Suffering is Temporal
Our confidence is in Christ, not ourselves. He is the One who calms our fears and gives us the courage we need in times of suffering.
Encouragement
Encouragement
In the classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, the main character, Christian, tumbles into the miry bog, the “slough of despond,” and struggles to get free. But the heavy burden on his back pulls him in deeper, and he begins to sink.
This image pictures what it feels like when we’re sinking in difficult circumstances—when our debts outweigh our income, when past hurts won’t heal, when discontentment marks our relationships, and when the light of heaven seems distant and dim. Discouragement, despondency, pain, suffering—these miry pits along life’s journey can pull us down into our own “slough of despond.”
Christian’s rescue came by the hand of a fellow traveller named Help...and the same is true for you today. Use these resources to find encouragement for your own life...or to minister help to those you find along life’s journey.
Reasons to Pull Together
There are many reasons for Christians to pull together—we’re brothers and sisters because we have the same heavenly Father.
The Good Old Days
Many of us prefer the security of our past over facing the uncertainty of our future. But living in the past only saps our energy and makes it difficult to face the demands of today.
Plain Old Hard Work
Whether you’re completing a university degree, harvesting potatoes, or planting a church, anything worth doing takes dedication and a lot of hard work.
Background Workers
Being unknown doesn’t mean a person is unimportant. Without the behind-the-scenes support people, very little would get done. If you’re in the background, never doubt the significant impact you make with your loyalty, commitment, and support.
The Reality of Death
Death is inevitable, but even death can’t threaten God’s ultimate protection over our lives. We can trust God to protect us from now till the dawning of eternity.
A Place Like No Other
The church is a place like no other. You’ll rarely find such a supportive community elsewhere in life. When you hurt there are people who will stay with you and suffer with you.
Go For It
Date:
October 20, 2023How few are those who see beyond the danger...who say to those on the edge of some venture, “Go for it!” I suppose it's related to one's inner ability to imagine, to envision, to be enraptured by the unseen, all the hazards and hardships notwithstanding.
Finding Balance between Abundant Life and Challenges
Date:
October 6, 2023If Jesus promised an abundant, rich and satisfying life, how could He also promise many trials and sorrows? Aren’t those opposites? Why is the Christian life abundantly difficult at times?
People On Our Path
We meet all sorts of people on our path. Some we meet only briefly, and yet God uses seemingly insignificant events to shape us. The people we meet on our path leave us forever changed, and we do the same for them.
