The only certainties in life are death and taxes...

...and suffering!

Our question in the Essentials class this week was " What does God do about suffering?"

As a reminder, last week we talked about how sin brought death, death ignites fear, and fear motivates us to sin...a vicious cycle that only God's prefect love can drive out in order to free us to live a life unbounded by the demands of this world and empower us to live out His commands.

But how can we reconcile His perfect love with the guaranteed suffering in this world?

Scared (un)to Death...

As I stated in my last post I am on an 11 week journey of seeking answers to the Essential Questions for Responsible Christian Growth.  Week 2 of our study has been titled "The Problem is Life to Death" and we dove into the implications of sin and why life is so hard.

Act 1: The curtain is drawn back, in a garden we are introduced to God, a man, and a woman.
Life is not a daily grind, it is full of joy and purpose and good communion.   

Act 2: Enter a snake...(Why does it always have to be snakes?)

What's Love Got To Do With It...?

I started a new small group bible study this week hosted by one of our Mission's department ministers.  The idea, from what I gather, is to evaluate 10 essential questions for our growth in the Christian faith.  The class was outlined to be a place to mature since it has been observed so often that there are "plateaued" faiths in the walls of our churches, that they have become a place to silently receive teaching without producing significant changes in how we live or pray or interact with the world around us.  Sanctification, learning about God and what He has planned for us, how he loves us and how we are to love others are life long processes, journeys that are not complete until we are with Him for eternity.  

And so we come to lesson 1: "Love God and people"...really?