NUGGETS
How To Weep With Those Who Weep – “Just as we are commanded to weep with God’s people, so we are commanded to weep with him. God gives us grief in order that we may share his heart for his
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How to Find Joy When You’ve Lost It
Psalm 30 reveals David as a man who ultimately triumphs in joy, and through joy. But it was not always that way, all of the time. In his journey from sorrow to joy, we see why the Holy Spirit preserved
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The Power of Counting It All Joy
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
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How Not to Help a Sufferer – “The problem with Job’s comforters isn’t that they’re heretics. Much of what they say is true. The problem is the moralistic worldview that governs their engagement with Job, and compels them to reason
Continue readingDisability and the Temptation to Blame Someone
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:36) In the most basic sense, the word theology refers to how we think about God. In light of that, and
Continue reading3 Reasons the Psalms Encourage Us
This morning, while meditating on Psalm 1, I read the following inset in the Beyond Suffering Study Bible. The title of the inset is “Suffering and Disability Themes,” but I think these insights are encouraging reasons to spend time in
Continue readingGod Is Near
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.(Psalm 34:18) Loss comes in many different forms. Loss of a spouse, child, or another loved one to death. Loss of relationships through betrayal, estrangement, divorce, or a
Continue readingAre You Thriving or Diving?
We all go through times of trial. We are all tossed here and there by the storms of life. But how do we ride through the storms without sinking or drowning? Psalm 46 directs us to shift our focus from
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Here’s some articles I encourage you to read this weekend. Thoughts on Being a Father – Tedd Tripp reflects on 1 Thessalonians 2, drawing truths about a faithful father’s example and instruction. 5 Marks of a Servant Leader – What
Continue readingRERUN: Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Trusting God is one of those challenges we as Christians talk about, but may not necessarily define. We encourage one another to “trust the Lord,” but we are not sure what it really means. We also tend to view it
Continue reading4 Reasons to Study Lamentations
[This is the first of four posts encouraging you to study the Old Testament book of Lamentations.] In truth, all suffering can be traced back to the entrance of sin into our world; that is, before sin entered the world
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Six Actions to Take when Grieving the Death of a Loved One
Elisabeth Elliot was widowed twice and, therefore, understood grief better than most others. In a simple tract entitled “Facing the Death of Someone You Love,” which I recently discovered on one of my favorite book websites, she brings words of
Continue readingFour Reasons Job Stumbled
Job started so well. His faith was as invulnerable to Satan’s onslaughts as a turtle snuggled up inside its shell is to the frantic pawings of a dog. Job tucked his head and feet inside his faith in God and
Continue reading8 Action Points When Facing Terminal Illness
Our life in this fallen world will be filled with many expected and unexpected forms of suffering. The curse in the Garden announced this, Jesus confirmed it in His teaching, and the experience of the New Testament church testifies of
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Unanswered Prayer Is a Means to Test Our Faith
As God performs his sanctifying work in us—conforming us to the image of his Son, “the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2)—there will be times when answers to prayer seem out of all possible reach. When we try
Continue readingNUGGETS (April 6)
The Particular Temptations of Young Men – “I love to spend time with young men, to counsel them, and to assure them that this time in their lives has great significance. As we speak, I find a number of common
Continue readingUnexpected Good
When you are in the midst of a whirlwind of calamity that could only have been sovereignly overseen by God, it is hard to believe that anything good may ever come out of it. But it can. Satan’s diabolical agenda,
Continue readingJoseph’s Theology of Providence – A Bible Study for You
Yesterday, I taught a breakout session at the 40th annual ACBC Conference in Indianapolis. My session was entitled Joseph’s Theology of Providence. I’ve put it into outline form for your personal or small group study. What Is Providence? The providence
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