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The God of All Comfort

Ryan Lowery
2 Corinthians 1:1-9

As pressures and suffering mount, Paul shows how confident he is (and we can be) in God's faithfulness. You are able to receive comfort from God even in the midst of your suffering, knowing that God is producing in you an eternal weight of glory.

Keywords

{"passage": "2 Corinthians 1:1-9","passageabreviated": "2 Cor 1:1-9","passagetiny": "2Cor 1:1-9","teacher": "Ryan Lowery","teachingDate":...

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Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Scott Risley
Luke 13:1-5

Jesus was approached with the question, "Why do bad things happen?" There are many explanations for the problem of evil: 1) divine retribution (almost everything has a spiritual cause); 2) eastern monism (the suffering world is unreal); and 3) naturalism (everything can be explained by cause and effect within a closed system). Jesus rejects these three explanations. The Biblical view is that everything can be explained by cause and effect within an open system. God created a perfect world with no evil. The perfection of this world was broken when humanity rebelled against God. The Biblical view displays the love of God, calls us to fight evil, and assures us that evil is temporary.

Keywords

{"passage": "Luke 13:1-5","passageabreviated": "Luke 13:1-5","passagetiny": "Luke 13:1-5","teacher": "Scott Risley","teachingDate": "03/3...

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Do You See Anything?

Gary DeLashmutt
Mark 8:29-35

By restoring sight to a blind man Jesus teaches his disciples about spiritual blindness. The cause of spiritual blindness is a hardened heart that can only be cured by Jesus. Jesus instructs his followers how to cooperate in curing their hardened hearts by denying self, taking up their cross and following Jesus.

Keywords

{"passage": "Mark 8:22-25","passageabreviated": "Mark 8:22-25","passagetiny": "Mark 8:22-25","teacher": "Gary DeLashmutt","teachingDate":...

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Suffering as a Means of Growth

Ryan Lowery
Romans 8:18-39

Suffering is inevitable in this world. Instead of ignoring, fleeing, or coping with suffering in our own way, we can let God use it for our benefit. We have the opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and become more like Christ when we move toward Him in suffering. God wants to be close to us and He wants to comfort us in times of tribulation.

Keywords

{"passage": "Romans 8:18-39","passageabreviated": "Rom 8:18-39","passagetiny": "Rom 8:18-39","teacher": "Ryan Lowery","teachingDate": "01...

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What Are You Doing Here?

Mike Sullivan
1 Kings 17-19

When God commanded Elijah to tell King Ahab that there would be a drought in Israel, Elijah's faith was tested. When God commanded Elijah to gather the prophets of Baal and the people of Israel to Mt. Carmel, God provided in revealing Himself to all the people present and eradicating the prophets of Baal. But when Ahab's wife, Jezebel, ordered the death of all the prophets of God, Elijah was deeply disappointed. Such is the type of defeat we can feel in the midst of disappointing outcomes that arise during the Christian life. Fortunately a life serving God is not centered around outcomes, and God will help direct us away from the mindset if we are willing.

Keywords

{"passage": "","passageabreviated": "","passagetiny": "","teacher": "Mike Sullivan","teachingDate": "11/15/2015"}

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Do You Want to Go Away Also?

Gary DeLashmutt
John 6:51-59

Jesus speaks to a large following of people that formed in response to miracles that He had performed during His time in on this Earth, explaining to them the hardships that come with following Him. After a large group of people leave, Jesus calls the disciples attention to the fact that they too have the free will to leave or stay and follow Him despite the suffering that comes with that choice. As we follow Christ with our lives, we learn that in order to persevere we must: expect suffering, value quality over quantity (with respect to spiritual life and ministry), and encourage one another to develop our own freely chosen convictions.

Keywords

{"passage": "John 6:60-69","passageabreviated": "John 6:60-69","passagetiny": "John 6:60-69","teacher": "Gary DeLashmutt","teachingDate":...

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Do You Wish To Get Well?

Gary DeLashmutt
John 5:1-9

Jesus heals a paralyzed man at the well of Bethesda in Jerusalem, but not without first asking the man if he wished to get well. A closer examination of their conversation yields insight into Christ's ability to meet our spiritual as well as our material needs, how much we can be affected by our circumstances, and the real healing and restoration that God wishes to provide for us through the work of the Cross. We are able to experience true restoration only when we let go of our "survival strategies" and turn towards God, affirming in our hearts what He says is true of Himself and ourselves.

Keywords

{"passage": "John 5:1-9","passageabreviated": "John 5:1-9","passagetiny": "John 5:1-9","teacher": "Gary DeLashmutt","teachingDate": "10/0...

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The Problem of Suffering

Jim Leffel
Luke 13:1-9

Where is God in suffering? How do we explain the character of God in a broken, pain-ridden world? In unpacking Luke 13:1-9, we explore many explanations for suffering: karma, "there is no God," and the biblical view of suffering. We also look into the character of God, and how we can rectify what we know of His goodness with the suffering we see in the world; we explore how God uses suffering in our lives and what He's done to deal with the brokenness of the world. Suffering is inevitable, but will we suffer with or without hope?

Keywords

{"passage": "Luke 13:1-9","passageabreviated": "Luke 13:1-9","passagetiny": "Luke 13:1-9","teacher": "Jim Leffel","teachingDate": "08/16/...

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The Combat Field Manual - Fighting Today in Our March Toward Eternity

John Cleary
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

We are reminded throughout Scripture to "not be surprised by the fiery ordeal" that accompanies the spiritual battle to which we belong. This spiritual battle is very real and we need to be convinced of it. The battle is in our minds and the weapon God has given us to fight in this battle is His truth. Writing out truth is helpful in arming our minds for this battle. We can develop our own personal Combat Field Manual.\r\n

Keywords

{"passage": "2 Corinthians 12:5-5","passageabreviated": "2 Cor 12:5-5","passagetiny": "2Cor 12:5-5","teacher": "John Cleary","teachingDat...

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