4 Ways to (Actually) Help a Sufferer
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“Often what a sufferer needs most—especially after tragedy—isn’t advice, input, or billboard Bible verses. It’s physical presence that affirms Christ’s presence.” - TGC
Unrealized Good Desires: Dealing with Singleness, Barrenness, and Birth Defects
Pastor Drew Hensley and his wife Laura wanted to have children, but none came. They sought medical intervention, but nothing seemed to work. Their friends rejoiced as their families increased, but the Henleys wept as their home remained barren. In desperation, Drew turned to alcohol to numb the pain, and even contemplated suicide. He eventually reached out to a retired minister for help, and there, found comfort for his soul.
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Is It Possible to Suffer Well? 4 Verses to Reorient the Theology of Suffering
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“Amidst suffering, the battle between living a kingdom-minded and a self-minded life feels impossible. Bible verses you once held fast to can sound like moral platitudes that neither comfort nor feel true.” - Lifeway
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The Blessings of Hardship
“And you shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and let you be hungry and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh.” (Deuteronomy 8:2–3, LSB)
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Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
Sermon No. 730 delivered on Lord’s-day Morning, January 20, 1867, by C.H.Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
“Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me.” — John 14:1.
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Rejoicing in Persecution Without Romanticizing Pain
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“We should do all we can to shield people from the ravages of persecution. We should try to avoid and prevent it. We should pray against it. When God sees fit to answer those prayers, we can rest assured that he is bringing his kingdom in gentler ways.” - 9 Marks
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The Glory of God: Lessons from Lazarus’ Resurrection
“Jesus said, ‘Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time he smells, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’” (John 11:39–40, LSB)
Mary and her sister Martha must have sat together, grieving in their home as they waited for Jesus. Why was He delayed? They knew He loved them and had informed Him of Lazarus’s sickness in time for Jesus to rush in and heal their brother. What happened?
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Worldviews and Tragedy
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“Tragedies expose our deepest beliefs about life and the world. Not only do they reveal what those beliefs are, they test whether they are ‘big enough.’” - Breakpoint
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Find Your Identity in God, Not Your Suffering
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“We live in a time when we are defined as disabled, bipolar, alcoholic, ADHD, victims of lupus, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and nearly everything else. Our condition easily becomes our primary reference point. I am an insulin-dependent diabetic, but my disease doesn’t define me.” - Randy Alcorn
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Why we must teach about suffering, persecution
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“Sometimes our greatest witness is not when we’re standing on the mountaintop; it’s when we’re trusting God anyway as we go through the deepest valley. It’s finishing the race even if the cost of victory is death.” - The Baptist Paper
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