Viewing entries tagged
suffering
Assumptions usually cloud our judgment, but when we see people struggling that’s even more true. Zophar’s counsel to Job tore him down because he made assumptions about his friend’s past, his future, and God’s ways. This message looks at how we can avoid his mistakes and bring humility to the comfort we hold to.
Job 11:1-15
When tragedies hit, sometimes religious people offer simplistic remedies that only add to our pain. This message looks at how we can avoid the dangerous counsel we’re tempted to cling to when difficulties come.
Job 8:1-10
When we’re facing a difficult trial, on top of the pain of what we’re going through, we can also feel guilty for not being strong enough. This message looks at the depth of suffering people face and the help that God offers in the midst of it.
Job 2:11-3:10
When tragedy strikes, people ask many questions of God and struggle with pat answers. This passage presents us with a question that tragedy forces us to ask and shows us how one person answered it.
Job 6:1-22
We can find ourselves in desperate circumstances where God doesn’t seem to be doing anything. It can make us doubly frustrated – both at the circumstances and God’s inactivity. This message looks at how we can activate our faith, avoid the panic, and rest in God's care when the storms of life come.
Luke 8:22-25
Whatever season you currently find yourself in, this message will delve into the profound journey of encountering God’s presence by exploring the life of the prophet Habakkuk.
Habakkuk 1:2-17
When evil people succeed or people do us wrong when we’re trying to do what’s right, it feels like God has abandoned us. Why doesn’t He stop them? This message looks at how God is at work in our lives and the people around us even when evil seems to have the upper hand.
Genesis 37:2-28
We all face trials, and it can be frustrating when God doesn’t take them away. This message looks at how God uses suffering in our lives and what we can do to partner with Him.
James 1:1-18
We assume that if we do what God wants, our path will be smooth. Often, however, we face one obstacle after another. This message looks at what God provides to help us through the trials.
Exodus 5:20-6:9
The rules are being rewritten for what’s celebrated and what’s forbidden, and Christians are tempted to act out in anger. This message looks at another time when the rules were rewritten, and God’s people found themselves caught in the crosshairs. Consider the principles that guided His people as they coped with life in Egypt under the king who did not know Joseph.
Exodus 1:1-22
Peter is famous for being the disciple who denied Jesus three times. Later, however, he demonstrated incredible courage in the face of persecution and eventual death. This message looks at what changed him and how we can develop convictions and courage in our lives today.
The goal, motivation, and power of Christian ministry are radically transformed by Jesus. This message considers how.
Today, people are quick to take each other to court and fight to get what they think they’re owed. Often, there’s much injustice done in the attempt to get justice. How should a Christian deal with their grievances? What should our attitude be toward lawsuits? This message looks at how Jesus’ followers can follow Jesus’ ways when they are wronged by fellow believers.
Ever feel stuck, directionless, and worried about the future? That's life in the wilderness and it can be brutal and long-lasting. But there's hope for you! At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the promised son of Judah. In Him, we have a conqueror, and king, and source of blessing that can not only lead us out of the wilderness but make sure we never end up there again!
We often find ourselves waiting for God’s help and wondering why. God could solve our problems instantly, but often He doesn’t. This message looks at what God is doing when we have to wait.
Growth as a Christian isn’t a random self-help project. God is at work in every circumstance of our lives to make us more like Jesus and ensure that the work He has begun in our lives will be completed.
Life is often hard and each of us eventually feels its pain in different ways. What we hope in dramatically impacts how we face that pain, however. This message looks at the incredible hope the Bible holds out for us to lay hold of in suffering and the help that the Spirit gives us as we do.
As we prepare for our first Christmas in lockdown, most of us have put our hope in a vaccine or a better year or at least the end of the rising case counts and restrictions we’re facing now. Jerusalem faced a lockdown in its history as the Assyrian army besieged the city. God gave them a Christmas promise that pointed to a greater hope than the end of their isolation. This promise can give us hope, too.
Paul's mission is also our mission. This Sunday we will learn about what your mission is and about its cost and glory.
Our ability to cope with difficult and painful circumstances will be tested over the course of this pandemic. We’ll likely face times when our strength seems to fail and the answers to prayer that we had hoped for don’t come. This message looks at some practical steps we can take when it feels like the world is against us.
