The Dayspring

Worship Folder

Outline

Hook: If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world?

I. MORNING LIGHT
“This is the storm before the calm. This is the pain before the balm. It’s the cold before the warm. These are the tears before the song. This is the dark- and sometimes all I see is darkness. Can’t you feel the darkness? It is the dark before the dawn.” – Andrew Peterson

II. SPIRITUAL SIGHT
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” - C.S. Lewis

Takeaway: The question to ask of suffering is not, "Why?" It is, "How long?"

Discussion Questions

1. John 9 begins with a man born blind and the disciples asking, “Who sinned?” Where do you see a tendency in yourself to interpret suffering mainly through a) guilt (it's your fault) or b) anger (it's someone else's fault)? How does Jesus redirect our understanding of suffering in this passage? 
2. Romans 13:11-14 calls us to “wake from sleep” and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” What are some signs of spiritual sleepiness or darkness in your own life? What would it look like this week to walk more fully in the light of Christ? 
3. In John 9, the blind man gains physical and spiritual sight, while the Pharisees remain spiritually blind. What makes spiritual blindness so dangerous, especially for religious people? How can we remain humble and open to the work of Jesus? 
4. C.S. Lewis said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” How has faith in Christ changed the way you see yourself, suffering, sin, other people, or God? Where do you need Jesus to help you “see” more clearly?

Resources

• D.A. Carson, John
• Kelly Kapic, Embodied Hope
• Tim Keller, Walking with God through Suffering
• Tim Keller, ”The Problem of Pain” sermon