Podcasts about Suffering

The Lord does not abandon us in our suffering. God is with His people, even when we hurt. Today, R.C. Sproul addresses some of the questions we encounter in the midst of our pain. Download R.C. Sproul's teaching series Surprised by Suffering, plus the digital study guide, with your donation: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/   Meet Today's Teacher:   R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Click here to receive today's free gift on the Radio Page: The Hope of Heaven – Drawing from personal experiences and vivid imagery from Scripture, Joni Eareckson Tada helps readers grasp just how rich the hope of heaven is. She helps us understand why the Bible uses symbols to describe it and gives helpful answers to questions many readers may have. She paints a compelling vision of heaven as a place of restoration, beauty, and perfect communion with God – a vision that will rekindle our excitement about the true "happily ever after" that awaits us. Use the coupon code: RADIOGIFT for free shipping! *Limit one copy per person* --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Apparently we’re all exhausted, and it’s leading to anxiety, cognitive decline, depression, and yes, even early death. A new study from the CDC shows nearly 3/4 of us report feeling fatigued nearly every day and some groups are experiencing it a much higher levels. The study breaks down results comparing genders, race, and where you live in the country to single out which groups are suffering more than others and the results are fascinating. We also go over the suggested home remedies the study offers to help you get those 7 hours it claims we need nightly, and when to contact your doctor for help in sleeping longer and better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald R. Erickson Jr. has spent his life learning how to get back up. On this episode of The Suffering Podcast, Donald shares his journey from a difficult childhood marked by poverty, an abusive father, childhood sexual abuse, medical struggles, and being raised alongside four siblings by a single mother, to discovering purpose in the restaurant industry at just 13 years old. What began as a dishwashing job became a lifelong career as a chef, teaching him discipline, leadership, resilience, and the power of giving people an opportunity. Donald's greatest lessons, however, came through loss. He returned to New Jersey after his mother was diagnosed with cancer, eventually losing her when she was only 60. Years later, his brother Brian—a military veteran who struggled with addiction—died by suicide. At nearly the same time, Donald was enduring the collapse of his marriage, allegations of physical and emotional abuse, separation from his home and family, and a period of living out of his truck. Yet through childhood trauma, grief, suicide loss, addiction, and personal devastation, Donald continued returning to the philosophy that has shaped his life: it's not about how hard you fall—it's about how you get up. Today, Donald runs the large-scale operation at Stage House Tavern in Somerset, New Jersey, where he leads approximately 100 employees with a philosophy centered on kindness, respect, accountability, and second chances. Alongside his sister Karin, he has turned that philosophy into community action—feeding people experiencing homelessness, supporting families in crisis, helping veterans and first responders, providing meals and gifts to approximately 800 people on Christmas Day, and developing 21 Scoops, an ice cream shop intended to create opportunities for members of the special-needs community after age 21. This is a conversation about childhood trauma, abuse, addiction, suicide loss, grief, leadership, faith, resilience, community service, second chances, and turning suffering into purpose. Donald's story reminds us that surviving isn't simply about what you've endured—it's about what you choose to build from it and who you decide to help along the way. This is gonna hurt. It's time for The Suffering Podcast. Find The Suffering Podcast  The Suffering Podcast Website  The Suffering Podcast Instagram  Kevin Donaldson Instagram  Apple Podcast  Spotify Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ananda was born in Sri Lanka went to the village temple with his Grandfather from a very young age. Yet he came to practise meditation only after meeting the then Ajahn Jagaro & Ajahn Brahm, around 1987. He has been meditating for about 25 years and considers Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Brahmali & Bhante Sujato as his spiritual teachers. He and his family started visiting Bodhinyana and Dhammaloka regularly in 1991 and he has served in the Committee in different capacities including Treasurer and the Secretary. He has also contributed to Buddhist communities overseas in various ways and is a student of early Buddhist texts from the Tripitaka, relying mostly on Bhante Sujato's English translations of Sutta on SuttaCentral & also, Dhammaloka Sutta classes & Sutta Retreats at Jhana Grove. Please find the the list of Suttas quoted during the talk: (A) During Guided Meditation: AN 3.101 Paṁsudhovaka Sutta (The Soil Remover) (B) During the Dhamma Talk: SN 56.11 Dhammacakkappavattana sutta (Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma) MN 34 Cūḷagopālaka Sutta (The Shorter Discourse on the Cowherd) SN 25.1 Cakkhu Sutta (The Eye) AN 4.49 Vipallāsa Sutta (Perversions) MN 41 Sāleyyaka Sutta (The Brahmins of Sala) SN 47.3 Bhikkhu Sutta (A Bhikkhu) SN 55.5 Dutiyasāriputta Sutta (With Sāriputta (2nd)) MN 43 Mahāvedalla Sutta (The Greater Series of Questions; Answers)  AN 8.37 Sappurisadana Sutta (The Good Person's Gifts)  SN 12.41 Pañcaverabhaya sutta (Five Fearful Animosities)  SN 13.1 Nakhasikha sutta (The Fingernail)  AN 3.101 Paṁsudhovaka Sutta (The Soil Remover) MN 20 Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta (The Removal of Distracting Thoughts)  MN 109 Mahāpuṇṇama Sutta (The Greater Discourse on the Full-moon Night)  English translations of Suttas referred to were by Bhante Sujato (Courtesy of suttacentral.net) Every year, the monastic community (Monks and nuns) go on a three month retreat called the “Rains Retreat” from mid July to mid October. During this period, they do not visit our centres for teachings as it's a time for deepening their own practice. While the monks and nuns are away, we will have some interesting guest speakers coming in to give the Friday Night talk. Unshakeable Peace 2026 (Rains Retreat Speakers' Series 2026) Hear stories of everyday dhamma as told by monastics and lay practitioners from various Buddhist traditions.   Support us on https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa BSWA teachings are available: BSWA Teachings BSWA Podcast Channel BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel BSWA YouTube  

“Not just African musician. Everybody, even journalist, even president, even football player, even promoter. We need to do it for those people who suffer, who don't have food or security. We need everybody to denounce it. Speak louder, talk more loudly about the situation. Not just for Congo, but all Africa.”Jewel Kiriungi speaks to Congolese musician Fally Ipupa, one of Africa's biggest music stars.His music has taken brought Congolese rumba to audiences around the world, earning him the Democratic Republic of Congo's highest honour, a knighthood in the National Order of the Leopard.Fally discusses what it means to represent Congolese identity internationally as conflict in the east of the country fuels one of the world's worst displacement crises.He recognises that his global success gives him a platform to draw attention to what is happening at home, but he argues that speaking out about the suffering is a wider responsibility.The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with tech billionaire Reid Hoffman and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, head of the World Trade Organisation.You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Jewel Kiriungi Producer: Osman Iqbal Editor: Justin Lang and Farhana Haider(Image: Fally Ipupa. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Discover why suffering is not punishment, but often the result of attachment, resistance, unmet expectations, and our demand that life be different. This spiritual talk explores acceptance, conscious living, inner peace, emotional freedom, mindfulness, and the power of releasing what should be so you can meet life as it is. Receive Rev. Lee's Daily Thought and Agape's weekly newsletter for practical wisdom that helps you live with greater awareness, freedom, love, and authenticity. Sign up here: https://www.agapespiritualcenter.com/free-affirmations Become a supporting member here: https://agapetx.infellowship.com/OnlineGiving/GiveNow/NoAccount/

When hardship hits, joy is the last thing that feels natural. James doesn't say if trials come—he says when. See how God's Word teaches us that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, and steadfastness grows us toward maturity in Christ—perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Suffering isn't wasted when God uses it to refine and sanctify His people. Don't waste your pain. Let steadfastness have its full effect.James 1:2-4 | trials | suffering | steadfastness | sanctification | Christian maturity | joy in trials | refining fire

The Suffering Savior

Pastor Dan Bodin  ~  17th Sunday after Pentecost   Old Testament:  Isaiah 55:6-9 Epistle:  Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30 Gospel:  Matthew 20:1-16 The post September 20, 2026 ~ “Joyfully Suffering” ~ Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30 appeared first on Beautiful Savior Fargo.

Send me a messageSocial anxiety and overthinking don't come from what others think—they come from the mental stories we tell ourselves. When we place other people's perceived opinions above our own, perfectionism and anxiety take over.In this podcast, Todd Perelmuter breaks down the root cause of social anxiety and shares how awareness, mindfulness, and presence can stop the overthinking spiral and bring lasting inner peace.Key Takeaways:• Why almost nobody is watching or judging you as harshly as yourself• How resisting anxious thoughts amplifies stress in the body• 2 steps to break free from overthinking and return to the present moment• Why authenticity is the ultimate antidote to social anxietyTimestamps:0:00 - The Root Cause of Social Anxiety1:12 - Why Nobody Is Watching You (The Scooter Story)2:41 - Letting Go of Perfectionism4:47 - Step 1: Catching the Mental Story10:15 - How to Stop Resisting Anxiety15:00 - Step 2: Grounding Yourself in Presence19:11 - Authenticity as the AntidotePlease enjoy other episodes where I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.Video podcasts are available at https://www.youtube.com/@ToddPerelmuter#SocialAnxiety #Overthinking #Mindfulness #InnerPeace #MentalHealth #PathToPeaceFor the days when life feels like too much, these 4 free books are for you. Get the free 4-books bundleIf my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I'd be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the PodcastAnd if you'd like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

Visit www.joniradio.org for more inspiration and encouragement! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

