Grace Community

1. is God worthy of love by Himself? 
2. is Job's love/faith genuine?
3. what about suffering?

God:
1. I create and control all of inanimate creation
2. I create and control all of animate creation
3. I create and control life and death and the one who HAD power over death
4. I gave my Son to suffer and die to destroy death and give life, because I love you.

Intellectual arguments for God are a feeble response to the passionate questions about God caused by unjust suffering. In the face of screaming pain, soft spoken philosophical answers are drowned out. The book of Job rages against God and yet through it all, the deepest most intense comfort is offered. The answer to suffering can only ever be found in Infinite Love - anything else is a like a superficial plaster that death will peel away.

"Jesus said this." is a series of talks exploring famous one-liners from Jesus. In each talk we unpack what Jesus means and how Jesus' words are exactly what our empty souls need. The love and truth of God shines out of everything Jesus says.

John 8:12 - 20
1. We are in the dark when it comes to judging Jesus
2. We are in the dark when it comes to knowing the Father
3. We will remain in the dark until Jesus 'hour' comes

    = Jesus reveals the truth to us
    = Jesus reveals the Father to us
    = Jesus is the light of truth for the mind, and the light of love for the heart

"Jesus said this." is a series of talks exploring famous one-liners from Jesus. In each talk we unpack what Jesus means and how Jesus' words are exactly what our empty souls need. The love and truth of God shines out of everything Jesus says.

Matthew 11:25-30
1. The Father and the Son share the same knowledge
2. The Father and the Son both rule over everything
3. The Father and the Son reveal each other
4. The Father and the Son share one will

   = the Father and the Son are two Persons in One Being
  = this is why Jesus, the God who promised rest throughout the Old Testament, is on earth: to deliver on His promises. Come to Jesus, obey Him, learn from Him, He gives us the rest our souls need.

1. inanimate creation shows us we are out of our depth
2. animate creation shows us we are out of our depth
3.  death and destruction show us we are out of our depth

       THEREFORE let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:19)

Intellectual arguments for God are a feeble response to the passionate questions about God caused by unjust suffering. In the face of screaming pain, soft spoken philosophical answers are drowned out. The book of Job rages against God and yet through it all, the deepest most intense comfort is offered. The answer to suffering can only ever be found in Infinite Love - anything else is a like a superficial plaster that death will peel away.

Struggling with God - the life of Jacob in the book of Genesis part 10
Genesis 32:22-32

When triggered by danger or unknown, do we flight, fight, freeze, flop or... make friends?
Jacob spent half his life in flight. Now he will fight with God...

1. Jacob lost his idols
2. Jacob lost his self-reliance
3. Jacob wins God's friendship
4. Jacob wins God's blessing

  Call His name Jesus, Immanuel, God with us! God for us!
   At the cross, Jesus wrestled for us and won all God's blessings for us.

1. Job, you're wrong, God does speak
2. Job, you're wrong, God is just
wicked people are happy, wicked people are rarely punished, innocent people suffering call out to God who does nothing, THEREFORE... there is no advantage in serving God.
3.  Job, you're wrong, God doesn't owe anything to anyone

       But, Jesus was treated more unfairly than anyone, ever... for our sakes!

Intellectual arguments for God are a feeble response to the passionate questions about God caused by unjust suffering. In the face of screaming pain, soft spoken philosophical answers are drowned out. The book of Job rages against God and yet through it all, the deepest most intense comfort is offered. The answer to suffering can only ever be found in Infinite Love - anything else is a like a superficial plaster that death will peel away.

Struggling with God - the life of Jacob in the book of Genesis part 9
Genesis 32 and 33 excluding 32:22-32

Guilty Jacob seeks for grace...

1. ... from his brother relying on payment of a sacrifice of atonement

2. ... from God relying on His promises to do him good

• God lavishes grace on guilty sinners by giving His Son as a sacrifice of atonement

This is what Job says:
1. I had everything (ch 29)
2. I have lost everything (ch 30)
3. But I am innocent (ch 31)

       Exactly what happened to Jesus, in order to make us innocent.

Intellectual arguments for God are a feeble response to the passionate questions about God caused by unjust suffering. In the face of screaming pain, soft spoken philosophical answers are drowned out. The book of Job rages against God and yet through it all, the deepest most intense comfort is offered. The answer to suffering can only ever be found in Infinite Love - anything else is a like a superficial plaster that death will peel away.

Struggling with God - the life of Jacob in the book of Genesis part 8
Genesis 31-32:1

1. God provided for His beloved according to His promises
2. God protected His beloved according to His promises
3. God called His beloved home according to His promises

Romans 8:31, 37-39 ... if God be for us, who can be against us.  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. I'm innocent but God is against me! (1-12)
2. I'm innocent but God isolates me! (13-20)
        1 + 2 = Hell.
3. the Innocent Jesus suffered Hell instead of guilty sinners

Intellectual arguments for God are a feeble response to the passionate questions about God caused by unjust suffering. In the face of screaming pain, soft spoken philosophical answers are drowned out. The book of Job rages against God and yet through it all, the deepest most intense comfort is offered. The answer to suffering can only ever be found in Infinite Love - anything else is a like a superficial plaster that death will peel away.