3. Hope
Scenarios
1. Candice lives next door to you, and you know that she has been having treatment for cancer. When you ask her how it is going, she tells you that the doctors are saying encouraging things, but that she can't see that she'll ever get back to how she was. She shakes her head and says that there doesn't seem much point in life anymore.
2. Your colleague, Dalton, is chatting to you about his retirement plans. He is going to be able to take early retirement in a couple of years and is hoping to play a lot of golf and learn watercolour painting. His one concern is having to spend time looking after his elderly mother, who he views as a bit of an inconvenience.
What question might you ask to take the conversation further?
Read Mark 5:21-43
What are the differences between Jairus and the woman?
What does the woman need to realise about Jesus and her suffering?
What does Jairus need to realise about Jesus and his suffering?
(See online commentary for more help)
Read Romans 8:28-39
What comfort does this passage give us in our sufferings?
How can we know that God loves us if our circumstances seem to suggest otherwise?
(See online commentary for more help)
Sharing your story
What story could you share about how God has given you hope in the midst of suffering?
Praying for opportunities
Who would you like to share a message of hope with?
Extra Resources
How can a good God allow suffering? (short video) - Glen Scrivener
How can a good God allow suffering? (longer talk) - Don Carson
Next session: 4. Truth
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