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Tag Archives: Suffering

What Not To Say To Sufferers

October 7, 2015

This past Sunday at Sovereign Grace Church we continued our series in Job, Walking With God When Life Goes Sideways by looking at Job 4:1–5:7. So what can we learn from Job’s friends? Many things actually. It might surprise you how much we can learn. There is a reason we get to overhear these guys pontificate for so many chapters in Scripture. From these guys we learn what not to say to a Christian who is suffering. Yep, Job accurately describes his orthodox friends…

Job’s Darkness and Maybe Your Darkness As Well

September 30, 2015

Job chapter 3 is a dark chapter. It is the darkest chapter in the book of Job and it’s on the short list of the darkest chapters in all of Scripture. “So, why read this chapter?” you are most likely thinking. I get it. I’m not drawn to chapters that are dark and depressing. I go to Scripture to avoid dark and depressing things not to be reminded of them. But I came across this chapter recently when I had the privilege to preach a sermon…

Why Job?

September 18, 2015

We started a series on Job at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville this past Sunday entitled “Walking with God When Life Goes Sideways.” After teaching through the Gospel of Mark we wanted to turn our attention to the Old Testament for a season and the wisdom literature in particular. The finalists were Job and Ecclesiastes. It was a tough choice.  In his commentary on Job, Francis Anderson describes this book as “…one of the best gifts of God to men.”…

My Favorite Books to Prepare for Suffering

August 12, 2015

As a pastor, I am often asked for a list of my favorite books on any number of topics, but of all the possible topics I am asked about, suffering is one of the most frequent and important. And we all need to be reminded that these resources are needed before suffering comes. D.A. Carson explains why: “All you have to do is live long enough, and you will suffer.” Suffering is hard enough as it is. It is made…

Making Our Way to the House of Mourning

July 28, 2015

Last week, friend and beloved church member Wade Stephenson was tragically killed in a car accident, leaving behind his pregnant wife, three young daughters, and a grieving church. This post is an adaptation of my Sunday sermon as I attempted to care for his wife, children and our church as we made our way to the house of mourning together (Ecc 7: 2-4). What does it mean to mourn with those who have lost a loved one? What does it…