In this solo episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal opens with a personal update on Jesse's wife Jen, who is recovering from a major surgery and facing ongoing complications. Rather than a typical episode, Tony turns this moment of real pastoral weight into an opportunity to explore James 5:10–18 — a passage about suffering, patience, and the mysterious power of intercessory prayer. Drawing on the examples of the Old Testament prophets, Job, and Elijah, Tony argues that suffering and God's mercy are not in tension but are deeply intertwined throughout Scripture. He also addresses the cessationist convictions he and Jesse hold while affirming the continuing call to bring the sick before the elders of the church in prayer. This episode is brief, earnest, and pastorally rich. Key Takeaways Suffering and divine mercy are not opposed — James holds them together deliberately, using Job as the paradigm case of patience that ultimately reveals God's compassion. The Old Testament prophets model faithful patience — Most prophets never saw visible fruit from their ministry, yet they continued to preach and trust, making them exemplars for suffering believers today. Intercessory prayer is a command, not merely a comfort — When suffering, James does not point believers to self-help or circumstantial remedies first; the primary command is to pray. The prayer of a righteous person has real efficacy — Without attributing change or passibility to God, Tony affirms that prayer moves God to act in a manner consistent with classical theism and biblical revelation. Elijah's humanity is the point, not his exceptionalism — James deliberately identifies Elijah as a man "with a nature like ours," anchoring the power of prayer in God rather than in the pray-er's personal greatness. Cessationism and the call to elder-led prayer coexist — The sign gifts have ceased, but the practice of calling elders to pray over the sick remains a living, binding ordinance for the church. Caregiver suffering is real and deserves intercession — Tony broadens the application beyond physical illness to recognize the spiritual and emotional weight borne by those who care for the sick. Explanatory Paragraphs Suffering and Divine Mercy Are Not in Tension One of the most counterintuitive moves in James 5 is the juxtaposition of Job's suffering with the declaration that "the Lord is compassionate and merciful." For most readers, Job's story feels like the last place you would look for evidence of divine mercy — it is a story of devastating, layered loss. But James insists that the very narrative of Job, with all of its pain, is where the mercy and purpose of God are most clearly displayed. Tony highlights this as "counterintuitive but really quite beautiful." The suffering does not negate the mercy; it is, in some mysterious sense, the vessel through which mercy is revealed. This is not stoic resignation — it is a theologically grounded confidence that God's purposes are always working toward the good of His people, even when circumstances seem to contradict that. The Efficacy of Prayer and Classical Theism Perhaps the most theologically careful section of the episode is Tony's treatment of what it means for prayer to "move" God without compromising classical theistic commitments to divine immutability and impassibility. Tony is careful here: he affirms that God does not change, does not undergo emotional mutation, and is not subject to creaturely pressure. And yet, he insists — with the Bible — that prayer does something. He describes this as God acting in "accommodated, creaturely language," a concession to our finite understanding of an infinite God who, in His sovereign wisdom, has ordained prayer as a genuine means through which He accomplishes His will. This is not open theism or Arminian concession; it is a mature Reformed affirmation that God's decrees include the prayers of His people as real instruments of His providential governance. Elijah as Everyman The closing appeal to Elijah is rhetorically powerful precisely because James refuses to let Elijah remain on a pedestal. The instinct of the reader is to think, of course Elijah's prayers worked — he was Elijah. But James dismantles that escape route immediately: "a man with a nature like ours." The miracles associated with Elijah — the drought, the rain, Mount Carmel — were not the product of Elijah's superhuman spiritual constitution. They were the product of a God who moves when His people pray. This democratizes intercessory prayer in the most profound way. The ordinary believer who kneels beside a sick friend's hospital bed is operating in the same spiritual economy as Elijah on Mount Carmel. The power belongs to God; the call to pray belongs to all of us. Memorable Quotes There's something about the prayer of God's people that in an accommodated, analogous way, an anthropomorphic way — there's something about the prayers of God's people that moves Him to act on their behalf. We hold those to be true, but we also see that the Bible reveals a God who moves when His people pray. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. But that power is not coming from the righteous person — because even Elijah, even as amazing as Elijah was, he was a man with a nature like ours. Full Transcript [00:00:47] Welcome to this special episode of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Tony, and tonight this is the podcast that's just me. Hey, brothers and sisters. It's just Tony tonight. [00:01:00] Um, you'll hear in a little bit why that is, but, uh, just wanted to come this week and do a real quick episode. We're gonna dive into, uh, James chapter five. [00:01:10] We're gonna talk a little bit about some suffering, some patience, and what the prayer of faith does. And rather than do an affirmation or denial tonight, uh, as you know, Jesse is not on the show tonight, uh, but I wanted to give you a quick update.  [00:01:25] Update on Jen [00:01:25] Tony Arsenal: Uh, several episodes ago, maybe, I don't know, 10 episodes ago, Jesse's wife Jen, uh, must have been longer than that actually. [00:01:32] Jesse's wife Jen, uh, joined the podcast, uh, to share a little bit about what's going on in her life and some medical challenges she's been having. And as you all know, uh, Jen had a, a rather extensive surgery, it was about 11 hours, back in May, and her recovery has been, uh, challenging to say the least. Um, so the reason Jesse's not with us tonight is Jen has had a s- a little bit of a setback. [00:01:58] Um, she's okay. [00:02:00] Jesse and, uh, Jen gave me permission to give this little update. Uh, I won't go into too many details, but, uh, Jesse's, um, Jen has had some ongoing, uh, complications with some infection and just some other general challenges that have made recovery a lot slower than we'd hoped. So I know that Jesse, uh, appreciates your prayers. [00:02:21] Jen appreciates your prayers.  [00:02:22] Pause and Pray [00:02:22] Tony Arsenal: So before we, um, before we go on to the podcast tonight, if you would take a few minutes, pause this, say a quick prayer for, uh, Jen, that her recovery would be governed and supervised by God, that the doctors would have wisdom. Uh, and say a quick prayer for Jesse. Uh, caregiver stress is a real thing, and Jesse is, uh, doing a lot to try to support Jen and make sure that she has what she needs. [00:02:47] Uh, and even in the midst of that, he has typically got more than enough energy to, uh, even compensate for me when I'm too tired to do a podcast. That's why you guys get solo episodes with him. Uh, but tonight he just needed an extra little bit of a dose of [00:03:00] rest, and I thought that we would take this opportunity to, to pray for him. [00:03:03] So go ahead and hit pause, say a quick prayer, and then join me back up here in a second.  [00:03:08] Reading James 5 [00:03:08] Tony Arsenal: So as I said, we're gonna jump into James chapter 5. Uh, this is a, a passage that I know is near and dear to Jesse's heart. Uh, he's shared a little bit about this passage on the show before, and kind of that it's been a, sort of a boon to his soul. [00:03:23] So I'm gonna start reading... Uh, I'm gonna make a connection here that I don't know is always made with this passage. So I'm gonna start reading here in verse 10. Uh, normally we would wanna start a little bit before that, and, and of course, the whole letter is an ongoing sustained argument, so it's not like you can just chunk one part out. [00:03:41] But because of the way our English translations are sometimes, uh, divided up, we tend to separate verses 10 through 12 from what follows, and I hope as we chat for just a little while tonight, it'll be a short episode, I hope we'll understand why these two are actually, uh, quite connected. So James chapter 5, [00:04:00] starting in verse 10. [00:04:01] "As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remain steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. And above all, my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, or let... [00:04:24] but let your yes be yes and your no be no, so that you may not fall into condemnation. Is any one of you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. [00:04:44] And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power in [00:05:00] its working. Elijah was a man like us, with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain. [00:05:07] And for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." [00:05:28] So we're gonna zero in here right on verse 10, and kinda how it connects with, uh, what follows here.  [00:05:36] Prophets and Patience [00:05:36] Tony Arsenal: So this passage as a whole, starting in the beginning of verse, uh, verse five, sorta brings... Or chapter five, brings us into sort of an eschatological framework. James is talking about the sort of final judgment against the proud rich who are persecuting the church and who are, uh, sort of offending the Lord by, um, persecuting His people. [00:05:58] And so in verse seven [00:06:00] now James turns to encourage the, um, the believer not to, um, not to despair because the coming of the Lord seems slow. It's very similar to what Peter does when he, he talks about how, um, God does not will that any of His people perish, but He's seemingly delaying His coming so that all may come to repentance. [00:06:23] James is doing something very similar here, and so it's in that context that we get to verse 10. He's... In verse seven he's commanding them, or he's encouraging them to be patient, and in verse 10, he gives this example of patience and suffering. And the, the example is, uh, broadly speaking, is the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [00:06:46] If you think about most of the prophets in the Old Testament, their message was not widely received. Probably the most outwardly successful prophet in the Old Testament was Jonah, uh, and he didn't even wanna be [00:07:00]successful. Um, but most of the prophets, uh, thinking particularly of, like, Jeremiah, uh, who, you know, throughout, even in his own recorded books, uh, was, uh, persecuted and ostracized. [00:07:13] People tried to kill him. Uh, we think of Isaiah who, you know, church history tells us he was sawn in two. Um, and most of the prophets did not see, uh, uh, any sort of real revival during their ministry. But they patiently continued to preach and come to the Lord and trust that what they were prophesying was, was worth it, that it was going to have its effect. [00:07:37] Job and Mercy [00:07:37] Tony Arsenal: So he, uh, he then turns kinda to the ultimate, uh, example of patience. Uh, and, and we would think... We don't necessarily always think of Job as a prophet, but there's definitely prophetic elements there- And it says, "You've heard of the steadfastness of Job." And of course, we know that Job, uh, had everything taken away from him. [00:07:58] So he, he lived this life where he [00:08:00] was immensely successful. He had a, a large family. He had lots of wealth. He had servants. Uh, religiously, he seemed to be on track. He seemed to have the Lord's favor. He certainly had the Lord's attention. Um, and it was all taken away from him. This is the part that I think is really, uh, counterintuitive but really quite beautiful, is he says, "You've heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you've seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful." [00:08:29] And we've commented many times on the show that this sort of juxtaposition between, uh, sort of temporal woes or temporal trials and the Lord's mercy and compassion, how they're interrelated in scripture in a way that doesn't really feel intuitive to us. And so we're gonna skip down a little bit here. [00:08:51] He talks about, um, not swearing oaths, talks about letting your yes be yes, you know, we know. That's obviously connected to this, but we're, we're gonna just pass by that a little [00:09:00] bit.  [00:09:00] Suffering and Prayer [00:09:00] Tony Arsenal: 'Cause back in verse 13 now, he returns to this subject of suffering. He says, "Is any among you suffering? Let him pray." So there's this call for those of us who are suffering, and if we're being honest, most of us are suffering in one form or another. [00:09:17] Uh, we either have some sort of illness, or we're struggling with finances, or maybe we have some kind of depression or some other life circumstance that is making things challenging. And it says... Doesn't say, "Let him seek out the newest self-help trend." Doesn't say, "Let him, uh, let him fixate on the, the most current, up-to-date medical things." [00:09:40] It doesn't say, "Let him, uh, pursue Financial Peace University." Now, that's not to say those things are not good and important, but the command here is to let him pray. So when we face suffering, we should recognize that that suffering and the patience that comes with it is connected [00:10:00] to the mercy and the compassion of the Lord. [00:10:02] This is probably the main point and theme of James' whole letter. So you go back to verse-- or chapter one, I think it's verse 24, right? It says, um- Let it be counted all joy when you face trials of many different kinds, right? So James' whole purpose in this letter is to speak to those suffering, uh, persecuted Jewish Christians that have been scattered out into the, uh, Judean wilderness and the, the countryside, who had been scattered out into the, you know, into the country and were being preyed upon probably by wealthy Jewish landowners. [00:10:39] And the whole point of this letter is to encourage them and for them to recognize that the suffering that they're undergoing, whether there's a natural suffering, a natural evil, which obviously would be something like sickness or some sort of natural tragedy, what, what the old insurance language calls like an act of God, which is literally an act of God, something like a, like a storm that [00:11:00] ruins your crop or an earthquake that destroys your home, or m- or moral evil, which is what the, the, um, those Christians in James' audience were, were suffering under, was moral evil. [00:11:12] Says, "If any of you are suffering, let him pray." Well, how could we ever think about praying in the midst of suffering if we did not recognize, as James says, that this suffering is related to the mercy and the compassion of the Lord? That, uh, when we think of the steadfastness of Job, we see the mercy and the compassion of the Lord. [00:11:40] And then it goes on to say, "Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises." Well, what did, what did James command in the beginning of his book or what did he, he say? "Count it all joy when you face suffering of any kind." And so now we have, "Are you suffering?" Well, then you, you count it joy. "Well, are you [00:12:00] cheerful? [00:12:00] Elders and Healing [00:12:00] Tony Arsenal: Let you sing praise." And that brings us now to verse fourteen: "Is any among you sick?" Well, what do we do or what should we do when we're sick, when we're suffering, when we recognize that that suffering is to... unto our salvation, it's unto our sanctification? Well, we're cheerful and we praise, and we come and we join the church. [00:12:20] We come and call for the elders. We have them pray over us. They anoint us in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith, verse fifteen, the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick. Now, we know that, um, God moves in all sorts of ways Uh, Jesse and I are both committed cessationists, convicted cessationists. [00:12:43] We don't believe that the sign gifts, that, that the miracles that marked the, the Revelation period of the New Testament and the Old Testament, we don't believe that those sign gifts continue. But what we do know is that the Lord, through his servant [00:13:00] James, commands his people to seek out the elders of the church when they're sick and for them to pray over them. [00:13:06] And I know that Jen, uh, and Jesse have really, really great elders. They've got great support at their church. I know that there are people praying for both of them. Um, and, and this podcast is not a church, and our listeners are not the elders of the church, although some of our listeners are elders, but they're not elders... [00:13:22] I don't think there's any of them at Jesse's church.  [00:13:24] Powerful Prayer Explained [00:13:24] Tony Arsenal: Um, but there is a principle here in this passage that I think is important for us as we, as we lift Jesse and Jen up in prayer, as we think about others in our life who need prayer, who need support, who are sick, who are suffering, is that the prayer, and this is where it comes in, uh, at towards the end here, the prayer of a righteous person, verse 16, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working." [00:13:49] There's something about prayer, and I don't fully understand it, this is something w- I will spend the rest of my life trying to understand. There's something about the prayer of God's [00:14:00] people that in a, an accommodated, analogous way, an anthropomorphic way, there's something about the prayers of God's people that moves him to act on their behalf. [00:14:12] And of course, you know, you go back, you listen to all of our episodes on divine simplicity and aseity and divine immutability. We're, we're classical theists. We don't think that God changes. But the, what the Bible teaches us, what it reveals to us in accommodated, creaturely language is that when the elders of the church specifically, and then God's people generally, when we pray, God moves. [00:14:39] And so that's what I'll leave you with tonight. Um, again, this, this may seem melodramatic or severe. Um, Jen's doing okay. She's, she's sick, and she's recovering. Um, m- but, but it's important for us to pray. So whether it's for Jesse and Jen, and I hope that it is, I hope that you take some more time after this episode to pray [00:15:00] for them and to pray for her specifically. [00:15:02] But I think we all have people in our lives that we know who are suffering, who are sick, who need the prayers, the powerful prayers of righteous persons to move the heart of God to orient himself to their restoration and to their glory, whether that's restoration from a physical illness in the context here of this passage, and in some senses, it's restoration from spiritual sickness. [00:15:26] Elijah Like Us [00:15:26] Tony Arsenal: Um, and he closes, and this is the most encouraging part. We think of Elijah as sort of the supreme prophet of the Old Testament Uh, that title might be arguable, uh, to go to, uh, Moses, um, although Moses tends to fall in a different category. But we think of Elijah as this man, this miracle worker, right? We think of Mount Carmel, we think of the other miracles that are associated with Elijah. [00:15:53] Uh, a- and the Bible here makes the point, James makes the point that Elijah was a man with a nature [00:16:00] like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain for three years and six months, and it did not rain. And so what we see here, and this is what I'll close with, James is reminding us that the power, right, the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. [00:16:18] But that power is not coming from the righteous person, 'cause even Elijah, even as amazing as Elijah was, he was a man with a nature like ours. So when we look to God, we see that, that He is the one that moves in prayer, but somehow mysteriously, somehow in His special, uh, special wisdom and special guide- counsel, somehow when we prayer- pray, that does something. [00:16:46] And again, we have to, we have to hold everything else that we understand to be true about God's immutability, His impassibility, His simplicity, all of those things. We hold those to be true, but we also see that the Bible reveals a God who [00:17:00] moves when His people pray.  [00:17:01] Final Prayer and Sendoff [00:17:01] Tony Arsenal: So we can trust that if we seek God and we pray agreeably to His will, that He will comfort and encourage and heal His people, and He will bring them back and restore them. [00:17:13] So that is my prayer and my hope for you tonight, that you would spend some time thinking about the people in your life that could benefit from you taking time to pray for them. Definitely pray for Jesse and for Jen as they're r- as she's recovering and as Jesse is supporting and caring for her. Um, it's a big burden, and he's, he's bearing it her- heroically, but, uh, he, he could use your prayer just as much, uh, as the rest of us. [00:17:39] So I will leave you with that, brothers and sisters, and until next time, honor everyone, love the brotherhood. [00:18:00]

