suffering

Rejoice in Suffering– 1 Peter 4:12-19

/ Bob

As Peter wraps us his discourse on suffering he delivers several timely thoughts. He tells the believers not to be surprised that they have to endure hardships. Here he echoes the message of Jesus in John 15 that hatred (and subsequent trials) are part of being a follower of Christ. He was hated and they would be hated as well. Furthermore, they could rejoice in their sufferings just as Jesus said they should in Matthew 5:11-12. “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” (1 Peter 4:14)

He sums up this section of his letter with this statement in verse 19: “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing good.” In other words, as a follower of Christ, rejoice when you suffer for His name’s sake and trust God as you continue to honor Him with your holy living.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 23, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Hunger for Holiness: Living Pure in an impure World. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/hunger-for-holiness-1-peter-digital-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 03.23.2025 – Rejoice in Suffering – 1 Peter 4.12-19Download

Hope Against Hope – Light at the End of the Tunnel?

/ Bob

Hope is found throughout the scripture. The Greek and Hebrew words which are often translated as hope involve the concept of waiting – specifically waiting on God. In Romans 8 we read that hope which is seen is not hope. We hope for what is not seen. Hope lives in the future in spite of our present struggles.

Is Hope the Light at the end of the Tunnel? No

The light at the end of the tunnel is something we can see that tells us that end of the tunnel is just ahead. But Romans 8 says that hope which is seen is not hope. When there is no light we still have hope because the invisible God is at the end of the tunnel. In fact, the light within us is Jesus Christ and He’s all the light we need in every tunnel.

But those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.

Because those are the people who have real hope – those who don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel but know personally the God Who waits for them at the end of the tunnel and Who, in fact, occupies the entire tunnel. We wait upon Him. We hope in Him. We find our light in Him. In our present sufferings He is our hope of future glory. Furthermore, He is with us always even to the end of the age – or in this case – to the end of the tunnel.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 21, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 07.21.2024 – Job 9.13 & 14 – Hope Against HopeDownload

Why Is Suffering a Part of Life? – Job 7:1-21 –Part 2

/ Bob
Job lost it all – family, business, health, property – and with all of that he lost all hope. In the 7th Chapter of Job he comes out swinging. He has nothing left to lose so he lays it all on the line before God. His entire life seems futile. He can’t find rest in his sleep. His misery haunts him night and day. The questions about the meaning and purpose of it all rage in his mind to the point where he feels he would be better off dead.

As we go through periods of suffering – times when we experience the worst that life can throw at us – we, too, find ourselves asking questions: Why me, Lord? Why do these things always happen to me? What have I done to deserve this kind of abuse? Are You even there, Lord? While it is possible to know some of the reasons for the suffering, that doesn’t calm the silent storm raging within us. The questions are valid as we see in the life of Job, but finding the answers should not be the ultimate goal. Our hope is not in finding the answers – our hope is in finding Him, Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant. In Him we gain understanding, love, strength, and the hope to endure and even thrive in the midst of the suffering. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.


This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 16, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Why Do We Suffer? – Job 7:1-21

/ Bob
Job lost it all – family, business, health, property – and with all of that he lost all hope. In the 7th Chapter of Job he comes out swinging. He has nothing left to lose so he lays it all on the line before God. His entire life seems futile. He can’t even find rest in his sleep. His misery haunts him night and day.

We have all had days . . . or weeks . . . or months . . . or years when we have felt this way. Maybe it wasn’t to the degree that Job felt it or maybe it was. The thing is that suffering is a part of the human condition. We live in a fallen world. We live in a decaying world. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics says that entropy is the soup of the day and that soup is constantly cooling not unlike our physical bodies when we pass from this world to the next. We are decaying right along with the rest of creation and that decay leads to suffering. It’s inevitable.

Job didn’t deny this. He pointed it out and told us how it affected him in every way. Physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually he was experiencing his anguish.

