We Sin, We Suffer, We Die… Where’s the Good News?
The Christian life is often depicted by American culture as one of prosperity and health, but more frequently, our pilgrimage through this fallen world is characterized by sin, suffering, and ultimately death. Jon and Justin have discussed suffering, sickness, death, and our only hope to escape this harrowing reality in many episodes of Theocast. This compilation features the most informative and helpful portions of those episodes, with the aim of being extremely clear about where we stand, who and what we look to for comfort, and how we should view and endure suffering in this world.
Where Is Jesus in My Suffering? (w/ Mike Abendroth)
Today, it seems like if you are not suffering from some kind of ailment or cancer, you know someone who is or have had a family member or friend who has died because of it. It is a painful experience to watch someone lose their life and wither away. At times, our faith is crushed, and our assurance is called into question. Where is Jesus in all of this suffering?
We have the privilege of hosting a special guest, Mike Abendroth, who has recently written a book about this experience from his own perspective. We know this will be encouraging for you. If you get an opportunity to purchase the book, we highly recommend it!
“Where Are You, God?”
Exhausted? Beat up? Suffering? Where are you, God? Why is this happening? Why can’t I hear you? Why can’t I feel your presence? For those who have these feelings and are exhausted, just needing a glimmer of hope, Justin and Jon have something for you today. We want to point you to Christ and His gospel.
Stop Trying to Make Sense of Suffering
Often in the church, we try to figure out exactly what God is doing when we are going through difficult things. Simply put, we shouldn’t do that. The secret things belong to the Lord, and we are not privy to the counsel of God when it comes to our suffering. In today’s episode, Jon and Justin aim to point out things that God has clearly revealed and promised to us in his Word. We do have an unshakable hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is what we cling to–in the midst of joy or pain.
Stop Taking Jesus Out of the Bible
We believe that all of the Bible–from Genesis to Revelation–is a testimony about Jesus. We believe there is law and gospel in the Old and New Testaments. These convictions are historical, confessional, Reformed convictions. Yet, many in our day get very nervous about seeing Christ in all of the Bible and of understanding the Scriptures in terms of law and gospel. Our fear is that, at the end of it, well-meaning people discourage the saints from seeing Christ for them in all of the Scriptures. Jon and Justin talk about this on today’s episode.
There Will Be Weakness
We are often made to think that the Christian life is one where we move from triumph to triumph–and from spiritual experience to spiritual experience. But that is not reality. It is not the promise of the Scripture. This side of the resurrection, we are learning to trust Christ in the midst of weakness and the battle against the flesh. We are learning to depend more upon grace. It is not a bad thing for us to come to a place where we know Christ is all we have. The guys consider all of this in today’s episode.
This World Is a Sinking Ship
We all tend to hope in things of this world that will ultimately disappoint us. Our anger and frustration and despair make this abundantly clear. Jon and Justin talk about some of these things we tend to hope in–and how the church, at points, has only encouraged us to do so. At the end of it all, peace, rest, and hope can only be found in Jesus Christ and the promises God has made to us in him.
Why Does God Not Care About Me?
Why Does God Not Care About Me?
Answered by Jon Moffitt
Fantasy Christianity
If you listen to many in the church, our Christian lives should be characterized by happiness, excitement, and by overcoming difficulty. But, this life is often characterized by pain, toil, and suffering. What do we do with that? And what is it that we’re called to in the church?
Psalm 10, John Lennon, Justice, and Jesus
Where is God when so much evil, suffering, and injustice reigns in the world?
by Pastor Jimmy Buehler
How Long, Oh Lord?
The question, “How long, O Lord?” has been asked by saints for millennia. It is littered throughout the psalter (6, 13, 35, 79, 80, 89, 90, 94) from the pens of David, Asaph, and Moses. There are the wrestlings of Asaph in Psalms 73 and 77. Then, there is Psalm 88, which begins and ends in darkness—while acknowledging the Lord is the God of our salvation. God’s people have repeatedly cried out to him, “Lord, how long will it be like this?”
Where Is God In COVID19?
It is fair to say that all humans struggle with the problem of evil. If God is sovereign, why doesn’t he remove all the evil in this world? Why did he allow it in the first place? Can God truly be good if he has the power to stop evil but doesn’t? The harder you try to answer these questions, the more confused you will become. For thousands of years, humanity has wrestled with these questions.