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3145: Dr. Jack Stoltzfus opens with a twenty-nine-year-old client who rarely leaves her room, and uses her to ask whether anxiety causes a failure to launch or the failure to launch causes the anxiety. He argues the honest answer is both, explains how a young adult's fear and a parent's fear trigger each other, and marks where situational stress ends and a treatable disorder begins. He closes with five ways to offer help a resistant young adult can actually accept, including partnering on a task instead of doing it for them. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://parentslettinggo.com/is-your-young-adult-suffering-from-anxiety-or-failure-to-launch/ Quotes to ponder: "Is her failure to launch and dependency on her parents causing her mental health problems, or are the mental health problems at the root of her failure to launch?" "Depression or anxiety and fears of further failure can arise and lead to a level of inaction bordering on paralysis." "Let them know being independent is considering their options, making decisions, and asking for help." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, on Karl and Crew, we wrapped up our weekly theme, “It's Complicated!” filled with amazing stories! Matthew and Daniel Kooman, filmmaker of “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” and co-founders of “Scripture to Screen,” shared how they brought Daniel and the Fiery Furnace to the big screen and how prayer, humility, and dependence on God guided them throughout the filmmaking process. Dr. Gerald Peterman, Professor of Bible at the Moody Bible Institute and author of “Joy and Tears” and “Between Pain and Grace,” explained the difference between pain and suffering and how believers can experience difficult emotions while still living with the joy and hope found in Christ. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to hear a particular segment from the show, look at the following timestamps:Devotional [ 00:49 ]Dr. Gerald Peterman [ 22:15 ]Matthew and Daniel Kooman [ 44:48 ]Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our text today is 1 Peter 5:10-11: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. — 1 Peter 5:10-11 Suffering can leave you asking more than, "When will this end?" You may also wonder, "Will I ever be whole again?" Pain can change the way you see yourself, other people, and even God. It can drain your confidence, unsettle your faith, and leave you wondering if life will ever feel stable again. Yesterday, Peter told us to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith. Today, he reminds us that the enemy is not the final player in our story. He writes: "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace… will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." Peter calls God "the God of all grace." Grace is not merely how we enter the Christian life. Grace chooses us, saves us, sustains us, strengthens us, and restores us. Whatever this season requires, God has grace sufficient for it. Then Peter tells us God will "himself" restore us. God does not watch from a distance. He personally works within our suffering to accomplish what we cannot do on our own. Then Peter gives us four promises. God will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. The word translated "restore" means to mend, repair, or put something back into a useful condition. It was used for mending torn fishing nets—a picture Peter, a former fisherman, would have understood well. A torn net was not discarded. It was repaired for use again and again. The remaining words describe God making His people steady, strong, and firmly grounded. Restoration does not always mean God returns everything to the way it was before. Sometimes God does something deeper. He himself restores us. He makes us more dependent on Christ, more grounded in truth, and more useful to His purposes. Restoration is not always returning to who you were before suffering. It is becoming who grace is forming you to be through it. Peter understood this because the leader he was today was different and better than he was even during Jesus's life. Perhaps suffering has torn something in you. Maybe it has shaken your confidence, disrupted your plans, or left you feeling less like yourself. Peter does not promise that the road will be painless. But he does promise something better. The God of all grace will not abandon His work in you. Notice the journey we have taken this week. We have learned to cast our burdens on God and resist the enemy. Now Peter shifts the action to God. We cast. We resist. And then... God restores. Your pain may get a chapter in your story. It does not get the final word. The God of all grace does. And that is good news! DO THIS: Write down one area of your life that feels damaged, unstable, or exhausted. Instead of asking only for the situation to change, ask God to restore, strengthen, and establish you within it. ASK THIS: What has suffering changed or wounded in me? Am I expecting restoration to mean returning to the past, or am I open to the new work God wants to do? Which promise do I need most today: restoration, stability, strength, or a firmer foundation? PRAY THIS: God of all grace, You see what suffering has torn, weakened, and unsettled in me. Thank You for not discarding or forgetting me. Restore what is broken, strengthen what is weak, and establish my life more firmly in Christ. Help me trust that my suffering is temporary, Your grace is sufficient, and Your work in me is not finished. Amen. PLAY THIS: All My Ways Are Known to You.

