January 30, 2022 | Marc Oehler
Passage: Job 14:7-15
Scripture/Sermon Discussion
- Why would looking closely at nature instill hope in us?
- What does God's creation teach us about God?
- How does the phrase "This too shall pass" sit with you?
- What's the relationship between mature spirituality and learning to hang in there?
- How might Job's anger be a part of his love for God?
- What do you make of the contrast between a God who protects us from suffering versus a God who is the thread we hold onto in the face of it?
- How does the following quote sit with you? God is not greater than he is in this humiliation. God is not more glorious than he is in this self-surrender. God is not more powerful than he is in this helplessness. God is not more divine than he is in his humanity. The nucleus of everything that Christian theology says about "God" is to be found in this Christ event.
- How do you define "hopeful longing"? How does it show up in your own life?
Series Information
Why do innocent people suffer? That question lies at the center of the Book of Job. Job loses almost everything dear to him through a series of tragedies. In the end, he never receives a fully satisfactory answer (do we ever?), but he does learn and grow through the experiences. During this four-week sermon series, we explore how we can learn to be more direct with God, risk living and loving even when it's painful, and grow in our capacity to trust God's goodness and faithfulness through tragedy.
