Welcome!  Welcome to Session 1 of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. Opening Discussion How would you define disappointment? Watch Session One: The Birthplace of Disappointment The Birthplace of Disappointment (28 minutes) This Week’s Statement to Hold Onto: What would happen in our lives if we really lived in the absolute assurance of God’s love in the midst of our disappointments? Genesis 2:5–9 7: Then the lord God formed a man 9: … trees that were pleasing to the eye Genesis 2:15–18 16: And the lord God commanded the man, “You are free…” 18: “… I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:23–25 25: Adam and his wife were…

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story, those He redeemed from the hand of the foe. — Psalm 107:2 NIV In our Western culture we seldom have enemies hunting us down. At least not the kind of enemies we read about in the stories of the Bible — Pharaoh pursuing the Israelites or Saul chasing David. What we do have is troubles — relationship troubles, health problems, loss and grief, feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. At times our troubles can seem so overwhelming that we wonder where God is and what possible purpose He could have. Our faith dwindles as we envision a grim future or a poor outcome. Surrender…

While God will never forget or abandon us, at times we will feel forgotten. It’s not that God is distant; it’s just that sometimes He feels distant. It’s not that God is preoccupied; it’s just that our struggles make us feel like we’re facing the world alone. What is amazing is that we are given full permission to voice this honestly. “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” David lamented. “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” — Psalm 13:1–2 We are allowed and invited to tell God how we really feel. This is the beauty of lament — unedited, unfiltered…

What Is Brave? For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. – Isaiah 41:13 NIV Brave. What is it? Truth is, there is no formula and there are no rules. There is the Bible, our guidebook for all things, but other than that, being brave is organic and spiritual and a unique journey for each person. I won’t be saying, “Here is exactly what courage looks like” or “If you want to really risk in a way that impacts the people around you, do these particular things.” I don’t think that works. I don’t think…

The Word of God is a lifeline for every Christian. Paul instructed his readers that the Word of God will teach us as well as provide encouragement and hope. The psalmist wrote, My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word. — Psalm 119:28NIV The Bible is the primary way God communicates with His people. As we read the Scriptures, we are taking in the message God intends to communicate (2 Timothy 3:16). He uses the Scriptures to increase our understanding, give us strength, correct us, and encourage us. As we approach the Scriptures, we will be wise to ask God to increase our understanding of His Word. Like…

When I was growing up, Madonna once said, “Jesus Christ was like a movie star, my favorite idol of all.”¹ Napoleon Bonaparte went further: “I know men, and I tell you Jesus Christ was not a man. Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is between Christianity and other religions the distance of infinity.”² And then there was novelist H. G. Wells: “I am an historian, I am not a believer. But, this penniless preacher from Galilee is irresistibly the centre of history.”³ There has never been a human quite like Jesus. He…

A note from the author: After another weekend of devastating mass shootings across America and the senseless loss of dozens of lives, our hearts go out to the victims’ families, and our minds ask “Why?” and “What can we do?” As for “Why?,” these things are happening because as more and more people reject God and His ways, the foundations of society are crumbling. When David found himself in such a situation, he asked, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). As for “What can we do?,” the first and most important thing Christians can do, as David did, is to remember that we have hope…