Suffering can seem like an endless battle, because as soon as you get in it, you just want to get out. Hours, days, weeks, months, or even years can go by and you're still asking, “How long, oh Lord?” So what do you do when you're in a seemingly endless season of hardship?In this message, Jill shares how when we're willing to wait out our seasons of suffering, God won't let the time go to waste. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29?v=20251111

Today, on Karl and Crew, we wrapped up our weekly theme, “It's Complicated!” filled with amazing stories! Matthew and Daniel Kooman, filmmaker of “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” and co-founders of “Scripture to Screen,” shared how they brought Daniel and the Fiery Furnace to the big screen and how prayer, humility, and dependence on God guided them throughout the filmmaking process. Dr. Gerald Peterman, Professor of Bible at the Moody Bible Institute and author of “Joy and Tears” and “Between Pain and Grace,” explained the difference between pain and suffering and how believers can experience difficult emotions while still living with the joy and hope found in Christ. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to hear a particular segment from the show, look at the following timestamps:Devotional [ 00:49 ]Dr. Gerald Peterman [ 22:15 ]Matthew and Daniel Kooman [ 44:48 ]Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This was not the plan. Not the diagnosis, not the heartbreak, not the prayer apparently sitting in God's inbox. So what does trusting God in suffering actually look like? Grammy-winning artist Laura Story, author of Stand in Awe, joins FamilyLife Today guest host Cheryl Shumake to talk honestly about unwanted stories, unanswered prayers, and believing God is good when you'd really prefer some supporting evidence. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29?v=20251111

Today, on Karl and Crew, we wrapped up our weekly theme, “It's Complicated!” filled with amazing stories! Matthew and Daniel Kooman, filmmaker of “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” and co-founders of “Scripture to Screen,” shared how they brought Daniel and the Fiery Furnace to the big screen and how prayer, humility, and dependence on God guided them throughout the filmmaking process. Dr. Gerald Peterman, Professor of Bible at the Moody Bible Institute and author of “Joy and Tears” and “Between Pain and Grace,” explained the difference between pain and suffering and how believers can experience difficult emotions while still living with the joy and hope found in Christ. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to hear a particular segment from the show, look at the following timestamps:Devotional [ 00:49 ]Dr. Gerald Peterman [ 22:15 ]Matthew and Daniel Kooman [ 44:48 ]Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The deepest spiritual inquiry is into the nature of consciousness—the awareness that is always present behind every thought, emotion, and experience. You are not your experiences; you are the consciousness that is, was, and will be aware of them. Suffering begins when consciousness becomes so distracted by what it is experiencing that it develops a false sense of self that wants the outside world to conform to its needs. Spiritual freedom comes from withdrawing attention from these distractions, and learning to honor, appreciate, and serve life as it unfolds. © Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2026 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Share this program with a friend or family member at www.joniradio.org! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Suffering can do one of two things: break us or break us open.Beginning with Frederick Buechner's unforgettable image, John Ortberg explores Psalm 110 and one of the deepest ways Christians have read the Psalms: seeing the story of Jesus in their suffering, longing, and hope.Drawing from C.S. Lewis, Plato, and the mysterious biblical figure Melchizedek, John looks at how Jesus brings together two ancient hopes: the victorious king and the suffering servant.Jesus doesn't overcome suffering by avoiding it.He enters it.And because the story ends in resurrection, suffering doesn't have to get the final word.The difference between being broken and broken open is hope.In this episode: Psalm 110 • suffering • hope • Jesus • C.S. Lewis • Melchizedek • resurrection#Psalm110 #JohnOrtberg #Suffering #Hope #Jesus #CSLewis #Psalms

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/suffering-isnt-pointless/

June 28,2026 MN14 Cula-dukkhakkhandha Sutta A lay person is puzzled at how, despite their long practice, they still have greedy or hateful thoughts. The Buddha explains the importance of absorption meditation for letting go such attachments. But he also criticizes self-mortification, and recounts a previous dialog with Jain ascetics.

Send us a text!In this episode, we sit down in the new studio to discuss the role team sports play in forming the whole man. Western thought has long understood that a man's formation involves both the mental and the physical—not one at the expense of the other. From the classical tradition to the Christian understanding of discipline and suffering, the formation of young men has always required more than simply educating the mind.As we seek a better way to educate our children than the modern public school system, we must be careful not to abandon good things simply because the mainstream culture has turned them into idols. Team sports can be one of those good things: an arena where young men learn discipline, courage, sacrifice, brotherhood, humility, and how to bear the yoke in their youth.Checkout the BA Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutalamericanOur new book, The Longhouse: How Feminism Conquered the West and Made Us Miserable –– by Brian Sauvé and Eric Conn is now available for pre-order! - Thelonghousebook.comThis episode's Headline Sponsor is: Backwards Planning Financial - Talk to Joe Garrisi about managing your wealth with Backwards Planning Financial. https://www.backwardsplanningfinancial.comKeep Wise Partners; Visit KeepwisePartners.com or call Derrick Taylor at 781-680-8000 to schedule a free consultation. https://keepwise.partners/Memento - Go to https://memento70.com/brutal for 10% off an annual membership and join 4,000+ men reclaiming discipline, building strength, and ordering their lives around Christ.Keep Watch - Redeem the Time. Visit https://keep-watch.co/discount/BRUTAL and use code BRUTAL to receive a free lapel pin with your order.Indigo Sundries Soap Company - Go to http://indigosundriessoap.com and get 10% off your subscription! If you're a Christian business owner who wants to reach thousands of like-minded people and grow your company, we'd love to partner with you. Email us at advertising@NewChristendomPress.com Support the show

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. … for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. … Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:12-14, 19-21, 27-30)

When life shatters our expectations, what is our immediate reaction? Do we default to cultural myths about pain, or do we anchor ourselves in the sovereignty of God?In this insightful session, Pastor Rick Holland of Immanuel Bible Church breaks down how seasons of deep difficulty act as an X-ray of the soul—exposing our hidden idols, testing our theology, and producing an unshakable, character-building hope (Romans 5:3-4).Whether you are walking through a heavy trial right now or walking alongside someone who is, this episode offers profound pastoral comfort anchored firmly in Scripture.00:00 Welcome to the Sound Words Podcast01:31 Unbiblical Interpretations of Suffering02:57 Comfort in Sovereignty07:32 Boasting in Afflictions10:58 Sanctification Through Suffering13:00 Moving from Knowing to Resting15:28 Pressure Reveals Faith17:12 Truths for the SufferingSound Words is a ministry of Indian Hills Community Church, a Bible teaching church in Lincoln, NE. Sound Words is also a partner of Foundations Media, a collective of Christian creators passionate about promoting biblical theology and applying it to everyday life. Learn more at https://foundationsmedia.org.Follow on InstagramFollow on FacebookFollow on YouTubeFollow on TwitterFollow on ThreadsVisit https://ihcc.org

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.About Your Daily PortionYour Daily Portion with L. David Harris is a Bible-centered teaching ministry committed to helping people engage Scripture daily with clarity and purpose. This program is a service of Your Daily Portion Ministries, Inc., and is made possible through the faithful support of listeners and viewers.If this teaching blesses you, consider supporting the work so it can continue reaching others around the world through radio, podcasts, and digital platforms.Support the ministry:

I'm always asking questions.  The fun begins when you start researching for answers. Such as…   Does separation anxiety as a child transfer to adults wearing the same shoes?  Plus…is the secret to life located in the physical involvement of hashing and rehashing.   I'm Arroe…  I am a daily writer.  A silent wolf.  I stand on the sidelines and do nothing but watch, listen study then activate.  I call it The Daily Mess.  A chronological walk through an everyday world.  Yes, it's my morning writing.  As a receiver of thoughts and ideas, we as people tend to throw it to the side and deal with it later.  When a subject arrives, I dig in.  It's still keeping a journal!  By doing the research the picture becomes clearer.  This is the Daily Mess…Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

I'm always asking questions.  The fun begins when you start researching for answers. Such as…   Does separation anxiety as a child transfer to adults wearing the same shoes?  Plus…is the secret to life located in the physical involvement of hashing and rehashing.   I'm Arroe…  I am a daily writer.  A silent wolf.  I stand on the sidelines and do nothing but watch, listen study then activate.  I call it The Daily Mess.  A chronological walk through an everyday world.  Yes, it's my morning writing.  As a receiver of thoughts and ideas, we as people tend to throw it to the side and deal with it later.  When a subject arrives, I dig in.  It's still keeping a journal!  By doing the research the picture becomes clearer.  This is the Daily Mess…Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

If God loves His children, why does He allow suffering? In this episode, David B. Ridge, assistant professor of ancient scripture, explores one of the most difficult questions of mortality. Drawing on the book of Job, Professor Ridge explains that scripture does not offer easy answers but instead invites us to deepen our faith and understanding of God through life's trials. He examines Job's devastating losses, the misguided counsel of Job's friends, and the Lord's powerful response from the whirlwind, showing that suffering is not necessarily a sign of sin or divine disfavor. Rather, Job teaches that God's justice, love, and mercy often transcend our mortal understanding. Professor Ridge emphasizes the importance of mourning honestly, resisting the temptation to explain away others' suffering, and continuing to turn to God even when answers do not come. Ultimately, Job's story teaches that faith grows as we trust God, hold fast to what we know, and learn to see His love amid adversity. Publications: "Seeing God's Love in Suffering: Lessons on Faith from Job," in Tender Mercies and Loving-Kindness: The Goodness of God in the Old Testament, Religious Studies Center (2025) "Loving Our Neighbor: Ammon and the Lamanite Queen," in Book of Mormon Insights: Letting God Prevail in Your Life, Religious Studies Center (2026) "How Nephi Defended His Kingship," in In the Eyes of the Ancients: Historical Perspectives on the Book of Mormon, Religious Studies Center (2026) Click here to learn more about David B. Ridge

