Locations & Times

What if the faithfulness Jesus asks of you isn't measured by what you'd die for, but by what you're willing to lose today?

This message walks through Jesus' letter to the church in Smyrna from Revelation 2—a group of believers facing real persecution, real poverty, and real fear. Unlike most of the seven churches, Jesus doesn't rebuke them. He acknowledges their pain, names their suffering, and then challenges them to stay faithful anyway. The core question isn't whether you'll face hardship. It's whether you'll trust that the end of the story is already written—and that the end is victory.

Whether you're in a season of grief, walking through something that feels impossible to survive, or just quietly wondering if your faith is real enough to hold up under pressure, this message is for you. Jesus wrote a letter to people in pain, and it still speaks.

In this message you'll discover:

• Why having faith is free but being faithful always costs something
• How knowing "the End" gives you the strength to endure "the middle" of your story
• What Jesus' letter to Smyrna reveals about suffering, persecution, and His presence in your pain
• The true story behind the hymn "It Is Well" and what it looks like to trust God when everything falls apart

Ben Foote
June 28th, 2026

// Bible References: Revelation 2:8-11, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 2:9, Revelation 2:10, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 21:1-5

// Community Question: What's the longest you've ever had to wait for something you were excited about?

       Was it worth the wait?

// Discussion Questions

1. Ben described how the Christians in Smyrna faced serious consequences — lost businesses, friendships, and even their lives — simply because they refused to worship anyone other than Jesus. What do you think it would feel like to live in a place where your faith put everything you had at risk?

2. There is a distinction between 'having faith' and 'being faithful,' saying that having faith is free but being faithful always costs something. What do you think the difference is between those two things, and why does that distinction matter?

3. Ben said, 'We can only endure the middle of our stories when we know the end.' He pointed to Revelation 21:1-5 as a picture of that ending — where God wipes every tear away and makes everything new. How does knowing how the story ends actually help someone get through the hard middle parts of life?

4. Horatio Spafford wrote 'It Is Well' after losing his son, his finances in the Great Chicago Fire, and then all four of his daughters in a shipwreck. Ben used his story to illustrate how someone can choose trust and worship even in the deepest grief. What do you think makes it possible for a person to say 'it is well' when their life feels anything but well?

// Challenge: Identify one area where you've been asking Jesus to change your circumstances. This week, ask Him instead to strengthen your faithfulness in the middle of those circumstances.