Empathy: Standing in Your Shoes
Matthew 3:13-4:11 Have you ever wanted to read a biography of someone you admired, a person you were curious about? After her death I found Roselyn Carter’s life fascinating. I…
Matthew 3:13-4:11 Have you ever wanted to read a biography of someone you admired, a person you were curious about? After her death I found Roselyn Carter’s life fascinating. I…
She sits in my office, tears running down her face. Two years ago her mother died in hospice while she lay asleep at home. She was trying to get a…
Dear Roger, I often wonder if Jesus felt the same way I do about things. I know He did in many ways—like temptation and grief—but I don’t really get how…
“The Benefit of the Devil” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Introduction Whenever a teacher in school gave you a test, they never had much to say during the test. The teacher had…
Dear Roger, We were ending our Bible study when one of the women spoke up. She said, “I hate to bring this up, but I get so tired of my…
“Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal,” said Thomas Moore. But if that is true, why don’t we think more about heaven? Why do we only think and talk…
Recently, my Bible study group came face-to-face with the age-old problem: “Why do the righteous suffer?” After almost an hour of discussion, a member of our group said, “I’ve recently…
When you see God Is _____ what comes to mind? How can any of us really know what God’s like? Too often, we view Him from our limited perspective, but it doesn’t…
James tells us that we can find joy in suffering because it causes us to be conformed to the image of Jesus. www.newlifebiblefellowship.org
If we recognize God’s sovereignty even over Satan’s work, it changes our perspective about our lives and suffering. Satan and God intend the same suffering for entirely different purposes, but…
God uses suffering for his glory and our growth. Sermon begins at 19:00 Preached at New Life Bible Fellowship, Tucson, Arizona. Team sermon by Greg Lavine and John Beeson
When you set out with intention to fulfill God’s purpose for your life, you are going to face resistance and encounter roadblocks. They are inevitable. Take Nola Ochs, for example.…
Have you ever wondered exactly what we mean when we invite you to experience hope? A lot of the people tuning in to listen to Intentional Living are at that reset point…
What is the full effect of steadfastness? That we lack nothing. When we are discontent, we think that we lack something. “If only I had…” James tells us that when…
Joy. It’s not getting what you want. It’s appreciating what you have. Joy isn’t always the easiest choice or the obvious choice, but joy is a choice. The Apostle Paul…
The instructions were simple, but I was struggling to actually believe them. “Make sure you transplant the cactus and succulents with dry soil.” Really? These directions confused me because before…
“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on…
To some, the dark tone is Psalm 130 seems incongruous with the victorious praise you would expect from a “spiritual young man or woman.” The difference between a maturing Christian…
“I’m done with God.” “No one will ever understand.” “I’m never trusting anyone again.” “I can’t pray.” “I won’t pray.” I’ve heard all of these statements from people in the…
Dear Roger, What did Jesus do each day during his last week? Sincerely, Anna Dear Anna, Jesus’ last week began on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday…
In 2015, The New York Times ran an article called “Googling for God.” In this article, author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz starts by saying, “It has been a bad decade for God, at…
God is portrayed in Scripture as full of light. He has a bright radiance, seen by Moses and Elijah and Isaiah and the apostle John and shown in Christ at…
Perhaps the biggest impediment to believing in God (as stated by those who don’t) is the presence of pain and suffering in the world. How can there be a God…
‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ’everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’” Mark 14:36 (NIV) Do you ever feel…
Dear Roger, How can I still believe God is at work and know that He is “working it all for good” when people are out of work, coronavirus is spiking…
How would someone in your trials respond if they were confident? God was with them. If they were absolutely confident that it was more to their circumstances than meets the…
It is impossible to be too heavenly minded. It is impossible to set your eyes too much on Jesus. It is only by setting our sights on heaven that we…
“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil and let us see what we are made of.” —Charles Spurgeon I agree with Charles Spurgeon: Trials are indeed a…
Dear Roger, Many factors determine who should receive treatment during a world-wide health crisis. Who lives? Who dies? Who receives life-giving treatments? Essential workers, health workers, the elderly have…
