Talk It Over

1. What stood out to most about the message? What did God confirm in your life? What made you uncomfortable, but made you think? What challenged you the most?

2. Barry said that God is not afraid of your questions. What questions has suffering in your own life caused you to ask God? What answers did you get? James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” According to this passage what is the result of the testing of your faith? In what ways have you found that to be true in your own life?

3. We can get to a spot personally in suffering where we believe that God is punishing us, but the Bible says clearly in James 1:13-15 that God is not. What promises do you find in this passage and how does sin occur? James 1:13-15 says, "When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

4. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. In a past or current season of suffering, how has God comforted you? Describe in detail what does the comfort of God feel like and look like.

5. Jesus suffered greatly for our sin, but is was also that suffering that healed us - “by His wounds we are healed!” The Bible says in James 1:12, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” We have a choice: will suffering become a stumbling block or will it become an opportunity to serve God? Which one will you choose and why?

6. Stop and pray and thank God for the trial of your faith. Pray for God's comfort and for perseverance to receive the crown of life looking to Jesus as the example.