Week 4: God’s Providence and Suffering
Week 4: God’s Providence and Suffering
Outline:
• Who Is God?
• What Is God’s Providence?
• What Is the Relationship between God’s Sovereignty and Suffering?
• So What?
Homework:
• Read Chapter 2 of Pastor John Piper’s Book, Don’t Waste your Cancer (Attached at the bottom of this file)
Helpful resource on God’s sovereignty
• Pastor John Piper’s Books:
Don’t Waste your Cancer
https://www.desiringgod.org/books/dont-waste-your-cancer
Coronavirus and Christ
https://document.desiringgod.org/coronavirus-and-christ-en.pdf?ts=1586278809
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God
https://www.desiringgod.org/books/suffering-and-the-sovereignty-of-god
• Article by Pastor Joh Piper on God’s sovereignty over evil
Discussion questions (Pick 2 or 3)
· What is some evidence of God’s sovereignty in your lives?
· Where is it easy to surrender to his reign and where is it most difficult? Share several ways you might better represent what you believe about God in your daily life.
· Why is a doctrinal position on God’s sovereignty so vital to understanding suffering?
· Consider a time you personally questioned God’s authority in your life. What helped you find his purposes?
· According to the Scriptures, what is God’s role in suffering?
· Describe how you would counsel an individual suffering with cancer who was questioning their faith in God.
· Talk about Piper’s argument on suffering as God’s design (attached below). How do you agree or disagree?