When I saw the movie Paul, Apostle of Christ, I was surprised at how dark it was, focusing almost exclusively on Rome’s brutal violence done against Christians and their children.…
God is sovereign, wise, just, and merciful. He governs all things, making no mistakes, doing no one wrong, and making all things serve the everlasting joy of undeserving persons who…
So much of what’s on the news today truly feels like something we’d only see in a Hollywood movie — not real life. COVID-19 has not only spread across the…
Look at Jesus Christ. He despised it, ignored it, endured it to save you and me. SHAMEFUL REJECTION Luke 4:28-30: He came to his hometown – They kicked him out.…
Self-help manuals might get you through a bad mood or a rough patch. But does God have a word for the dark nights of the soul? He does. The promise…
What do you do when you feel that the world has gathered against you? The hardest thing you ever do is to wait in God’s promises and rest. That’s where…
Pastor John Piper was asked “How Do We Make Sense of the Coronavirus?” Here is his thoughtful answer: “How do I make sense of this? How do you get understanding?”…
God never guarantees that the Christian life will be smooth or easy. In fact, he promises the opposite: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”…
A mother asked, “Where have you been?” Her little girl replied, “On my way home I met a friend who was crying because she had broken her doll.” “Oh,”…
Dear Roger, I’ve been having some really serious health problems and one of my Christian friends recommended that I read the book of Job. That was the worst advice I’ve…
“It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). If there…
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard…
Dear Roger, I have a question about what has been termed to be “earning my crown.” My husband and I want to hear your explanation of what earning “jewels in…
How do you handle the suffering that comes your way? Suffering can take many forms: mental anguish, physical pain, hurting children, grief or financial ruin. Lysa TerKeurst describes God’s love…
The most important influence to my pastoral counseling is from David Powlison. Powlison was a professor at the seminary my wife Angel graduated from and has had an indelible impact…
Once on a mission trip to Pakistan I saw an appalling sight in the market place. A man was begging with a gazillion flies swarming around an open sore on…
Lysa TerKeurst explains that the key to surviving pain is laying your sufferings before God: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8a (NKJV) Does it…
Dear Roger, I am seeking reassurance that I have not committed the unpardonable sin. I don’t think I really believe that I’ve committed it, but I want to make sure,…
Dear Roger, Greetings in Jesus name. Let me be sincere with you, things are NOT well with us. Due to the challenges we have undergone last year in…
Dear Roger, I have an inoperable brain tumor. The pain is increasing. I am on heavy pain medicines. It still hurts. I’ve read several articles on dealing with pain, done…
“Don’t look now,” said Steve, our associate pastor of counseling. “I see Don Perry sitting with his fourth wife. Wives one and three just walked up the aisle and sat…
Where is God when genocide, rape, and starvation are part of everyday life? Many Christians have great difficulties answering this question, often overwhelmed with the scope of evil in the…
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29 (NIV) Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “God, please don’t let this be part of my…
It was a Red Letter Day. Bloody, beaten, and nailed to a cross, a dying Jesus looked at those around Him and spoke His final words as a man. What…
Dear Roger, I decided to read through the Bible from beginning to end. I just came to Psalm 22 and was struck by how closely this Psalm paralleled Jesus’ experience on the cross. Could…
As Americans, we live in a sanitized and antiseptic culture. Everything is clean, orderly, and has its place. Even our suffering. Most Americans don’t experience extreme brutality like Jesus experienced for…
When the disciples screamed in the face of a storm, Jesus slept (Mk. 4:37-38). When Jesus screamed in the face of a cross, the disciples slept (Mk. 14:37,41). Why could…
Dear Roger, Jesus said in John 10:10 that Satan has come to “kill, steal, and destroy.” I take that to mean that under certain conditions, empowered by Satan, or…
Dear Roger, I see temptations, trials, and testing in the Bible. Are they different? How does God use them in our lives? Sincerely, Mike Dear Mike, Solve…
When I was diagnosed with cancer, the question “Why me?” was a natural one. Later, when I survived but others with the same kind of cancer died, I also had…
Suffering is only a temporary condition for the Christian, suffering is used by God to bring good, suffering will one day be eliminated.