In this episode, Chad and Robert unpack Luke 15 and the heart of the Father toward both the rebellious younger brother and the religious older brother. They talk about how pride, self-righteousness, and how trying to save ourselves can leave us just as far from God as obvious rebellion.Subscribe to receive our latest videos!Website: https://www.sunvalleycc.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunvalleycc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunvalleycc/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sunvalleyccTo support Sun Valley and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.sunvalleycc.com/givingGod loves you no matter who you are, what you've done, or what's been done to you. This is the vision of Sun Valley Community Church, led by Pastor Chad Moore and based in Gilbert, AZ with multiple locations throughout the Phoenix valley.Chapters:00:44 What Is Relational Theology?03:05 The Bible Is About Relationships05:42 The Three Parables of Luke 1506:20 Why It's Really a Tale of Two Sons08:02 Both Sons Are Lost09:32 God Is Not Who You Think He Is12:46 Why Jesus Offended Religious People13:32 Rebellion and Religion15:02 You Can Be Lost by Being Good17:00 The Jesus Path18:00 Why the Father Lets the Son Fail20:23 Love, Suffering, and the Heart of the Father22:58 Which Brother Are You?24:14 Grace Is Where the Party Is

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3142: In part two, Sabrina explains how she turned her attention to the few things she could still control during treatment, from getting up at the same hour every morning to fifteen minutes of slow walking that eventually became hiking and swimming. She shares how that sense of agency, paired with a gains perspective that counted what she had received instead of what illness had taken, moved her the rest of the way toward unconditional self-love. It is a practical close to a story about rebuilding the relationship you have with yourself. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-love-yourself-unconditionally/ Quotes to ponder: "Suffering is like a pot of stew simmering on the stove." "Instead of ruminating over the things I've lost because of cancer, I learned to open my eyes to the rewards I've gained." "No matter what failure I encounter, no matter how hard I fall, I always search for the silver lining." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Father talks about redemptive suffering as exemplified by the Blessed Mother.

Ted has a private pilot checkride on the calendar, so naturally the crew dedicated the evening to helping him prepare. And by helping, we mean: "You may not be nervous at all for the checkride. But you will be by the end of this conversation. It's our job to make you nervous." The chat piled on until it got so deep into aerodynamics that Erica announced, "if a DPE asks about dynamic stability on a private pilot checkride, I'm quitting." The actual best advice of the night came via Nathan B., quoting Barry: slow down and think, doesn't matter if it's an egg, a 182, or a jet. Wind your watch. Midlifters will get that reference.CFI Sam lobbied hard for Ted to combine private and instrument into one checkride, a suggestion Ted received with grace: "How dare you try to minimize my suffering. I want to suffer as much as everybody else." One over-prepared checkride at a time. And when he passes, the assignment stands: bait r/flying with "I passed my private pilot checkride at 1,200 hours." (It was 1,005 hours last episode. The creeper bot confirms he's been flying.)The mailbag delivered the ultimate "I will never" correction: a listener who got his PPL in 1998 as a band teacher retired in 2022 and was promptly offered a charter job in a King Air 200. Then came type ratings in a BE-40 Beechjet and King Air 250 and 90, sims at RVR 800 and 200-foot ceilings at night, "pretty much like drinking from a fire hose." His own verdict: "So much for, I will never."Ted's medical saga got a postscript: Xyla Foxlin's video on her FAA medical fight. "It made me cry. Seriously, like tears." (The dusty plane in the hangar will get you.) Standing disclaimer, in his words: don't take from what you hear from me that anybody can get a medical. Know the risk before you apply.Also aboard: the beast (Ben's 182) is in the avionics shop losing the Cuisinart, an old Narco audio panel riding on 1968 wiring, in favor of two GI-275s. Congrats to Gary, our newest private pilot. Welcome, Hammack from HSV. And the cheeseburger that made Erica tear up has a name: Bare Bones Butcher, burgers 11 to 3 only, new potatoes deep-fried in beef fat, dipped in mayonnaise. She didn't want anything too heavy. "I don't care. We're going to go get this burger." Tonight's wisdom: airplanes convert fuel into noise and money into memories.Mentioned on the show:King Air 200/250: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Super_King_AirBE40 Beechjet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_400King Air 90: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_King_AirXyla Foxlin's medical story, "The FAA Has a Mental Health Problem": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj0H8oVS7qgBare Bones Butcher, Erica's best burger ever: https://www.barebonesbutcher.com/

