The reality of suffering and evil has scraped and shaped every single one of us. Each of us has shaken our head at the state of the world and wondered, “Why, God?” And yet the problem of suffering and evil is not unique to Christianity; it demands an explanation from every worldview and religion. In this message we see that not only does Christianity give the best explanation of why there is suffering and evil, but that Christ alone gives the resources we most deeply need in order to face them without despair. While we are not always clearly shown the answer to our individual questions of ‘why?’ when suffering invades our lives, God does give to all who trust in Jesus a ‘what’, a ‘who’, and a ‘when.’
Tough Questions #2 - How can God be loving and powerful when so much suffering and evil exists?
John 9:1-7, Romans 8
August 6, 2017
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Tough Questions
Tough Questions #6 - If Christians are meant to be joyful, why am I still anxious?
September 3, 2017
Ours is a day of great anxiousness. From global unrest, to the rise of terrorism, to the powerful way in which platforms like smart-phones and social media have changed the way we connect, combined with a hundred smaller daily pressures normal to life in this http://world...there are plenty of reasons to be anxious. How do believer's fight for joy, while living in the cultural smog of anxiety? From Genesis to Revelation, at the heart of the gospel are two life-changing, anxiety-destroying words: God provides. God's people were never meant to carry the weight of worry, but to cast it at the feet of a loving Father. For the Christian, every single anxiety the Enemy shoots at their heart, God calls them to use as kindling in the bonfire of prayer.
Tough Questions #5 - How can a loving God send people to hell?
August 27, 2017 • Will Ross
Jesus talked more about the reality of hell than everyone else in Scripture…combined. While it is true that God is love, it is also true that ‘love’ is not all that God is. God is also holy. And just. Heaven and hell are the results of both His love and His justice. Throughout scripture, we also see that God sends no one to hell against their will. As C.S. Lewis observed, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’” It is against this dark backdrop, that the gospel of God’s love toward us in Jesus Christ shines brilliantly. Jesus endured the hell of being forsaken by God on the cross, so that all who trust in Him would never have to.
Tough Questions #4 - What would Jesus say to someone who is gay?
August 20, 2017 • Guy Mason
We live in a world with contested gender theories and sexual ideologies, and the issue surrounding homosexuality has been followed by a shadow of confusion of controversy. Navigating a way forward to best understand our sexuality is a daunting challenge. However, with the unchanging nature of God’s word and the truth of the gospel, we find hope and encouragement. Jesus brings a word confronting religious hypocrisy while also extending forgiveness and pardon to those suffering from sexual sin. Through a new identity in Christ and the help of the local church, those with same-sex attraction can find fulfilment and sufficiency, to live faithfully for Christ and attest to his redemptive work through the gospel.