1 God trains us in the school of suffering 2 Pain proves God loves us as children 3 God’s Discipline produces Holiness 4 Jesus’ Sonship was Perfected in Suffering Recap of the Race of Faith Last week we capped off Hebrews 11 with one imperative which was to run the race of faith. And as…
Sermon Discussion Guide Sermon Title: Good Grief! Date: December 1, 2024: First Sunday of Advent: Hope Scripture: Job 3:1-12 Understanding Grief: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Have you experienced grief (or presently experiencing grief)? Explain_______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ How does understanding Job and God’s response to Job help you in your grief? Explain: _______ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ How does knowing…
WAIT ON THE LORD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE Don’t look to Political solutions Don’t use suffering as a license to sin Don’t blame God
IN the fall of 1991 Gerald Sittser was travelling home with his mother, wife and kids from a powwow in rural Idaho. They enjoyed the dances but after began to drive home, while approaching a curve an oncoming vehicle, driven by a drunk driver, came over the median and slammed head-on into their minivan. In one second Geralds life changed. His wife Lynda, his four-year-old daughter Diana Jane …
I’ll quote, “I remember the feeling of panic that struck my soul as I watched lynda, my mother, and Diana Jane all die before my eyes. I remember the pandemonium that followed — people gawking, lights flashing from emergency vehicles, a helicopter whirring overhead. And I remember the realization sweeping over me that I would soon plunge into a darkness from which I might never again emerge as a sane, normal-believing man.
While many of us will not suffer loss like this, some of us will, and all of us will be cut by the world in such ways that even measuring the pain would be a foolish venture. Where is God? What do we make of the hardships of the Christian life? Can there be any good, in the ruthless cruelty of this broken world?
1 – Past: Remember Christ’s resurrection from the dead
2 – Present: Daily Holy Spirit renewal
3 – Future: Look to God’s promises