Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
Psalm 107:1-2a

Four Groups of in Psalm 107

The Wanderers: Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. (verses 4-5)

The Prisoners: Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. (verses 10-11)

The Rebels: Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. (verse 17)

The Drifters: Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. (verses 23-26)

Four , each one of them created by their own choices.

Four /

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
      and he delivered them from their distress. (verses 6, 13, 19, 28)

Four

He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. (verse 7)
      To the wanderers, he offers a home.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. (verse 14)
      To the prisoners, he offers freedom

He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave (verse 20)
      To the rebels, he offers healing.

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (verse 29)
      To the drifters, he offers calm and a place to anchor.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
      and he delivered them from their distress. Psalm 107:13

One Corporate Song of

Let the one who is wise heed these things
      and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord. Psalm 107:43

Small Group Questions

1. What was the highlight of your Thanksgiving?
2. What are you most looking forward to or dreading in the upcoming Christmas season?
3. Which of the four types of people do you most relate to? Why?
4. Read Psalm 107 out loud. What do you hear God saying through this song?
5. What action does Psalm 107:43 prompt you to move on today?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

When you know you are,
you can embrace you are.

According to Romans 8, I can be:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1–2

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5–6

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:13–14

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear… Romans 8:15a

…but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15b

 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16

Now, if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Romans 8:17a

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Romans 8:35

Moving from “I can be” to “I am…”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37–39

Small Group Questions

1. What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
2. Do you have an anchor Bible passage that you go to when life is hard?
3. Which of the statements from Romans 8 resonates with you most deeply? Why?
4. Has the depth of God’s love for you changed the way you view yourself? If so, how?
5. Read Romans 8 out loud. What else could you add to Grant’s list?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

Text questions to 360-335-2800

Brian Behrends, Creative Pastor

John 11:25
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:54b-55
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
     “Where O Death is your victory?
          Where O death is your sting?”

3 Main Ways We Fear Death

1. Fear
2. Fear
3. Fear

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

The scripture is not saying, “Don’t scared,”
it’s saying “Don’t scared.”

3 Principles for Walking with People Through Pain and Loss

1. Do

2. Be

Mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15

Jesus wept. John 11:35

3. Speak

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Small Group Questions

1. Growing up, how was death talked about (or avoided) in your home and church?
2. What part of death do you fear the most? The relational repercussions? The pain? Or the unknown of what happens next? Why?
3. Does it change the way you think about death to know that Jesus has already gone through it and come out the other side? In what way
4. What’s one way you’ve seen God bring life out of loss in your story or someone else’s?
5. How can we walk with people who are grieving in a way that lifts them up instead of weighing them down?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

Matthew 25:31–46
³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
      ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  
      ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  
      ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
      ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
      ⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
      ⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
     ⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

The Bible says:

1. There are and there are

Your to the Shepherd determines your eternity. 

Your determine your allegiance.

John 10:1–6, 14–16
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
      ¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Both the sheep and goats call Jesus Lord…
they both have a knowledge of him….
yet one group ends up .

2. Both the sheep and the goats are

3. Guiding Principle: I treat God the same way I treat those who are .

If you look closer there is a two-fold responsibility: 
To everyone (all people, all the time) and to the other sheep (those within God’s family).

4. The King small acts of kindness that we have forgotten.

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.
      ¹⁷ “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Malachi 3:16-18

Small Group Questions

1. When you picture the moment Jesus describes separating sheep from goats, what emotions come up for you? How does this image shape the way you think about accountability before God?
2. In John 10, Jesus says his sheep know his voice. What helps you recognize and follow Jesus’ voice in your daily life? What distracts or drowns it out?
3. Jesus links love for him with care for “the least of these.” Who are the least of these in your world right now, and what would it look like to serve them this week?
4. The righteous in the parable didn’t even realize they were serving Jesus. Can you share a time when someone’s small act of kindness deeply impacted you—or when you served someone without realizing how meaningful it was?
5. If Jesus were to reframe your understanding of following him based on this passage, what might he want to change in your heart, habits, or priorities?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

Josh Lease, Student Ministries Pastor

“I really feel torn to pieces by the lack of reality, the lack of seeing the results the Bible talks about, which should be seen in the Lord’s people. I’m not only talking about people I’m working with… I’m not satisfied with myself. It seems that the only honest thing to do is rethink, reexamine the whole matter of Christianity. Is it true?” – Francis Shaeffer

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted. Psalm 77:1–2

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” Psalm 13:1

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Psalm 22:2

Deconstruction is the critical dismantling of tradition and
traditional modes of thought.

Why do people deconstruct? 

1. Disappointment with God
2. Christians misrepresenting God
3. Intellectual doubt
4. Loneliness or exclusion
5. Disillusionment with Christian culture
6. Sinful nature

Jesus deconstructed the and religious norms of his day. 

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:15–21

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” John 14:23

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

“I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” John 14:29

If we attempt to examine Jesus apart from a relationship with him, all he
will ever be to us is an or a .

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers.” John 15:5–6

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.” John 16:1

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:13

“You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:32–33

Who is Jesus to you?

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Small Group Questions

1. What has been your experience with deconstruction? Is this a term you’re familiar with? What’s your understanding of it?
2. Have you ever experienced a time when you deconstructed all or part of your faith? What was it like? 
3. What do you think about the idea that Jesus deconstructed the religious norms of his day? How might we deconstruct like Jesus? 
4. Why do you think Jesus repeatedly told his disciples the Holy Spirit would be coming to them on the night of his arrest? How would this help them in their coming deconstruction? 
5. What are some questions about God and your faith that you’re wrestling with?
6. Who is Jesus to you?
7. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
      with grief my eyes are wasted,
      my soul and body are spent.
But I trust in you, Lord;
      I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:9, 14

When anxiety was great within me… Psalm 94:19a

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 1 Samuel 1:10

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25

Practically speaking, this is what reaching looks like:

We ground ourselves in God’s and .

