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EXPECTATION VS. REALITY
Disappointment with Life | Part 2
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
January 11, 2026

This Sunday we’re going to talk honestly about the unfairness of life, the pain that shatters our assumptions, and the hope we find when we stop confusing God with our circumstances. Through the story of Job, we’ll confront the shallow answers that often wound the hurting, and we’ll discover the deeper comfort Job found—not in explanations, but in encountering God Himself. If you’re weary, disappointed, or carrying questions you can’t resolve, join us in person or online.

Discussion Questions

1. Jesus told us “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Related to that is Scott Peck’s summation, “Life is difficult.”

What kinds of “trouble” are you facing right now—external circumstances, internal struggles, or relational conflict? How does accepting that reality change the way you interpret hardship—especially when you’re tired, afraid, or disappointed?

2. “Don’t confuse life with God.”

Where have you seen yourself (or others) blame God for what may be “life in a broken world”? What’s the difference between “life is unfair” and “God is unfair”? How do you tell the difference in real time?

3. Job is described as blameless and upright (Job 1:1), yet suffering still came.

What assumptions do we tend to carry that Job’s story challenges? (Examples: “If I do right, nothing bad will happen,” “God owes me protection,” etc.)

4. Job’s friends tried to explain pain with certainty and clichés.

What are some common “Christian phrases” people say that can unintentionally harm someone who’s suffering?

5. Which of Job’s friends do you most relate to at times—and why?

Eliphaz (fear-based explanations)
Bildad (judgment / “holier-than-thou”)
Zophar (shaming to shut people down)
Elihu (talking a lot without real understanding)

God eventually says Job’s friends “have not spoken the truth” about Him (Job 42:7).
What does that teach us about the danger of speaking for God too quickly?

6. Job’s suffering produced unexpected spiritual insight (hope of resurrection, redeemer, advocate). What “gift” has pain left in your life—greater compassion, deeper dependence, clearer priorities, humility, etc.?

7. The message challenges us to be careful with judgment—especially with public failures or tragedies. What does it look like to respond with truth and humility when someone else
falls or suffers?

Practical next step: Think of someone you know who is hurting. What’s one thing you can do this week to “comfort without explaining”—to be present without preaching?