The document reflects on the biblical story of Job, emphasizing his unwavering faith amidst immense suffering and loss. It draws parallels between Job's trials and contemporary struggles, urging the audience to maintain integrity and trust in God despite hardships. The message highlights that adversity can ultimately serve a greater purpose and encourages praise in both good and bad times.

1. I Almost Cussed
SCREENS> Job 2:3-9 (NASB)
3The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant
Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless
and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil.
And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me
against him to ruin him without cause.” 4Satan answered
the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he
will give for his life. 5However, put forth Your hand now,
and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your
face.” 6So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your
power, only spare his life.” 7Then Satan went out from the
presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the
sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8And he took a
potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the
ashes. 9Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your
integrity? Curse God and die!”
SCREENS> I Almost Cussed
All this week I’ve been in sort of a reflective mood. I took the
week off from the office and spent the whole week with my
two boys. During that time, I couldn’t help but consider all
the things my family has survived. I couldn’t help but think
about everything we’ve been through since we started this
church and all the transitions we’ve been through. Honestly
I started to think about the people who’ve come and the
people who’ve gone. We’ve done so much as a church
and yet there is still so much more to be done.

2. I was tripping, because life has thrown some curve balls.
 I’ve helped people who hurt me!
 I’ve defended people who dipped out on me!
 I’ve loved people who’ve left me!
And this is not some sort of a sad attempt to ascertain pity,
but I feel like I got a few people in here who can say Pastor,
ME TOO!
Now there are a few of yall, who have never been loyal to
nobody so you might as well sit this one out, but for the rest
of us who understand hell, hurt and heartache; knows what
it feels like to go through so much pain that you just wanna
have Tourette’s syndrome for one day!
 I just wanna cuss err’body out for one day!
o I Almost Cussed!!!!
And to be real, I would not be a relevant pastor if I did not
address the grave miscarriage of justice that took place
yesterday as it pertains to George Zimmerman and the
death of teenage Trayvon Martin. As I watched the non-
guilty verdict, the polling of the jurors, and the response of
citizens all over the nation via facebook and twitter…I
Almost Cussed! [WORK]
In our text this weekend, we find a familiar narrative in the
life of Job. Look at verse 3 right quick with me…
SCREENS> Job 2:3 (NASB)
3The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant
Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless
and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil.

3. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me
against him to ruin him without cause."
So the first thing that leaps out of the text is…
SCREENS> a righteous recommendation
Now this is not popular and I’ve preached this before, but
can I suggest to you that sometimes that only reason you’re
going through what you’re going through is because God
picked you to go through it! [WORK]
And what’s crazy is that Job has already lost his kids, his
wealth and his status and God is still picking on him!
Let me talk to 10 people that have had back to back
issues!! Compounded drama!! Multilayered mess!!
Let me preach to some people who if it ain’t one
thing…here comes another! The old folk use to say it comes
in threes! Just 1, 2, 3! Stuff just back to back! But before you
back down, back up, or give up I want you to know that He
picked you! God hand-picked you for your hell!!!!
 Being not picked first for basketball but always picked
first for football.
o You may not see it but you’re the MVP!!!!
 Which means if you’re experiencing it, you
were built to conquer it!
 He wouldn’t have picked you, if you
didn’t know you could win!

4. I know it’s early in the message, but I’m so glad that the
same God who picked me is also able to PICK ME UP if I fall
along the way! [GO CRAZY]
SCREENS> Job 2:4-5 (NASB)
4Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all
that a man has he will give for his life. 5"However, put forth
Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will
curse You to Your face."
So not only do we see a repeated recommendation by
God, but secondly in the balcony we see an…
SCREENS> unconvinced enemy
Oh God this is crazy. God says, Job is the truth! You’ve tried
him before, you took everything he had, and yet he still
remained faithful!
 I just ain’t hit the right button yet!!!
It seems like after all I survived by now the devil would know
that I’m not gone never turn my back on God!
Can I preach to some people for real who has been
through a whole lot and by now the devil should know that
it takes more than that to make you turn back! By now
these shallow people should know that dumb comments
don’t make you cuss no more! By now these silly girls should
know that running game don’t make you go back no more!
They should know! High five six people tell them I can’t go
back!

5.  I’m not ever going back to the problems that made me
sick!
 You must not know ‘bout me! I ain’t ever going back!
I wish I had somebody on this side who would just have a
flashback and shout I don’t believe he brought this far to
leave me right now! If God kept me through the stuff that
should’ve drove me crazy! Ain’t no way in the world, I’m
ever going back! And even if he doesn’t get me out of this,
I’ll praise him anyway because I know that HE PICKED ME!!!
Watch this, the devil is not really hating on Job as much as
he’s hating on God. He’s telling God in and of yourself
you’re not enough for them to worship you! He says, I’m not
convinced that Job is an innocent as you think he is! [WORK]
 And please don’t miss next weekend, because I’m
preaching “Get Off My Back!!!”
o Because just like Zimmerman, sometimes the
enemy will get behind you just to get a right to
attack you!
 Trying to get you to respond in fear vs. faith!
Back to the text!
SCREENS> Job 2:6 (NASB)
6So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power,
only spare his life."
This is cold-blooded. Satan says, if I keep on trying Job
eventually he’s gone break! And God says right here in
verse 6, OK!!! God says, Go head, Try Him, he the truth!!!