Roger, My best friend and I were talking recently and he said to me during a discussion about God that, “the bible was written for people who lived a long…
Dear Roger, My Christian friends hold a very different set of values than I do. They permit their kids to celebrate Halloween, they engage in social drinking and use recreational…
A friend of mine is watching his daughter die. She’s only eighteen. Last month, they were sitting side-by-side on the bleachers at her volleyball games, cheering her team to…
A friend of mine is watching his daughter die. She’s only eighteen. Last month, they were sitting side-by-side on the bleachers at her volleyball games, cheering her team to…
Chances are you have already given to at least one of the disasters that have rocked the United States and Caribbean over the past few months: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria;…
Do you wonder why your church is not growing? Have you ever read Acts 15? It’s right between Acts 14 and Acts 16! Many people find themselves skipping the chapter,…
The fog of the broken heart. It’s a dark fog that slyly imprisons the soul and refuses easy escape. It’s a heavy cloud that honors no hour and respects no…
Dear Roger, Can a Christian be deceived? How is this possible? I am afraid I will not know how to distinguish what is true and what is false in my…
Dear Roger, Did God predestine people to go to Hell? Sincerely, PH Dear PH, Let me begin with an overview of predestination as envisioned by John Calvin. Calvinism teaches,…
Peter grows from a roughshod fisherman to a gentle and caring shepherd of God’s people. When we serve as God’s shepherds, we must be broken, humble and love unconditionally. Those…
Why does God allow suffering and death? This is the age-old question that has plagued man for thousands of years. It is a direct challenge against the goodness of God.…
Dear Roger, I’m just confused on one point, where does it say that satan has open access to Heaven? and there are scriptures that say no sin can dwell…
Jon Acuff’s best-selling book provides unique insights for you to progress from average to awesome. Here are some of his thoughts: Over the last 100 years, the road to success…
The stern warning to Ephesus is followed by an encouragement that is notoriously difficult to understand. It is this encouragement that provides us with a considerable amount of clarity about…
Jacob and his sons learned to look past circumstances to hope in God’s promise to make Israel a great nation. Joseph looked past years of suffering and mistreatment to see…
The greatest seasons of faith in our lives don’t occur when we’re on the mountain top, when life is going as planned and God’s favor is most tangible. In reality,…
When I was diagnosed with cancer, the question “Why me?” was a natural one. Later, when I survived but others with the same kind of cancer died, I also had…
Dear Roger, I am terrified watching all of the disease and death statistics I see on the news. Eleven states have voted to legalize assisted suicide. I am afraid of…
Have you ever felt that God was using circumstances in your life, especially difficult ones, to get your attention, or to teach you some sort of lesson? Why would God…
The Israelites discovered that between the rescue from Egypt and the Promised Land lay the wilderness. We all must face that wilderness in our lives. We must learn to embrace…
Futurist David Zach relates some powerful insights about the importance of living our lives on the basis of enduring principles rather than on fads or trends. But fads and trends…
Are you clueless or savvy when you relate to others? You can develop great relationships with others if you learn to develop high social intelligence. What Does Social Intelligence Look…
Some time ago, while browsing through a leading national magazine, I came across a bit of shocking information which demanded both my attention and further investigation. As for the shocking…
“God has so ordained things that we grow in the Spirit only through the frail instrumentality of one another.” -Alan Jones Have you ever longed for a mentoring relationship that…
Ed Young Jr. describes why God allows us to suffer, and how pain shapes us into the people God wants us to be. Pain is purposeful, building our faith. Pain…
Is your church a welcoming place? Or do you have a revolving door where visitors enter with high hopes of connecting with others and leave isolated and disappointed? I…
Easter is the joyful climax of the liturgical year. You can’t top Jesus jumping out of the grave, stomping Satan’s ugly head and forgiving our filthy sins. The whole Bible…
Who is your enemy? Perhaps you think of Satan or a political leader. Yet, it could be a family member, ex-spouse, neighbor or the person who just cut you off…
The State of New York now allows same-sex couples to marry. My opinion is that the trend to legalize same-sex marriage is a challenge to Christians. Christians must be poised…
Hi Roger, I am a Christian married to a Christian. I make significantly more money than my husband. I want to be able to tithe on the money I make…
Eggs sometimes get a bad rap at Easter. Eggs are such a widely used symbolic food. Everyone from dancing druids and pagan fertility gods to — worst of all —…
What exactly did Jesus do the week before He died? As we enter into His suffering, we grow in our compassion and understanding of our Savior. THE PROOF OF THE…
Roger, I am wondering what your perspective is on illness. I have chronic migraines and like many people, live in daily pain. When I attended Casas, some people in…
King David experiences rejection, grief, abandonment, guilt, humiliation and disappointment during his lifetime. In his psalms, David examines the darkness in his life only to discover victory with God. These…
Every year, it seems, the amount of attention paid to the mechanics and outcomes of partisan politics grows. Thirty years ago there was nothing like this amount of attention given…
People deal with sexual abuse in different ways. One common method is denial or complete forgetfulness. The memories of the past are so traumatic or painful that a person can…
We need to suffer in order to reign with Christ. When you are in the middle of suffering and you doubt that Jesus cares for you, picture Him stretching His…
Does God answer prayer? We should make legitimate requests offered with respect and kindness, like a child to a father, and fitting into the scope of what God wants…
Not everyone in Jesus’ world gave him a warm welcome. Not everyone received him with grace. And many didn’t just ignore him, they rejected him. Isaiah prophesied his reception like…
Acts 16:19: “And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers. “…
James teaches that being a servant of God is a joyful life. Great servants like Moses, Joshua and David are described. We are encouraged to serve God willingly and gladly.