Steve DeWitt Love for the Unseen Christ - Part B Study Guide for Spiritual Exiles, 1 Peter 1:6-8 Scripture Reference: 1 Peter 1:8-9 Visit the series page: Exiles: A study in 1 Peter Donate to Support The Journey Sermon Transcript for Spiritual Exiles, 1 Peter 1:8-9 Sermon Series: Spiritual ExilesMessage: Love for the Unseen ChristAirdate: 9/14-9/15/25Programs: 2356 & 2357It's great to see and an encouragement to us. We come now to God's word, and we are back in our series in First Peter today. You know, Peter wrote to exiles in Asia Minor this letter we call First Peter, but he really might as well have written it to us. It'd be easy to read this letter and to just change the personal pronouns, change the names, and insert our own names and our own church family because what he's talking about here is totally appropriate to us as well. He writes to Christians who are experiencing trials.They're experiencing loneliness. They are ostracized in their society. They are struggling to do, you know, Christian lifestyle in a very pagan environment, which, of course, is what we're doing as well. Here today, no doubt, we have people who are dealing with crushing trials, things that even as I say the word trial, boom, it comes to your mind, and you you're thinking about that, and you you brought that discouragement into this service with you, and you're hoping for a word from God to help you. And we live in this world that is increasingly difficult, I think, to live Christianly, especially in America as it continues to slide more secular.It makes you wonder what are the days ahead gonna be like? What's coming around the bend? What are our children, Lord willing, if they embrace the Christian faith, what are they gonna experience in living the Christian life in a, America that's going the direction that it is? I doubt it's gonna be easier for them than it is for us. So how do we prepare ourselves for the trials that lie ahead?And what Peter is going to talk about here, I believe to be the high point of his letter and really is one of the most wonderful passages in all of the New Testament. The word that comes to my mind with this verse is it's magisterial. I mean, it is just, it's a it's a wonderful, wonderful word that God has for us. And for me, it is a privilege to exposit it and to teach it today, and I hope the Lord blesses it truly. So let me read First Peter one verses eight and nine, our text today.“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Now I know it's been a couple weeks. We had snowmageddon in the in between here, but I hope you haven't forgotten what Peter has been already saying to us and teaching us, especially in, the preceding verses where he talks about trials. And he compares trials to, the fiery furnace that gold would go to.So the analogy is our faith is like gold, and our trials are like fiery furnace. And he draws the analogy, and he says, you know, when they would purify gold, they heat up gold in a furnace. And when it it's heated, the impurities rise to the surface, and they're able to skim off those impurities. And the net effect is that the gold is unveiled in a more valuable way, a more wonderful way. Its genuineness is revealed, but it is also purified by the heat of the trial.And this is intended, I think, to get us ready for what is to come. In fact, he says that. He says at the end of verse seven, that “our faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Now that revelation for us personally will either happen when Jesus returns and there is the revelation of Jesus in this world, or personally, it's going to happen when we die. Because when we die, something becomes true in our faith that has never been true before.What is it? All of a sudden in that moment, I will see him. Right? I am going to see the Lord. “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”And that moment of death for us will be when our faith becomes sight, as the as the hymn writer writes. So this moment will be a wonderful, wonderful moment. But for now, it highlights the fact that we are believing in somebody, trusting in somebody, talking about somebody, singing songs to somebody, gathering in the name of somebody that none of us have ever seen. Is that weird? I mean, if if just your average person was to they didn't know anything and they walked in here and they were like, hey.What are you guys doing here? You're like, oh, this is a church that we're all about Jesus here. Really? You're all about Jesus? Yeah.We worship him. We sing to him. We try to live our lives to his glory. Really? Really?What's he what's he what's he like? What's he look like? I don't know. Never met him. The guy would probably be like, these people are strange.Right? I mean, what is going on here in living the Christian faith following the ascension of Jesus when Jesus went to heaven? Other than the Apostle Paul in Scripture, we don't know of anybody who's actually seen Jesus. Right? We are all living a kind of faith and a belief in somebody that we have never met, which on the surface looks strange and weird, like we're all nut jobs somehow.Is this kinda like a religious version of marrying a woman you've never met? Is it eHarmony for eternity? Or is there something else going on, something more wonderful that is going on here? And, of course, Peter writes this letter. And Peter, of all people, is himself an eyewitness.Right? I mean, other than Jesus' family, Peter probably had more eye time with Jesus than anybody else. He was part of Jesus' disciples. He lived with him for three years. They ate.They talked. They they, ministered together. He went to the top of the Mount of Transfiguration. He was there in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was part of the inner three.Jesus appeared to Peter after the resurrection more than anybody else. So you could say that Peter, of all people, had eye time with Jesus, and now here he is writing about people who have no eye time with Jesus. You might think that Peter be like, oh, you age of minor people. I've seen him. I know.You have no idea what you're missing. And we, of course, are in the same situation here today, singing “Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne.” “Your great name.” These songs, very Christ centered, uplifting songs to somebody we've never seen with our eyes. And Peter writes here so wonderfully about the Christian experience post ascension.And he says here, you have never seen Christ, yet three things are true. We love him, we believe in him, and we rejoice in him. And let's just walk through the text here now, those three things. First of all, unseen, yet we love him. “Though you have not seen him, you love him.”Now for us, love and sight naturally go together. You sometimes hear couples, they'll say, oh, it was love at first sight. Well, now on my side of the marital covenant, I will say to you that only a very superficial understanding of love would make that kind of statement true. What kind of love or is is Peter talking about? That kind of love?Is it a is it a is it a marital love? Is it I mean, it it's not. It's not an erotic love. It's not even a friendship love that is used here. In fact, the Greek word in this text is that Greek word that the New Testament writers pulled and infused with all kinds of redemptive truth and meaning.Agape love. Agape is the is the word there. We've talked about this at length here at Bethel. We've defined it as self giving for the good and joy of another. It is a kind of love, the kind of love that God has.It is a it is a love of a different kind, a love of a deeper quality. It was this love, this agape love that God expressed to us when he sent his Son Jesus into this world. “For God so loved, agape the world, that he gave his only Son,” John three sixteen. It is this agape love that Jesus expressed to us as he hung on the cross. “Greater love is no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friend.”“But God demonstrated his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” This giving of myself, geez God expresses it to us through Jesus. Jesus expresses it to us through his cross and his death in our place. So what is our response then as as believers? First John four nineteen.“We love him because he first loved us.” Amen. Right? And so our love for for God is not self generated. It doesn't it doesn't come from us.We would naturally not love God Jesus this way. But it is an act of God's sovereign grace whereby through the gospel, we come to hear and to understand what Jesus has done for us. And that work of God by his spirit, this new birth, this regeneration explodes in our heart. We believe in Jesus, and the response to the love of God to us is that we love him. K?We don't take credit for that love. We would never come up with that love on our own. This is a part of God's good work in us. It is producing agape for God, agape for Jesus. But our agape of Jesus is different because we've never seen him.It is an unseen love or it's an unseen Christ that we are loving. I tried to think of some analogy of of this. And for obvious reasons in my life right now, I think about a parent's love for a child in the womb. Never seen that child yet. Love him or her already.Unseen child, love for the unseen child, love for the unseen Christ. The love that saving faith creates in us is a genuine love, but it is an agape kind of love even though we've never laid eyes on him. Unseen, yet we love him. Secondly, unseen, yet we believe in him. “Though you do not see him now, you believe in him.”Notice the tense change. The first clause was you did not see him, yet you love him, present tense. Here, you do not see him now, presently, yet you presently believe in him. Now I wonder, does this remind you of anybody? Somebody in the story in the gospels who, refused to believe something that he couldn't see.Now maybe this is coming to your mind already if you're with me. I think about the disciple Thomas. Do you know the story? I trust that you do. The story is that Jesus is resurrected from the dead.He makes his first appearance to the disciples in the upper room. Everybody's there except Thomas. And Jesus is there. He says, here I am. Give me food to eat.Believe. I'm alive. And the disciples, of course, are in awe at this, and they just are marvel at Jesus leaves. Well, Thomas comes in, and they're like, he's alive. And Thomas famously says this.“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Thomas is like the patron saint of the cynic or the skeptic. The kind of person who says, unless I have empirical evidence with my eyes, unless I can put this in a in a test tube and and sort of prove it, I will not believe until the empirical evidence that my own eyes have seen tell me that this is true. These are the people that refuse to believe the testimony of other people regarding Jesus' claims to deity, regarding the miracles that he did in his earthly ministry and his supernatural life, his resurrection, and all the rest. It's not enough for them.They refuse to believe unless they see it with their own eyes. Notice what happens to Thomas. Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas imagine this moment, by the way.The disciples are like, we've seen him. We've seen him. We've seen him. Thomas said, I don't I refuse to believe. Now all of a sudden, Jesus is there.What's the look on Thomas' face? I want a picture of that someday in heaven. Jesus says to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” And Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God.”Notice Thomas doesn't say, okay. Well, let me come over there a second and see if I can put my finger in that hole. And how about if I put my side my fist in the side? He doesn't have to do any of that. He sees Jesus standing before him, and now it is enough, and he says, “My Lord and my God.”Notice the next verse though. Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you've seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Who is Jesus talking about in that verse? He's talking about us, isn't he?Has anybody here seen Jesus? I doubt it very much. And yet, there we have Jesus saying, the real blessing is not the person who is in the upper room and actually sees the resurrected Jesus. The real blessing is the person who doesn't see that and yet has put their faith and trust in him. He's talking about us.He's talking about 99.999% of people who have ever believed. He's talking about Old Testament saints. He's talking about Moses. He's talking about Abraham. He's talking about David.These are all people that they they they had revelation a little bit from God in the Old Testament. They believed in the coming Messiah. They believed in the one that God promised who would come. They never saw him, and yet they believed. The Old Testament states he's talking about every Christian after the ascension of Jesus.Here we are, having never seen him, and yet we believe. And here we are now in a central truth about the kind of faith that saves us. Christian faith, saving faith, has a kind of seeing, a kind of perceiving, a kind of discerning that goes beyond the eyes. Faith has its own eyes, if we could say it that way. Faith sees the unseen.The writer of Hebrews gives the classic definition. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” You know, Christianity, some people wrongly, in my opinion, accuse it of being somehow anti intellectual. It is not anti intellectual. It is a thinking faith.There is enough evidence in the world around us in the testimony of the eyewitnesses, and the story of Scripture that we can think deeply and intellectually about our faith. But here's the thing. There is not enough evidence to simply reason our way to saving faith. There comes a point where I have to see the unseen. I have to believe in something that I can't put in a test tube.I have to trust in the eyewitness account of others who saw these things. And if you're here today and maybe you have not yet believed, I want to encourage you, and my prayer has been before even preaching this message, that God would somehow use it for that person who maybe is high on the kind of the Thomas scale to help you realize that the faith that saves even by the description of Scripture is a kind of seeing that goes beyond the eyes. But it is a kind of seeing all the same. A kind of faith and trusting in the claims of Christianity, in the claims of Jesus being the Son of God, the eyewitness accounts of people who saw him dead and who saw him alive, and the testimony of two thousand years of Christians whose lives have been changed by faith in this Jesus. And maybe God would use this message to draw you into, finally, a faith relationship with Jesus and that you would put your hope and trust in him.That would be a great thing. And join the rest of us who have not seen Christ but who believe in him truly and fully. So unseen, yet we love him. Unseen, yet we believe in him. Thirdly, unseen, yet we rejoice in him.Again, the text. “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. And rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” And that little phrase right there, in my opinion, is one of the most sublime, one of the most wonderful little clauses in all of Scripture describing the Christian experience.Rejoicing with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. Here, I think Peter is describing the Christian experience at its highest, at its its most joyous expression. Our faith sees through the gospel. Our faith sees the loveliness, the beauty, the desirability of Jesus. And inside, there is a kind of resting, trusting in who he is and the fact that he did indeed die for my sins.And there is then in this resting and this assurance that I have that Jesus indeed is not just the savior but my savior, there flows then within us a love, a gladness, a a joy. I mean, imagine somebody receiving Jesus as savior, knowing now my sins are forgiven. My guilt is not held against me. I have the righteousness of Jesus by justification. I have eternal life.I'm a child of God. Heaven and the new earth is mine forever. And on the other side of that being like, bummer. Can you imagine that? I mean, that would be so inappropriate.Right? How can you not have all of these things now by faith and truly in your heart believe them to be true and there not be joy from it? Are you with me? Indeed, joy inexpressible. The word here for rejoice in the original means this.Here's the lexicon. To experience a state of great joy and gladness, often involving verbal expression and appropriate body movement. Some of you are getting uncomfortable now. To be extremely joyful, to be overjoyed, to rejoice greatly. And the lexicon adds this.I shout because of my joy. K? So glad that I'm just raw. But then Peter adds, this joy is inexpressible. So Peter takes it to another level then and says that it is beyond words or description.Now we've probably seen a child open a present or have some moment of such joy that they're just they they run-in place. Right? And they they go in circles like this. They're just they're just so excited. Right?They can't hardly contain themselves. There's an overflow of joy because of it. Adults, similarly, although somewhat more subdued, typically, we clap, we shout, we dance. There is a kind of joy that goes beyond verbal expression. That is this joy inexpressible.Now it would be easy for me right now to lay a massive guilt trip on the church and to say, alright, you Christian people. This is what it's supposed to look like all the time. And if you're here right now and you if I gave you the chance that you would run-in circles and dance and shout but not be able to say words, if that's not your experience right now, you're a bad Christian. And what's wrong with you people? And there are probably a few good meaning people here that would even amen something like that.It's about time we get more that way around here. But I suspect if I did that, most of us would leave very depressed. And I would as well because my Christian experience would not match up with joy inexpressible every moment of every day. My Christian experience and having been around this church long enough now, the vast majority of us are struggling to be faithful to the Lord in the ups and the downs of life. And there is a lot of times that I don't feel joy, I feel disappointment.And there are times that I don't feel joy, I feel depressed. There are times when the criticism hits home. There are times when the relationship struggles just cause despair. There are times where, like, following Jesus, it's not running in places like literally grabbing this leg and forcing it, you know, to follow the Lord and saying, I will, but inside, it doesn't feel like it. Can you relate to that?Life is painful. In fact, you could in mass Peter, why would you talk about joy inexpressible in the verse following the verses about fiery furnace trials? Like, how do those go fiery furnace trial, joy inexpressible? Like for me, when I'm in a trial, I'm not happy. And when I'm when I'm happy, I'm probably not in a in a trial at that moment.Right? I can have some joy inexpressible when everything is fantastic. I wanna live on that plane. Life isn't that way, though. And I have wrestled with this passage, and I wanna tell you what I think it's saying.At least at this point in my spiritual walk and my spiritual maturity and my understanding of scripture, maybe in ten years, I'll say, I think something different. But as best I can tell, this is what Peter is doing. Peter is describing here in such emotionally rejoicing language, he is describing the Christian faith as it can be, as it should be, and as it will be. As it can be, as it should be, and as it will be. Let's start with the as it will be because I think all of us are on the same page with this one.Who here wouldn't want to experience joy in Jesus like he's describing here? Well, be encouraged. Our entire eternity will be this. Listen, Christian. Our entire eternity is going to be the experience of perpetual and unending joy inexpressible.What am I talking about? I am talking about the day that is coming for us when we are standing in the presence of the Lord, when we are living on that new earth, when we are in our glorified bodies, when we have received all of the redemptive benefits that God has promised to us, when we are not living in this sin sick world anymore, when we are living in the next one, that experience there is going to be so far beyond this one and so far better than this one, I I wonder how we'll look back on these days. Imagine it. Every moment, joy inexpressible. That's our eternity.To think that our brothers and sisters who've died and have already gone there to think about Pete Erhammer and Merle McCleskey, two members of our church that died recently, both faithful, godly men. If we had, like, a little if we could FaceTime them right now and say, hey, Merle and Pete, how's it going up there? What would they say? I think they would say, it is so much better than I ever imagined. And we'd be like, why do you say that?I believe they would say, we have seen him. We've seen him in all of his glory, in all of his beauty, in all of his majesty. We have seen him. He talked to me. He talked to me.He ministered to me. He's seen me. I see him. You're not gonna believe what it's like. It's fantastic.Why? What's so great about there? There, the faith has become sight. And that sight is not Jesus in his more subdued, stealthy, incarnate human body. It is Jesus in all of the splendor that is his as the Son of God at the right hand of God the Father.And that will be for us since he is our savior, Lord, and friend. That will be for us a source of unending, unexhausting joy inexpressible. And our dear brothers and sisters, they're there right now, and they are experiencing that. And our faith, even right now, has capacity for that. And we have moments of that, but not like it is there.Psalm sixteen eleven, “in thy presence is fullness of joy, and at thy right hand is pleasures evermore.” And so Peter here is giving us a glimpse of what eternity's joy will be like. It'll be perfect joy. It'll be inexpressible joy, and that day is coming for us. But Peter is also here describing Christian faith as it can be and as it should be.And this is what I think he is getting at in context here in the passage is that heaven's joy is part of the present Christian experience. Only here, we have to fight for it. In this world and in this body, I have to fight for heaven's joy to be a part of my experience here. And the reason that it is a fight is because of indwelling sin. It is a fight because there are all of these joy stealers all the time that are wanting me to put my hope, trust, identity, and belief in them, but they are not Jesus.And they ultimately are disappointing. Trials are this. Trials cloud our thinking so easily. You know, in moments when I have spiritual clarity, and maybe you can relate to this, there are there are moments I could tell you some of the high points of my whole Christian experience where maybe it's on the other side of a trial or maybe it's in a particular worship service or there's something going on in my life. All of a sudden, I have clarity.Like I see things truly biblically. I see my life and I see my forgiveness in Jesus and I I don't know. I just have these sometimes these moments of clarity and I have inside of me, I just feel like a yes. There's a there's a genuine joy that I that I I'll have. And I'll bet, Christian, you've had some high points in your walk as well.Somehow, there's just a refreshment in your perspective, and there comes in your soul a kind of gladness in all that you have in Jesus and all that God has done for you and the love of God and just all the promises and the hopes that comes in him. These are wonderful moments in our life. But then we give into a temptation or some opportunity comes and we think there's greater joy in gossip or in porn than in Jesus and a life lived to his glory. There's more joy in having what my neighbor has or wishing he didn't have it. There's more joy in some other kind of sin or some good thing, but a lesser thing.And what happens in that? Where does the joy go? Boo. Out the window. Right?There it goes. Think of David as an example of this. David, King David, the the sweet singer of Israel, the writer of the Psalms, the man who God himself said was “a man after my own heart,” wrote beautiful language about his relationship to God, to the Lord. He says just says, “I love the Lord.” Right?“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” I mean, he he must have had such joy in his heart as he was writing such beautiful language about what God is like. What happened to David? One day David sinned with Bathsheba.And in Psalm 51, he describes the experience of one year of living without repentance. And he says, “my bones groaned within me.” And he writes in Psalm 51, his desire is this, “restore to me the joy of my salvation.” What did David miss in his time away from God? He missed that sense of gladness in God, that everything was right.I'm living for the glory of God. And maybe you're there right now. You remember good old days spiritually. You remember times of gladness in Jesus, but you've been living for something else. Or you've given into some temptation, and your heart longs for the good old days spiritually, so did David.He wanted that joy back, but it had been stolen from him. What is David writing in Psalm 23 or Psalm 51? It's the same thing that Peter's writing in First Peter one eight. What are trials? What is the what is “the valley of the shadow of death”?What do these have what to do with joy? Simply this. Trials magnify like nothing else the joy of knowing Jesus. And the result of that is that we love him more. Is this not true?Think about it in your own life. Think about it from scripture. The writer of Hebrews I'm gonna give you one example. The writer of Hebrews writes to a group of people that had gone through a particular experience. Listen carefully to what how he describes what they went through.This is Hebrews 10. “But recall the former days when after you were enlightened, in other words, after you had come to saving faith, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly be a And You're since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” He's talking about Christians who went through horrible experiences, persecutions, plundering of what they have. Imagine a Christian, for example, today living in Syria and seeing ISIS approaching. What would you expect to find in their hearts?Are they they're going, yes. Here they come. On one level, obviously, no. But on another level, all the trials and sufferings that come into our life do something good for us. They refine our thinking about what really matters in life, and they magnify to us the enduring value of knowing Jesus.Because, typically, all these trials involve losing something. They lost their possessions. Imagine, for example, that you're here in church, and we come to find out that even right now, there's a group of people, and they're robbing your house. How many of us are going, love that? We're not happy about that in one respect.But in another respect, if somebody did rob your house or like the family in our church whose house burned down this last year, give the testimony that spiritually, it's been a wonderful experience for them. Why? Because when your house burns down, it helps refine what really matters in life, doesn't it? And this is what trials do. They help us realize that these temporary things that in the matter in the end don't matter, that knowing Christ is the thing that matters.He is the enduring source of joy, and the joy in Jesus is magnified by the loss. Let me illustrate it this way. Let's just imagine that it's last week and you're in Phoenix. And you didn't realize it, but the Super Bowl was going on in Phoenix. And you're like, that's I've always wanted to go to the Super Bowl like you're a lifelong NFL fan.It's been a dream of yours, but they never have the Super Bowl in at Soldier Field, so you never have the opportunity. But you just happen to be in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Super Bowl is going on. You get online, and sure enough, there's a ticket. You buy this ticket. It's extraordinarily expensive, but you're like, I'm going anyway.It's a once in a lifetime chance. And so you go to the Super Bowl and you got your ticket and you you go in there and you're like, okay, where's my seat at? They say it's up there. And the next guy goes, it's up there. And the next guy goes, it's up You're in the last row of the stadium.You're all the way at the top. You're sitting behind a pillar next to a drunk guy. And you're sitting there, I can't believe this is gonna be my Super Bowl experience sitting here. And you're, like, looking around the pillar trying to see the game. When all of a sudden the guy comes up to you and says, he goes, hey.How'd you like to be in the front row? And you're like, really? He goes, here's the thing though. To be in the front row, you gotta give me your back row ticket. Now what would be the natural response to that?No problem. Best day of my entire life. You bet. You can have this ticket right here. You just frame it for all I care.You can have that. I get the front row ticket. And so down you go all the way to the front row, and there you are, best seat in the house, 50 yard line. The game's going on in front of you. And and what do you do in the entire game?You're watching the game, but every once in a while, you're looking back up at the seat that you were supposed to be sitting in. And you're thinking to yourself every time you look at it, what? Yes. Right? Look where I am.Look what I have. Fantastic. How many of us would be in the front row going, oh, the old ticket. Sounds like a country song. Right?The old ticket. Maybe I shouldn't have given that up. We don't think that. Why? Because we realize what we have.And trials are that for us. Suffering is that for us. It is always loss. Trials are it's a loss of my health. It's the loss of my job.It's the loss of my spouse. It's the loss of my financial security. It's it's somehow it involves the losing or the threatening of losing something that I am deeming valuable, but they are always things that are temporary. Even life itself is the loss of something temporary. I don't get to keep any of these things anyway, including my life.But as I go through these trials, they are and I'm losing things or maybe losing things. They are reminding the Christian that there is one thing that is enduring. There is one possession that trumps all of them. It is the front row ticket. And my joy is in this, not in that.Are you with me? And so we have to live our lives. And this is what Peter is saying. You haven't seen him, but you love him. You don't see him now.You believe in him. And the result of my gladness, my hope, my assurance being in Jesus and not in these other things is that I can have a joy that is paired with the pain. I can have a joy in the midst of the sorrow. I can have joy in the midst of the plundering of my possessions. I can have joy in the midst of the cancer treatment.I can have joy in the midst of the marital counseling. I can have joy in the midst of the painful pregnancy. I can have joy in the midst of anything that is temporary because my joy isn't something that is eternal. Right? And this joy, in the words of the old preacher, the world didn't give it, and the world can't take it away.Trials magnify what really matters. When I think about things that I've gone through in my life, I turned 47 two weeks ago. I'm not the oldest in the room, and I am not the youngest anymore. I've been around the block a few times, and I've had a few hard things that I've gone through. When I think about even the worst moments of my life, I look back at them now, and I can appreciate them because God used them in my life to refine my faith, to get my clinging from things and people and affirmation from people and a host of other things.And they have been good for me. Good for me. And I got a long way to go in this. And you catch me on the wrong day, and you're gonna walk away thinking he ain't living out his sermon very well. But neither are you, friend.And that's why heaven will be all of us living the sermon out perfectly. Joy inexpressible, filled with glory, seeing him by sight, being in proximity to him, knowing his love, not by faith, but by the full experience of human sensory knowledge to touch him, to hear him, to see him will be for us as a joy that our hearts can't even imagine now. And that day is coming. So how about you, friend? You're in a trial right now?You got some pain going on? Is your joy in the thought that maybe that trial's gonna go away? Is your joy in the thought that maybe that pain will go away? You got everybody praying that God would take the pain away. Might not the actual solution be pairing the pain with joy in the Lord?“Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice.” And that is how we live the Christian life in the ups and the downs, in the trials and in the blessings, awaiting a day when our faith will be sight and we will see him. That will be a great day. Amen.Would you please join me for a word of prayer?* This transcript was generated using AI transcription technology and reviewed for accuracy but may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for precise wording.