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7

“Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, and when the surface of the deep is frozen? Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s Belt? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” Job 38:25-33

“Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook, or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it keep begging you for mercy? Will it speak to you with gentle words? Will it make an agreement with you for you to take it as your slave for life? Can you make a pet of it like a bird or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?” Job 41:1-5

We ground ourselves in God’s .

“The Lord will fight for you while you only need to keep silent and remain calm.” Exodus 14:14 (Amplified Bible)

We ground ourselves in God’s .

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

We ground ourselves in , not panic.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7

Small Group Questions

1. What is your favorite flavor of fall?
2. What creates anxiety in your life? How does it show up physically?
3. How do you calm yourself when anxiety presses in on you?
4. How do God’s power and track record speak to your anxiety?
5. Have you learned any good spiritual practices when it comes to worry, stress, fear and anxiety? Share them with your group.
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Wendy Powell, Community Outreach Pastor

   The Hebrew word ger has been translated into English as:
foreigner, guest, alien, sojourner, outsider, stranger

Leviticus 19:32–34
Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. When a [ger] foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The [ger] foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were [ger] foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Psalm 146:6–9
He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the [ger] foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Job 29:11–17
Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them. The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing. I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the [ger] stranger.

Ezekiel 22:29–31
Again the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to the land…This people practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the [ger] foreigner, denying them justice. I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.’ So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Matthew 22:37–39
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Deuteronomy 10:17–19
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the [ger] foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are [ger] foreigners, for you yourselves were [ger] strangers in Egypt.

We were once ger, and the love and welcome he expects us to show the stranger is because that is how he has welcomed us.

We live the garden where we belong

Most of us are ethnically gentile, not part of God’s

As disciples of Christ, we are and here on earth

The Greek word like ger is xeno, and in these three passages it’s combined with another word:

Romans 12:9–13 (philoxenia) philo means love, xenia is of strangers

Titus 1:7–9 (philoxenos) literally stranger-loving

1 Timothy 5:10 (xenodocheō) translates as stranger-welcome

Matthew 25:31–46
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
      “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a [xenos] stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
      “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a [xenos] stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
      “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
      “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a [xenos] stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
      “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a [xenos] stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
      “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
      “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

If we love God, we will ; the two are inseparable.

Don’t let others tell you what is , what is ; find out for yourself.

We cannot rightly understand or rightly apply God’s truth without the help of .

The Bible’s View of the Stranger

8 Mondays, October 27–December 15

6:30-8:00 PM in The Meeting Place

Small Group Questions

1. How familiar were you with the biblical theme of welcoming the stranger before this message? Were the scripture passages familiar to you?
2. What do you know about your family’s immigration story? Where did your ancestors come from? Do you know what brought them to America?
3. In what situations have you been a stranger? Who welcomed you?
4. Think about the places you frequent in a typical week. Where might you have an opportunity to welcome someone who is unfamiliar to you or that setting?
5. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

A question from God to me and you:
Is there any prejudice within you?

Racism, prejudice, and discrimination in any form is evil and
completely antithetical to the heart and gospel of Jesus.

The God of the Bible is not color.
He is currently and historically color.

How do we reclaim our common humanity?

Reframe

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10

Reframe the original

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven…  
⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs…
¹⁷ In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people…
³² God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:5, 9-11, 17, 32, 41

Reframe the

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Reframe the of Jesus

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) John 4:7-9

Reframe the of Jesus

Jesus was a dark-skinned, Middle Eastern, Jewish man. (Matthew 2:2)

Reframe the of Jesus

As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:11-13

God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear him, and do what is right. Acts 10:34b-35

Reframe the of today

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26-29

Reframe biblical

From one man, he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. Acts 17:26

Reframe

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them. Genesis 1:27

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to
bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

Small Group Questions

1. Do you like the rain? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think the topic of race so uncomfortable for people to discuss?
3. What spoke to you from Grant’s experiences? How will this change your own future conversations?
4. Read all the scripture in the outline out loud. What is revealed to you about God’s character and his love for all people?
5. What is one tangible action step you can take today regarding the issue of our common humanity?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?

 

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer 
to everyone who asks you to
give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect…
1 Peter 3:15

The Tough Truth about Suffering

Suffering was of God’s original design (Genesis 1-2)

Suffering is (John 16:33 and James 1:2)

Christians are from suffering (2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Isaiah 53)

The Origins of Suffering
Some of the suffering we endure is…

Because of sinful decisions (Galatians 6:7-8)

The result of another person’s sin against us (Genesis 37:18–20)

The result of other people’s sinful decisions (Genesis 6:5–8)

Because we live in a world that was (Genesis 3 and Romans 8:22–23)

The result of for those who love God (John 10:10 and Ephesians 2:1–2)

Where is God in my suffering?

(Psalm 23 and Deuteronomy 8:15–16)

What’s good about suffering?

Suffering draws me (John 9:1–38)

Suffering (1 Peter 5:8–10 and Romans 5:3–4)

Suffering reveals my true (Job 23:10 and Psalm 139:23–24)

Suffering softens my heart toward (2 Corinthians 1:3–5)

Small Group Questions

1. What is your favorite family tradition in the fall season?
2. How would you define suffering?
3. Do any of the truths about suffering and its origin surprise you? Which one, and why?
4. How have you seen God show up for you in your suffering?
5. What has been good about your most challenging moments?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?