Category Archives: Suffering

Four servants of God who battled fierce despair

Posted on March 5, 2020 by

Four servants of God. Each one reached an extremely low point in life. All of them felt that life was no longer worth living. Continue reading →

Posted in Abuse, Addiction, Anger, Anxiety, Assurance, Bitterness, Broken Relationships, Call to ministry, Character, Childhood trauma, Christian life, Comfort, Complaceny, Conceit, Conflict, Contentment, Crisis, Depression, Despair, discouraged, Discouragement, Divine Lottery, Doubt, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Emotions, Encouragement, Failure, Faith, Fear, feeling hopeless, Freedom, God's Patience, God's Heart, God's Love, Grace, Gratitude, Grieving, Hope?, Kindness, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Loss, marriage problems, Meaning of life, Mercy, Middle life, Mind Renewal, Nihilism, Pain, Pastors, personal, Praise, Prayer, purpose, Questioning God, Repentance, Sadness, Seeking God, Selfishness, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Suicide, Temptation, Trials, Truth, Victory, Walking with God, Will of God, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

God’s dispositional will

Posted on December 10, 2019 by

This dimension of God’s will reveals that God is not inwardly disposed to or delighted by… Continue reading →

Posted in Evangelism, Evil in the world, God as Potter, God's Patience, God's control, God's Heart, God's Love, God's Will, Heart, Problem of evil, Seeking God, Suffering, Walking with God, Will of God, Wisdom | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Where can we find security and safety?

Posted on September 4, 2019 by

When you feel vulnerable or anxious, or when you feel misunderstood or misrepresented… Continue reading →

Posted in Comfort, Faith, feeling hopeless, God, God's Heart, God's Love, God's power, God's Protection, Hope?, Suffering, Trials, Weather, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Some worship their past and their pain

Posted on June 11, 2019 by

Their pain becomes a temple ‘round itself, and they become devotees of anguish. Continue reading →

Posted in Despair, Pain, Suffering, Wisdom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Evil doesn’t make sense

Posted on December 14, 2018 by

We grieve. We weep. We lament. We protest. We scream in pain and anger. We cry out, “How long must this kind of thing go on?” Continue reading →

Posted in Evil in the world, Evil One, God's power, Mad at God, Problem of evil, Suffering, Wisdom | Tagged , | Leave a comment

My first funeral (a suicide)

Posted on December 8, 2018 by

There was standing room only at the funeral parlor as I faced some rather austere men and women dressed in the old black garb common to conservative Mennonites. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Counselor, Counseling, Depression, Despair, Eternal life, feeling hopeless, Funeral, Hope?, Life of a pastor, Sadness, Suffering, Suicide, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Are you a wise and discerning person?

Posted on February 21, 2018 by

When I began ministry many years ago, a scene out of the life of Solomon greatly influenced me and became my prayer. Continue reading →

Posted in Church Leadership, Discernment, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Pastors, Qualifications for leadership, Suffering, Trials, Wisdom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment