Where Is God in a World with So Much Evil?
In this video, Collin Hansen offers encouragement for those who struggle to trust God’s justice and goodness in the face of evil and suffering.
Articles on Trials and Suffering
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Podcast: How Can We Trust a God Who Allows So Much Evil? (Collin Hansen)
Collin Hansen addresses questions about the problem of evil and where God is in the face of tremendous suffering and death.
No One in Our Lives “Always” Acts a Certain Way—Except God
Every. Single. Day. Always. The Lord has no off days and no half-hearted days. No days where instead of pursuit he dawdles in his goodness or forgets to follow in his mercy.
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.
If you’re not dealing with hardship now, you will someday. And if you’re not dealing with it now, you are near someone who is.
Podcast: How Does Jesus Really Feel about Me? (Dane Ortlund)
Dane Ortlund reflects on what God has continued to teach him about the heart of Jesus and why he's more passionate than ever about this life-changing message.
Podcast: Don’t Waste Your Waiting (Mark Vroegop)
Mark Vroegop offers his thoughts on the difficult yet important question of what it looks like to wait well as a Christian.
If you were to take a quick survey, there’d be a strong consensus that waiting is difficult, annoying, or downright bad. Waiting should be avoided and not affirmed, right?
How to Care for a Loved One with Depression
Although the task may seem daunting, as stewards of the greatest message of hope in history Christians are uniquely positioned to minister to those grappling with depression.
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.
The church must be dedicated to hearing and attending to the cry of the afflicted. May all Christians resist the temptation to burrow our heads in the sand because we dread emotional upheaval.
Looking Heavenward Transforms Our Sorrow
Many may think this heavenly-mindedness would make a person detached and ineffective in this present earthly life. The opposite was true for the apostle Paul.
Podcast: What Makes You Long for Heaven? (Cameron Cole)
Cameron Cole shares how God used the unexpected and tragic death of his firstborn son to dramatically shift his daily focus heavenward, revealing the joy-inducing power of an eternal mindset.
Is the Story of Job Historical? (Job 1)
Was there really a man named Job? Did he live in a land called Uz? Was he perfectly righteous with a perfectly blessed life? Put simply, did the author of Job create the whole drama?
The Problem of Pain Is a Problem for Everyone
There are only a few ways to handle this issue, and all of them feel incomplete. So the question is this: Which incomplete answer will you embrace to help you with the problem of evil?
10 Key Bible Verses on Weakness
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
3 Things to Avoid When Ministering to Those Suffering from Mental Illness
We make many mistakes in what we say to sufferers. Partly because of ignorance, discomfort, or fear, we end up saying nothing, or nothing helpful, or everything wrong.
Is “Mental Illness” a Helpful Label?
Labels can be helpful in beginning to describe or define what we are talking about, but labels can also cause difficulties.
Podcast: Answering Common Questions about Mental Illness (David Murray)
David Murray responds to questions regarding anxiety, depression, and other forms of mental illness and also offers advice on differentiating between normal feelings of sadness and something more serious.
Feeling hopeless and helpless is a feeling that we all have encountered at various times in our lives. This feeling or thought is the most painful part of all mental illness.
Can a Christian Have Mental Illness?
Some Christians believe that Christians cannot have mental illness. If a professing Christian is depressed, anxious, or bipolar, they think it’s because they are not a real Christian, or it's because of unrepented sin.
How to Pray for a Loved One Struggling with Mental Illness
When God gives us the right spirit in prayer—the spirit of hope, patience, and love—that will usually result in the right petitions.
James calls on Christians to reckon any situation, however difficult, as an occasion of intense joy. Not every element of suffering is joy. But, however severe one’s suffering, every trial is a time for intense joy.
How Can Jesus Possibly Say That Those Who Mourn Are Blessed?
Much of life happens before you are ready. Our hearts race and our minds search for meaning, but some circumstances resist explanation.
True Peace Isn’t Found in the Absence of Conflict
When pain tempts me to feel disheartened and glumly stare out a window, I stand up to my miserable emotions. I quell those dark feelings by singing about peace and resting my soul in God.
Struggling in Your Faith? Isolation Isn’t the Answer
The hardest thing for struggling Christians to recognize is that church is exactly the community they need.
Why Is Temptation So Hard to Withstand?
Why do we need a shield to live the Christian life? The Bible is clear: because we have an enemy, who is poised ready to attack us.
Podcast: Help! My Christian Life Is a Mess (Lewis & Sarah Allen)
Lewis and Sarah Allen talk about the painful trials and unexpected disappointments in our lives as Christians and what we should do when our faith feels weak or our walk with Christ feels like a mess.
Podcast: The Unexpected Sorrows of Motherhood (Katie Faris)
Katie Faris talks about the love, joy, and heartache of motherhood and how moms can experience God's comfort and grace in the midst of it all.
What to Say to Someone Suffering like Job
The book of Job does not directly tell us how to address Job-like suffering. But I think we can sketch what a helpful answer would be, if we take an approach exactly opposite from the friends.