal details of her treatment plan when she announced her cancer in September 2017, her team highlighted how her faith kept her anchored in the early days of her diagnosis.

Her team said in a statement, “As many of you know, Jo Dee is a believer who feels blessed to be surrounded by the love of God—a love that has brought her the inner peace. On her lowest of low days, she has been able to see God’s hand at work and feel His love as she continues her walk. It is because of our Father’s love that she has been able to find the beauty in the days that could have brought her the most fear, gratitude in moments that most would call unfair, and companionship during times she might feel the loneliest,”

While drawing strength from God, the 48-year-old mother of two boys (Noah, 9, and Jonah, 6) revealed a bit of the battle she is facing. “Sometimes I need help getting dishes down from the shelf,” she said. “I let my kids see my weakness, as much as I let them see my joy of life.”

Her battle forced her to take time off from classes at The King’s University and postpone tour dates, but she pushed forward with the release of her new single, “Reckless Love,” which has a strong Christian theme.

“I heard this song in 2017 as part of a package from Bethel Music and watched a version of it on YouTube,” she recalls of the song, written by Cory Asbury, Caleb Culver, and Ran Jackson. “This song took the wind out of me. It was then released to radio (by Asbury) and I was like, ‘It’s that song again.’ It resonates with my soul and my spirit, especially considering as many mistakes I have made.”

The song inspired her so much, she decided to push through her pain to record a version for the country music audience.

“It tells the news that people need to know, that God provides a love that we will never understand,” she said. “Human love is so conditional. His love isn’t.”

Now have your students form small groups to discuss their answers to these questions.

• How do Lotz and Messina find the strength to “walk through this journey” of cancer diagnosis and treatment? 

• How could their response to fear help others facing life-threatening circumstances? 

• When have you found it difficult to share about your hard circumstances with other Christians? 

• How do you respond when another Christian displays anger at God or at your church when he or she experiences hard times?

News Sources:
Leonardo Blair:
https://www.christianpost.com/news/country-star-jo-dee-messina-says-shes-leaning-on-god-through-cancer-battle-228010/

Stoyan Zamiov:
https://www.christianpost.com/news/anne-graham-lotz-declares-she-has-no-fear-of-death-as-she-begins-chemotherapy-228002/