Missionary-commissioning, grieving with loved ones because of a tragic accident, testimony of a bereaved widow are all demonstrated in this service. At the conclusion, Pastor Chan goes to 2 Timothy.…
Dear Roger, Recently, I was teaching Christian theology in another country to some pastors and pastors’ wives. One pastor told about a man who came often to church; but his…
God’s grand design for man in the garden was “very good.” His plan was to lead man as rulers in the Garden to become kings and queens in eternity. The…
Heaven is the place where God will bring good from bad. The greatest stories have powerful beginnings and triumphant endings. In the middle, things go wrong. Jesus is the God-Man…
Advertisements bombard us today. A simple drive down the road is filled with an array of quips, quotes, empty promises, and invitations to spend your money. QVC infomercials and internet…
How do we define the “still, small voice of God?” This particular phrase is reminiscent of the scene where the prophet Elijah said that God appeared to him not in…
Suffering for the sake of Christ is not optional. If we truly follow Jesus, we will suffer as He did. Pastor Chan tours teaching on suffering from every New Testament book. …
Jesus was not always welcomed warmly by earth-travelers. Some saw Him as a threat. Some saw Him as a heretic. Most saw Him as an enigma. Not everyone in Jesus’…
Jesus was not always welcomed warmly by earth-travelers. Some saw Him as a threat. Some saw Him as a heretic. Most saw Him as an enigma. Not everyone in Jesus’…
Peter teaches three reasons why we suffer. It can be because of our own mistakes or it can be undeserved. Suffering can also be mysterious, we don’t know why. Regardless,…
Jesus knows about the afflictions, poverty and persecution the church at Smyrna has endured. This has not changed for us today. He intimately knows our pressures, needs and misunderstandings, but…
God’s perfect world is broken because of man’s sin. Relationships are dysfunctional, cultures are oppressed, God is no longer in constant communion with man. God promises redemption and restoration through…
The Messiah was broken and battered for the souls of mankind. Mary of Bethany’s broken bottle of perfume symbolized her unconditional love for Jesus and her unconditional acceptance of His…
I recently read an interesting quote about Buddhism’s impact on real world problems. Check this out. “Christmas Humpreys, an influential Western Buddhist, admits…’It may be asked, what contribution Buddhism…
I recently read an interesting quote about Buddhism’s impact on real world problems. Check this out. “Christmas Humpreys, an influential Western Buddhist, admits…’It may be asked, what contribution Buddhism…
Only by having a proper view of God can we comprehend the reason for suffering. Suffering allows us to comfort others, to learn our own insufficiencies and God’s sufficiency. When…
The speakers in the mall are playing sleigh-bell songs, Santa is in his grotto with a long line of children waiting to stroke his whiskers and the media is…
It’s December. Perhaps you are scurrying around searching to find just the right Christmas gifts for loved ones. Do you find yourself so consumed with holiday preparations that you don’t…
God calls us to be clothed in humility just as Christ demonstrates when He washes the disciple’s feet at the Last Supper. The humble recognize that their abilities are not…
Dear Roger, Did you always know that God wanted you in the ministry? How did you balance the feelings of what you knew to be the desires of your heart,…
The book of 1 Peter deals with the issue of the discipline of suffering. In chapter five, Peter teaches the importance of good leadership and followship in the church. He…
The scene: A bunker on the front lines. Artillery shells are exploding all around. Machine-guns lay down a blanket of tracer rounds overhead. The drone of enemy dive-bombers is increasing…
Christ’s preaching to the “spirits in prison” between His death and resurrection is interpreted in four possible ways: Jesus ministers through His disciples to the lost on earth (Ephesians 2:17).…
Peter emphasizes the paradox of experiencing joy in the midst of suffering. We can know God’s grace and peace when we suffer for His name and live in the hope…
Session one of Dr. Toussaint’s seminar introduces the theme and the purpose of the book. 1 Peter was written to encourage suffering saints who were being persecuted for their faith…
No matter what kind of pressure we are under, the Lord understands and comforts us. Even while being stoned, Stephen sees the glory of God and testifies of his Savior.…
Christ entered the world as a humble baby, died on a cross as a suffering servant and rose from the dead as King of Kings. He who was pure bore…
Welcome to Job’s world of undeserved suffering, pain and affliction. This praying, faithful, godly man is the pawn in a spiritual battle between God and Satan that leaves Job penniless,…
The time comes when we need to move on from suffering and mourning in order to embrace healing. Rather than wallow in our grief, we can emerge victorious if we…
When we suffer, we are transformed. Job finds peace in the pain of his life, a pain that forces him beyond mere living to a unique peace. Faith must be…
Our view of God is shaped positively or painfully by life events, growing up experiences, and religious traditions and experiences. Like Job, life events can bolster our faith. Or, like…
Job’s suffering and subsequent restoration teach us three important truths: Forgiveness is worth asking for, justice is worth waiting for, and there is no mercy without justice. God sees Job’s…
Job’s spiritual battle with Satan reminds us that we too can be deceived. However, we are not defenseless. We can stay inside God’s hedge of protection when we grow in…
Job received four priceless blessings from God: his possessions were doubled, his relatives and friends rendered support, he had more children and he received the patriarchal blessing of a long…
All suffering can be used by God to make us like Christ. Job’s worst fears came true, and yet he maintained his faith in God and learned to trust Him.…