The Sing! Hymnal
The Sing! Hymnal
What Does God Think of My Pain?
While Christians are never promised immunity from suffering, they are promised a purpose in the midst of it.
Articles on Trials and Suffering
319 results found
The Danger of Neglecting Lament in the Local Church
Lament is a rich but untapped reservoir of God’s grace, and there is a danger in neglecting lament in the church.
Tips for Students Facing Doubt in the Real World
When facing doubts and fears, the last thing you want to do is isolate yourself and struggle alone.
10 Ways Not to Help a Hurting Friend
There are ways to care for the hurting that look helpful on the surface, but in the end may only add to the pain.
Our Sorrows Keep Getting More Sorrowful and Joys Keep Getting More Joyful
As you grow in age and in grace, the sorrows become more sorrowful and the joys grow deeper. The sorrows deepen, and yet are infused with stronger joys.
The Book of Job Is a Book of Joy
“Joy” is probably the last word most of us would use to describe the book of Job. What could be less joyful than the nightmare of Job’s suffering?
Was Marx Right About Religion?
Is the idea of glorification an opiate for the masses? Karl Marx would have thought so. He argued that religion leads the believer to focus on the prospect of the world to come and to neglect this one.
3 Steps to Take If You’ve Been Waiting on God
If you are walking through a season that is leading you to feel frustrated, anxious, or impatient, here are some steps that can help.
10 Things You Should Know about Sexual Assault
If you were the victim of sexual assault, you were sinned against. Despite all the pain, healing can happen and there is hope.
Podcast: The Day I Lost My 3-Year-Old Son (Cameron Cole)
Cameron Cole talks about losing his three-year-old son and how that tragedy and all the suffering it entailed has ultimately strengthened his hope in God.
Pastor, Don’t Quit—Learn to Lament
In order to stem the tide of weariness and burn-out, pastors should learn how to lament.
An Open Letter to Those Caring for a Loved One with Dementia
Taking responsibility for the care of a person suffering from any stage of dementia can be one of the greatest challenges of life. But there are not only challenges. There are also opportunities.
Help! It Feels Like God Is Far Away in My Suffering
Lament is the biblical language for people who feel like God is distant.
Jesus knows that true power only flows through weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
What Should I Do When I'm Bearing Unbearable Suffering?
In the midst of pain and suffering, we must preach truth to ourselves rather than listening to the lies in our own heads.
Why does God allow suffering? What hope do we as Christians have in a world that is filled with so much tragedy? There is one best answer to any question that begins, “Why does God . . . ?”
Is Sexual Renewal a Simple or Complex Process?
The journey to sexual renewal is a complex but worthwhile battle.
Podcast: A Christian Perspective on Depression (Kathryn Butler, MD)
Kathryn Butler shares encouraging insights that offer hope for those who struggle with depression and help for those seeking to care for someone who does.
What Is the Ultimate Goal of Sexual Renewal?
Depending on the particular struggle we face, the Lord knows how to renew us sexually in exactly the ways we most need.
Why We Need the Psalms of Lament
The Psalms help us express our pain to God, knowing that he hears our cries.
4 Traps to Avoid When You Suffer
How we respond to suffering shapes our experiences with suffering.
Your Salvation Doesn’t Depend on Your Feelings
If our salvation depended upon our feelings, we should be lost one day and saved another, for they are as fickle as the weather.
An Open Letter to Victims of Abuse
Justin S. Holcomb, Lindsey A. Holcomb
Disgrace is the opposite of grace. Grace is love that seeks you out even if you have nothing to give in return.
3 Doctrines That Sustain Us in Suffering
While we may not understand what God is doing, we can always trust who he is. We must never interpret God’s character by our circumstances.
What the Church Today Needs to Hear from the Book of Revelation
This message to patiently endure persecution for Christ is a message our church needs today. And if where we are right now means we don’t need it today, maybe we will tomorrow.
Help! I Don’t Know If My Words Are Helping or Hurting
Cheryl Marshall, Caroline Newheiser
As you have conversations with those who are suffering, remember how the Lord’s healing words have strengthened and sustained you in your own times of trouble.
Hope in the Midst of Languishing
Spiritual growth in seasons of languishing is more about persevering through the struggle for belief than it is about arriving at a settled conclusion.
Podcast: Why Did God Let Job Suffer? (Christopher Ash)
Christopher Ash discusses the story of Job and how God's goodness shines through suffering. He also explores the roles of Satan, the fall, and the cross of Jesus Christ in human suffering.
The Unresolved “Why” of Suffering
When tragedy strikes, almost everyone who believes in God, along with almost everyone who claims they don’t, asks the same question: Why does God allow suffering?
9 Notable Quotes from ‘Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy’
Lament gives us a language to express our grief and sorrow to God, while asking him to lead us to deeper trust.