Waiting is never easy, but it is often unavoidable.

We start with the story of David being anointed king in 1 Samuel 16 David - well before he actually takes the throne. So many of our favourite stories actually come from this long period of waiting. Cameron refers back to Season 2 Episode 8 for some examples of Jesus not wanting to make people wait, and we end up pondering the parables in Matthew 25. It seems important that we should be at least ready for a long wait.

A rough time for Ezekial has us wondering about meekness in suffering.

The story of Ezekial being instructed by God not to mourn after his wife suddenly dies is not so well known, and takes us in a few directions. The Sabbath School lesson refers to this passage as it muses about meekness, which is an attitude not always associated with life's crucibles.

Not every army has an array of singers praising the Lord!

It is not always easy to see how God's actions all fit together, and sometimes praise doesn't feel quite honest. This story in 2 Chronicles has a very prominent military positioning of the "designated praisers", and the outcome is a good one. But sometimes the outcome is not so good - what do we do in these situations? 

Elisha's servant got to see chariots of fire, but where does that leave faith?

The Sabbath School lesson talks about "Seeing the Invisible", especially when times are bad. This sounds a bit like a call to persevere in faith, but it seems that actually seeing the invisible realm might provide additional evidence that diminishes the role of faith. What does it mean to have a strong faith even when times are tough?

Baruch's scrolls give us an opportunity to explore the idea of hope.

How does self-control come into our consideration of life's crucibles?

This part of the Sermon on the Mount is well known, and is often puzzling. Cutting off hands and gouging out eyes sounds extremely draconian at first - but is this passage even talking about hands and eyes? We explore the idea of self-control, and some things that are not self-control.

Job is challenging and perhaps comforting for those in the crucible.

The lesson places a bit of attention on Job chapter 1, but we feel it is necessary to explore the whole book to arrive at anything like a balanced perspective on challenges and crucibles.

The wonderful theme of "image" turns up Immediately following last week's verse in Romans 8.

What does it mean for us to be "conformed to the image of His Son", and how does this relate to crucibles and life experiences of refinement? We meander a bit through some hurdles in this part of Romans, but find a resonance with the way Peterson expresses this concept as the "intended shape of our lives" revealed in Jesus.

What do we say and do for people who have difficulties in life that challenge faith?

This episode comes to you from a shack on the north west coast of Tasmania, where Cameron and Lachlan ponder the variety of biblical advice for people experiencing crucibles in life. Christians reach a wide range of conclusions about these situations, and there seems to be an equally varied set of perspectives present in the Bible.

If crucibles can be like a roaring lion, what exactly is a lion like?

We push the metaphor here in 1 Peter slightly too far to explore what it might mean for us to have an adversary prowling around like a lion. The conclusion surprises us, but comes directly from the text itself!