What makes a sermon truly powerful? Todd reflects on Tim Challies' preaching, explains where he differs with John Mark Comer on spiritual disciplines, and shares an important lesson from Challies about trusting God when suffering doesn't make sense. Segment 1 • What gives a sermon real “oomph”—powerful delivery, great writing, or something more? • Tim Challies shows how a soft-spoken preacher can still deliver a sermon with serious impact. • The goal of preaching isn't impressive oratory—it's to help you see Christ more clearly and love Him more. Segment 2 • Todd compares Go Serve Your King with John Mark Comer's Practicing the Way. Where do their approaches differ? • Should spiritual disciplines produce an integrated Christian life—or should knowing and loving Christ drive those disciplines? • What's the difference between systematic, biblical, and historical theology, and how should theology actually change you? Segment 3 • When someone is suffering, even good theology can be delivered at the wrong time. • Tim Challies shares lessons learned through the devastating loss of his son about grief, comfort, and simply being present. • You may never see the good God brings from your suffering in this life—do you still have reason to trust Him? Segment 4 • Do you constantly wonder, “Am I really saved?” or “Have I repented enough?” • Your feelings aren't a reliable measure of your salvation—so what biblical signs should you look for? • How trusting Christ and leaning on your local church can help break the cycle of constantly questioning your salvation. Preorder Todd Friel's new book, Go Serve Your King: The Key to Extraordinary Purpose in Everyday Life, available December 1. Preorder your copy at https://FortisInstitute.org/King ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!

