Suffering Archives - Sermon Illustration Ideas

Silence

Doubt, Faith, Silence, Suffering

In the movie Silence (directed by Martin Scorsese [United Artists, 2016]), a young Catholic priest, Father Rodrigues, wonders why God is silent when there…

The Pervasive Crucifix

Hardship, Questions, Suffering, theodicy

The film The Seventh Seal (directed by Ingmar Bergman [Janus Films, 1958]) grapples robustly with questions of theodicy. It is set during the Black…

The Intolerable Compliment

C.S. Lewis, God's Masterpiece, God's Plan, God's Will, Masterpiece, Pain, Sanctification, Suffering

“We are, not metaphorically but in very truth, a Divine work of art, something that God is making, and therefore something with which He…

The Product Of Struggle

Fruit, Purpose, Struggles, Suffering

Wine makers state that the best wines come from grapes that struggle and experience stress. “If you take a grapevine and make its physical…

A Testament of God’s Goodness

God's Goodness, Gratitude, Grief, Loss, Perspective, Suffering

In Richard Lischer’s memoir of his first pastorate, he tells the story of his second son Adam’s birth. Born big and robust, within hours…

The Good Surgeon

Great Physician, Healing, Job, Sanctification, Suffering, Trusting God

Why do the righteous suffer? John Piper writes about this passage: “Elihu puts the pain of sickness and visions of the night side by…

Always With Us

God's presence, God's Promises, Suffering, Trials

Joni Eareckson Tada, who has lived as a quadriplegic for fifty years, shares her answer to the question “If you have enough faith, will…

The Louder Song: Listening for Hope in the Midst of Lament

Death, Evil, Hope, Lament, Lamenting, Pain, Patience, Perseverance, Reward, Sorrow, Suffering

In her book The Louder Song: Listening for Hope in the Midst of Lament, Aubrey Sampson shares her story of chronic, degenerative illness, the…

Trusting God In The Midst of Grief

Grief, Pain, Suffering, Trust, Trusting God

There is the great challenge for us as we navigate the valleys of pain, death, suffering, and hardship: not to give ourselves over to…

Reassessing Our Struggles

Inspiration, Perspective, Struggles, Suffering, Trials, Trusting God

Inspirational stories about those who have overcome obstacles can motivate us to reassess our own struggles. For nine-year-old Ezra, his struggles are real but…

What We Deserve

Discipleship, Examination, Lent, Repentance, Sacrifice, Suffering

We do not live in a culture that elevates self-denial. Most often we are told we “deserve” to indulge, to be happy, to put…

The Good In Pain

Healing, Hurting, Pain, Suffering

Most of us like to avoid pain at all costs. But world-famous surgeon Paul Brand will tell you that pain is an important and…

Tension

Already And Not Yet, Grief, Hope, Joy, Perseverance, Perspective, Suffering, Tension, Trials

Living with joy and hope amid pain requires an ability to live in tension. We can’t just deny the pain and pretend like all…

The Power of Confession

1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19, Confessing Sin, Confession, Faith, Hardship, Humble Ourselves, James 4:8, James 5:16, Perseverance, Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32:5, Romans 10:10, Submit to God, Suffering, Trials

“Confession is a powerful spiritual practice in our lives. However, when we hear or think about the word confession, we might have a negative…

A Worthwhile Suffering

1 Peter 4:12-19, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, Endurance, Eternity, Glory, Pain, Patience, Priceless, Revelation 21:4, Reward, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:18, Romans 8:28, Suffering, Trials, Value, Worth

“Would you go through all the pain of childbirth again, just to be able to have that beautiful child of yours?” For most mothers,…

Tested And Proven

1 Peter 3:7, 1 Peter 4:12, 1 Peter 5:10, Attitude, Challenges, Endurance, Faith, Fire, genuine, Hope, James 1:12, James 1:2-3, James 5:10, Job 23:10, Persecution, Purity, Refinement, Refining, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:18, Suffering, Tests, Trial

Our faith is not only tested, but it is tested to the point of being proven genuine. Persecution and suffering may feel like they…

Christ’s Humanity

1 John 4:2, 1 Timothy 2:5, Christ's Humanity, Easter, Galatians 4:4, Good Friday, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 4:15, Incarnation, Jesus' Humanity, John 1:14, John 19:28, Philippians 2:7, Suffering, Vulnerability

Have you ever been in a group of people who are traveling or stuck somewhere when meal time rolls around? What happens to those…

Calling Out

Cross, Easter, Emotional Pain, Good Friday, Hurt, Jesus' Death, John 19:17, John 19:18, John 19:32-33, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:47, Mark 15:24, Matthew 27:54, Pain, Physical Suffering, Suffering

This account from a medical doctor details the physical suffering of crucifixion: “The legionnaire … drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist…

Dedication

1 John 3:13, 1 Peter 5:8, Acts 14:22, Acts 4:27-29, Advocacy, Civil Rights, Conviction, Dedication, Freedom, Imprisonment, Jail, John 15:18, Persecution, Protest, Suffering

When Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned in Birmingham for non-violent protests, he wrote the famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in reply to southern…