6. The NLT says, do whatever you please with him, but don’t
touch his life! Can I tell you that no matter how low you are
right now, God has already put a stop sign in effect! The
devil can only go so far!
 As a matter of fact, God has given your problems an
expiration date! – Joy Comes In The Morning!
God said you can hit him, but you can’t have him, You can
dog him but you can’t delete him, you can kick him, but
you can’t kill him!!
Lean on somebody close - I’m coming out of this!! This won’t
take me out! God has a plan for my life!! He’s not finished
with me yet!!! This test is designed for me to pass- not pass
out!!! [Run here for a minute.]
This part of the sermon is for folk whose faith is fading!! Folk
who feel lost, at the end of your rope, I came to encourage
and tell you; God is only letting this mess go so far!! That the
devil only has parameters on how much pain he can inflict,
that you will not lose your mind!!! [Work]
SCREENS> The test doesn’t start until trust is all you have
Last time, Job lost family and wealth! In this storm he loses his
health!
SCREENS> Job 2:7-8 (NASB)
7Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and
smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the
crown of his head. 8And he took a potsherd to scrape
himself while he was sitting among the ashes.

7. But verse 9 is where I want to you hit you hard at.
SCREENS> Job 2:9 (NASB)
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity?
Curse God and die!"
This is crazy, surely Mrs. Job doesn’t mean any harm! Surely
she has good intentions, but is often been said that the road
to hell is paved with good intentions. Surely she means well,
but her mouth is about to get her and Job in trouble.
See in her mind she is helping Job! Go ahead, curse God
and die! If I was you I would just go ahead…
 Ain’t it a trip when people don’t know what you know,
but wanna tell you what to do!
o Haven’t been through what you’ve been through,
but wanna tell you how to act!
o IF I WAS YOU…BUT YOU AIN’T!!!!
 YOU AIN’T GOTTA DEAL WITH THE
CONSEQUENCES, I DO!!!!
Be careful when people are helping you with their hands
but hurting you with their mouths!!! [WORK]
His wife says, and you have to understand where she’s
coming from right here, she’s says just curse God and die!
She says just go ahead and get it over with! Now don’t you
judge her too harshly, because I’ve taught you this before!
She’s not just some irreverent non-believing disconnected
spouse, NO!!!! She is a mother who has lost ten kids, a wife
whose husband has lost his livelihood, and a lady who has
lost everything! She’s watching her husband go through hell,

8. and his hell is affecting her and so she says, you should just
CURSE GOD AND LET HIM TAKE YOU OUT!!!
Oh God, I pray I’m in the right church now! Because in
essence she says, you’re already going through hell, you
might as well go out on your own terms!
 What you trying to pray for?
 Why you still going to church? [GO CRAZY]
o I Almost Cussed!!!!
It hurts right now, but I’ve come too far to CUSS!!! Explain
 Devil you almost had me!
 I almost went back!
 I almost through it all away!
 I almost cussed!!!
o But I CHOSE PRAISE INSTEAD!!!!
So not only do we see a righteous recommendation and an
unconvinced enemy but thirdly and lastly we see…
SCREENS> powerful perspective
Look at verse 10.
SCREENS> Job 2:10 (NASB)
But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women
speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not
accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Oh God let me encourage somebody in here! Job has
taught me something right here! He taught me that it’s
possible to be going through and still not sin with your lips!

9. Which means, I Almost Cussed, but then it hit me! I can’t
afford to let my mouth tear down what God is building in
me! And if Job can praise him in it, I’ll praise my way
through!!!
 Though he slays me yet will I trust him!!!
o I CAN HANDLE IT ALL!!
SCREENS> Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike,
realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is
certain in this life.
Satan pursues man with implacable enmity, knowing that
he can do man no harm, either in his person or property, but
by the especial permission of God; and that God gives him
permission only when he purposes to overrule it for the
greater manifestation of his own glory, and the greater
good of his tempted followers. (You know what- I'm using
too many two dollar words- and all y'all can't understand
me - so let me modernize, contemporize, and Martinize it!
What I’m trying to say is that God knows how to use bad
situations for a turnaround! Okay, maybe that was only for
about 2 folk, so let me preach to them! Listen, Job said if we
can accept good from God, surely we can accept the bad
too!
 If I can praise Him, in the good times, I should be able
to praise him in the bad times! Give thanks in all things!
 He doesn’t just bless me when I’m good, but HE’S
BLESSED ME WHEN I’VE BEEN BAD!!!! [WORK HERE]

10. I gotta go y’all! I got another service, but to every person
here, who’s in the middle of it hell right now! Let me give
you a shouting scripture right quick.
SCREENS> 1 Peter 5:10 (NASB)
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all
grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will
Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
READ SLOWLY AND INTENTLY – THEN WORK
SCREENS> Romans 8:18 (NASB)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed
to us.
Good-bye y’all, but I can’t leave you and Job right there.
SCREENS> Job 42:10 (MSG)
10After Job had interceded for his friends, GOD restored his
fortune—and then doubled it!
Tell somebody, He’ll give you DOUBLE!!!!
I FEEEEEEEL LIKE PREACHIN IN HERE!!!
(Close how you can.)