From the Moore to the Point newsletter: The Joker Is Our Spiritual Director Now Watch the episode here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are the pain and struggles of life snuffing out your wonder? Tyler Staton talks about his book, "After Amen: 50 Days of Poetry and Prayer." After his shocking advanced-stage cancer diagnosis, Tyler found himself cast into a wilderness. He shares how his practices awakened in him a new appreciation for how God uses beauty and the ordinary to draw us to himself.  Originally aired June 22, 2026 Check out Susie's podcast God Impressions on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here

Click here to receive today's free gift on the Radio Page Pain and Providence – Pain and chronic illness can erode your joy like acid and can lead you to question God and his power. Join Joni in taking a close look at what the Bible says about pain and the sovereign providence of God. Use the coupon code: RADIOGIFT for free shipping! *Limit one copy per person* --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Read OnlineCommingling of Love and SufferingJesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:33–35It is no liturgical coincidence that the day after we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we honor Our Lady of Sorrows. This close liturgical connection highlights the inseparable union between Christ's Passion and His Mother's compassion.The passage above is one of the two optional Gospel readings for today. The other is taken from the foot of the Cross: “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25). In both passages, we are invited to gaze with reverent love upon the overflowing charity found in the Blessed Mother's Immaculate Heart. Though she experienced countless moments of profound joy, today we contemplate the holy sorrow she endured as she accompanied her divine Son.From the first moment of her Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Mother's heart was full of grace. She was preserved from the stain of Original Sin and remained sinless throughout her life by freely obeying every prompting of the Holy Spirit who overshadowed her. For this reason, her Immaculate Heart is unique—no other motherly heart has ever loved so purely, and no other heart has ever suffered so deeply.It is easy to imagine that pure love would exempt a soul from suffering. But all we need to do is look upon the Son of God to know that this is not so. Suffering, sorrow, and the perfection of love are not opposed; they are perfectly united in every holy soul conformed to Christ, as exemplified in His Mother.When we contemplate the Exaltation of the Cross, we behold Jesus crucified—naked, humiliated, and in excruciating agony. Yet that suffering held no power over Him. He conquered it by embracing it, enduring it, and transforming it into the very foundation of Divine Mercy.Likewise, as the Mother of God stood before the exalted Cross of her Son and beheld Him in His final agony, her heart was pierced by the sword that Simeon prophesied on the day of Jesus' Presentation in the Temple. In that moment, sorrow and love became one. How could she feel otherwise? Had she not loved her Son so deeply, she would not have suffered so profoundly. It was precisely because her love was so pure that her sorrow was so great.There is much to learn from the Sorrowful Heart of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. From her we learn that holy love enables us to suffer with others. This is the essence of the word compassion—to suffer with. When we witness the sins of others—for which Christ suffered—or when we ourselves experience rejection, betrayal, or injustice, we are faced with a choice. We can turn inward in bitterness and self-pity, or we can imitate the Blessed Mother and choose holy compassion, loving even in the midst of pain, rejection, and abuse.Why did our Blessed Mother choose this holy sorrow, this loving compassion? Because love expressed in this way draws sinners back to God. Her compassion, united with Christ's, became a silent yet powerful invitation for all souls to repent, to believe, and to be healed.Reflect today on the sorrow within your own heart. It is easy to be saddened by loss, hardship, or trials. But sadness is not the same as holy sorrow. Does suffering lead you to compassion and empathy, or does it turn into self-pity? As we ponder the sorrows of our Blessed Mother, pray for the grace to imitate her holy compassion. Embrace your trials with love, and allow mercy to flow from your wounded heart. The Blessed Virgin perfectly exemplifies this sacred charity, and through her intercession and example, we are called to do the same. Our Lady of Sorrows, you stood by your divine Son in His joys and in His sufferings. You felt what He felt, loved with His love, and had compassion for all. Please pray for me, that as I gaze upon the exalted triumph of your Son's Cross, I may never look away, but look with love, uniting my own crosses with His. Sorrowful Heart of Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Adobe Stock: Main; Featured Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

ACTS 5:33-42 - COUNTED WORTHY OF SUFFERING - BRIAN SUMNER - 2026ACTS 5:33-42 "When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.Support the showSUPPORT THE SHOW

Suffering is unavoidable, but it does not have to be wasted. In this episode of The Impossible Life Podcast, Nick Surface and Garrett Unclebach sit down with Dr. Robi Sonderegger to talk about one of the most uncomfortable and necessary parts of the Christian life. Whether it comes through persecution, hardship, loss, discipline, pressure, or pain, suffering reveals what a man believes, what he is living for, and whether his hope is rooted in circumstances or in Jesus.This conversation challenges the comfortable, idealistic view many men have of growth, purpose, and faith. Dr. Robi explains that suffering can either become a prison or a catapult. It can make a man bitter, angry, and trapped in what happened to him, or it can humble him, soften him, and make him moldable again. The difference is meaning. When a man has purpose, suffering becomes something he can move through instead of something he spends his life avoiding. Without purpose, even small discomforts feel like threats; with purpose, pain can become the pressure that builds strength.Biblical masculinity is not about pretending suffering does not hurt. It is about refusing to let suffering become the loudest voice in your life. Jesus suffered with purpose, and men who follow Him are called to take up responsibility, choose hard things, and allow God to use pressure to form character. This episode is a call to stop running from every discomfort, stop confusing comfort with freedom, and begin asking what God wants to build in you through what you are walking through.Check out VITL Peptides by clicking hereJoin a group of likeminded Impossible Life listeners in our FREE Skool community by clicking here.Get the Purpose Playbook by clicking hereGet the FREE Basic Discipline Training 30 Day Program by clicking hereJoin us in Mindset Mastery by clicking hereLevel up your nutrition with IDLife by clicking hereGET IN TOUCHSocial Media - @theimpossiblelifeEmail - info@theimpossible.life

Youngest Chicola sister, Caroline, graces the pod with her presence. Caroline and Kaitlin can't help but talk about Emily in her absence...mostly because she has absolutely no clue what Famous Footwear is and she's planning to copy Kaitlin's outfit for their family photos. Of course, food and favorite snacks make their way into the conversation. Kaitlin buys leopard pants. Scott somehow doesn't feel good every single night. And, ya know…men when they're sick. Follow SWE on Instagram → @so.what.else  Follow Kaitlin on Instagram → @kaitlingraceelliott  https://www.kaitlinelliott.com/

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3141: In part one, Sabrina shares how she began learning to love herself unconditionally during a blood cancer diagnosis at nineteen, starting with the decision to stop reopening old wounds from years of family conflict. She explains why the shame, self-blame, and self-pity she carried kept her from accepting herself, and what shifted once she gave herself permission to let those wounds finally heal. It is an honest opening to a story about the relationship that shapes every other one. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-love-yourself-unconditionally/ Quotes to ponder: "The cocktail of shame, self-blame, and self-pity I fed myself was toxic." "I realized I had to give myself the permission to heal." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What happens when the people who spent a lifetime teaching integrity watch their son become the center of one of New Jersey's most controversial criminal prosecutions? In this deeply personal episode of The Suffering Podcast, Barbara and Drew Oldrati share the emotional journey of standing beside their son, Mantua Township Police Corporal Salvatore Oldrati, following his indictment in connection with a fatal 2021 officer-involved shooting. They discuss how the case has affected their family, their perspective on the investigation and prosecution, and the personal toll of navigating years of legal uncertainty. They also reflect on the emotional burden carried not only by police officers, but by the families who stand behind them through public scrutiny and private pain. This conversation explores themes of family, faith, resilience, justice, and the human cost of high-profile criminal cases. Regardless of where listeners stand on the case itself, Barbara and Drew offer an intimate look at what it feels like when a family's life is forever changed by events that extend far beyond the courtroom. Find more Justice for Corporal Oldrati https://www.instagram.com/justiceforcorporaloldrati1558/ Find The Suffering Podcast  The Suffering Podcast Website  The Suffering Podcast Instagram  Kevin Donaldson Instagram  Apple Podcast  Spotify Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Fr. Mike begins the book of Lamentations, we read about Jeremiah's sorrow as he witnesses the siege and suffering of Jerusalem. In the book of Jeremiah, we hear a word of comfort from the Lord to Baruch. Today's readings are Jeremiah 45-46, Lamentations 1, and Proverbs 17:21-28. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.