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March 10, 2024
Included | Romans 8:18-39
Included in Suffering
The world is broken and in pain, and so are we. All of us suffer, including (maybe especially) followers of Jesus. But Jesus gives us resources for walking through suffering: a perspective shaped by hope, prayer to process pain and grief, and the promise of his forever, unlimited love.
Songs for this week: Spotify
- What does our culture tell us about suffering and how to handle it? What has the church told you about this?
- Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. How do Paul’s sufferings affect how you read Romans 8:18-39?
- Read this translation of Romans 8:28: “We know that God co-works all things for good with those who love God.” What does this mean to you? How does it compare to your perspective on suffering?
- Read Psalm 44:22-26, a lament that Paul quotes in this passage. Share a situation where you have prayed like that or where you need to pray like that.
- How real is God’s promise of love for you? What habits or practices can you use to remind you of his love?
Bonus:
Use Psalm 13 and Romans 8:35-39 to pray together about specific situations of suffering.
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Recent Sermons
John 12:9-19 -When Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the shouts and cheers of the crowd, there was no mistaking what was happening: the King was back in his rightful place. There were several responses to this long-awaited event: some celebrated, some grumbled, and then… everyone went home. It may have looked anticlimactic, but Jesus wasn’t going anywhere. He had come to do what only the true King of Israel could do.
John 14:1-14 -John’s biography of Jesus slows as he chronicles the week leading up to Jesus’ death. Jesus has a long, careful conversation with the disciples, and today, we listen to the beginning of that conversation. He begins with a strong command: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” He then reinforces it with three unshakable assurances: He is going ahead of them, He has cleared the way to the Father, and He will send supernatural power so they can continue His work.
John 8:48-59 -Jesus’ friend John was very careful to record the things that Jesus said about Himself. As an observant Jew, John knew that there is only one God. From time to time, God sent prophets, ordained priests, and crowned kings so that the people of God had someone to lead them to Him. Everyone knew that these leaders only ever pointed to God; they never claimed any status beyond being messengers. But when Jesus came, He was different. He claimed to be “the Light of the World,” “the Truth that sets you free,” and “the Resurrection and the Life”—all of them ridiculous claims for anyone but God to make. That was exactly His point.
Luke 15:11-32 - Jesus tells a story about a father with two lost sons. The rule-breaking younger son was lost in self-indulgence, and the rule-keeping older son was lost in self-righteousness. The father loved both generously and even recklessly. Both needed to be found. Were they?
John 4:4-26 - Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God had arrived and everyone wondered what that would look like. Would it mean swords and fighting or a political takeover? John records a couple of one-on-one conversations that Jesus had. What an interesting Kingdom! It turns out that each person matters in the Kingdom of God, each woman and each man matter eternally.
John 1:1-14A - The story of the Bible is the Story of Jesus, God’s plan all along was to come as one of us to rescue us from sin and death and to reset us to live radically different lives. Today’s passage offers a different (still true!) beginning to the story of Jesus' life on earth.
