▼ Show Notes

Our church for today’s episode is the church at Smyrna. This church and the instructive words of our Lord about it are not as commonly studied by most Christians. This church in Smyrna was suffering, and we can learn much from them.

There are various ways in which Christians are beginning to suffer more aggressively throughout the world. Our attitude toward suffering is important. I often ask the question, “Why…have I done something to deserve this?” Or “what did I do wrong?”

We often make serious errors in judgment when reacting to suffering and difficulty. Job and the congregation at the church at Smyrna teach some valuable lessons. God is sovereign and his ways are not always understood by us. Our tendency to rely on ourselves often causes us to treat God like a cosmic vending machine. Similar to karma, we sometimes think that we put in inputs and the machine produces an outcome for us.

This flawed way of thinking is the cause of despair and emotional disorders. Learning to see the world from God’s perspective is comforting, but we must know who God is and know God relationally if we are to process suffering in a constructive, healthy way. God’s nature includes His love. His attributes are fully included in one another. Therefore, God’s love is in each of his other attributes. Even His wrath is loving. His love can permeate and even characterize our lives. The God who loved in Scripture is our God!

My prayer is that this episode will help us to see suffering and challenges more clearly in the context of God’s purposes for us.

Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview

John Warren

▼ Show Notes

Perhaps you have never quite understood the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Or perhaps you understand it but struggle to articulate it in conversation. Or perhaps you struggle when you’re faced with a question about the Gospel. This special episode is brief and is for you.

The beauty of the Gospel and its sufficiency are clear in Scripture, but its depth necessitates some level of synthesis in conversation. My sincere hope is that you will share this episode with friends and family who don’t know our Lord, and that you will further use it to initiate your own study of the Gospel as explained in Scripture.

You might be like me and struggle to initiate a Gospel conversation with a friend or family member who desperately needs to hear it. I have recorded this episode so you can simply send a text or email saying, “Listen to this and tell me what you think.” I hope you will share it broadly and contact me if I can be of help.

Thank you for listening to Relentless Truth. Please share this episode with your friends and family. Please share our work on social media. Your endorsements have been incredible in expanding our reach worldwide. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at john@johnwarrenmedia.com, and please visit our website for more information about our work at johnwarrenmedia.com. #theology #christian worldview