It’s Not All Rainbows and Unicorns
It’s not unusual to have certain expectations about how life should work and what God is obligated to do for us. This formulaic view of life makes perfect sense until the formula no longer works in our favor. We instinctively work to avoid pain at any cost. But what if pain and disappointment and heartache and even disillusionment are all required to help us discover real life and move forward? What if the way down is really the way up?
Discussion Questions
What blessings make the list of benefits for the Christian? What is the proof that God is loving toward you? How would you explain to someone that Jesus is not a good luck charm?
Read John 12:24. Explain this agricultural principle. What is the deeper meaning Jesus is illustrating? What is the relationship between resurrection and death?
Here’s a lengthy exercise but well worth it. Read Hebrews 11, that great Hall of Faith chapter in the Bible. What are some results of a powerful faith? Now, notice the change of results beginning in the middle of verse 35. How do you go on when it seems God is ignoring you?
We instinctively work to avoid pain at any cost. Read James 1:2-3. What is the role of hardship in our lives?
Suffering is a prominent theme throughout the Bible. Read Philippians 3:10, 2 Corinthians 1:5 and 1 Peter 4:12-13. How do you make sense out of the suffering you and others experience?
What does it mean for you to consider that God, Himself is enough for you in spite of the circumstances you’re facing? What does it mean to be faithful even in adversity?
Longing for Another World
It’s possible to live with legitimate, godly desires that are never fulfilled in your lifetime. Pain, disappointment, heartache and disillusionment can expose these restless longings. Unmet desires remind us that we’re living in one world but longing for another. God...
The Invisible Kingdom
Too often, reality for us is represented by what we experience with our five senses. But God works through an invisible kingdom often in invisible ways. He works differently than we might expect. In God’s kingdom, the way up is the way down. When we “Fall Up” we might...