As we look at our own struggles we have a marked advantage over Job. He didn’t have the scripture to give him guidance in how to endure the pain and suffering of this world. He didn’t have the indwelling Spirit to guide him into all knowledge. And he didn’t have the example of the Suffering Servant, Mashiach, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to serve as an example of how to live victoriously even as our mortal bodies are dying pathetically. The Scriptures give insight into why we suffer and how to live as we suffer. That’s what this study was all about.


This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 9, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

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I Wish I’d Never Been Born – Job 2:1-10; 3:1-26

/ Bob

Job had been dealt blow after blow – losing his family, servants, livestock, property, income, future prospects, respect, reputation, health, and spousal support.  And yet in Job 2:10 we read that Job’s response to to all of this was,  “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”  And then Job’s ultimate response is that in all this Job did not sin. 

Nevertheless, the pain of Satan’s attacks was very real and could not be ignored or dismissed easily.  In Job 3 we come to understand just a bit of that pain as Job expresses the deep depression that has resulted from the these attacks.  He wishes he had never been born.  He wants the day of his birth removed from the calendar.  He laments that he would be better off dead.  

We see this same expression of longing for death in Moses, Elijah, Jonah, Jeremiah, and David.  In each of these giants of the faith there were times of deep distress that brought them to this point.  Job said I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest – only turmoil. (Job 2:26)  Fortunately, Jesus promised in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 26, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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When Everything Falls Apart – Job 1:13-22

/ Bob
Job is identified the 1st verse of the 1st chapter as a man who is blameless and upright; a man who feared God and shunned evil. When God and Satan met Job was the topic of discussion. Satan was given permission to test Job as long as he didn’t touch him physically. So beginning in Job 1:13 we find Satan’s attacks on Job.

Job lost his livestock and his livelihood. He lost his possessions and his provisions. He lost his income and his investments. And, finally, he lost his entire family to a deadly tornado. Devastated, he tore his robe apart and shaved his head, both signs of deep anguish and grief. And understandably so. His world had not just been turned upside down, but it had been twisted, burned, stolen, and left in a ruined heap.

Job’s ultimate response? Worship. According to Job 1:21 Job said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” Verse 22 sums it all up: In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

This lesson is only the beginning of a study in the trials of life. We all face difficulties as we live in this fallen world and the book of Job provides understanding of those trials and tribulations as well as an understanding of how to live through them with the g4race of God.


First Lesson – When Everything Falls Apart, Trust God.


This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 19, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart – A Study of Job. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/praise-him-in-the-storm-job-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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The Roll Call of Faith (Part 2)

/ Bob

(This is the second half of the lesson entitled “The Roll Call of Faith.” Part 1 was presented on Sunday morning, July 17, and is available at this site.)

The writer of Hebrews is led by God to remind the Hebrew people of the great heritage of faith that they posses in their ancestral line. Names like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, Sampson, and David highlight the list along with many others. They were all men and women who walked in faith in spite of their human frailties and failures and they all held a place of high regard in Hebrew history. They were faithful (at times imperfectly) to the God Who was perfectly faithful to them.

In the first 2 verses of Hebrews 12, we are transported to an Olympic Games stadium. Those faithful Hebrews mentioned in Chapter 11 are the ones in the stands. They have run their race and now they are cheering for and encouraging those on the field. The Hebrews to whom the epistle was written are taking their places on the field of competition – and, by extension, so are we.

Our “race” is the living of the Christian Life. Our race is well defined. In Hebrews 12:1, the Greek word usually translated “race” or “struggle” is ἀγών – agón. It is the root word from which we get the English words agony and agonize. The race would be more like what we would call an obstacle course. Euripedes indicated that these competitions could be so grueling that they led to the collapse of the strongest of competitors. Furthermore, our Christian Life obstacle course is not a triathlon with 3 segments or a decathlon with 10 segments. The Christian Life is more like a centathlon with a 100 segments and that could be within the first hour of the day.

On the field with us is our coach – Jesus. He is the originator of the race called the Christian Life. He has run the race perfectly and, having successfully finished the race, He is our greatest source of training, instruction, tactics, inspiration, and encouragement. In fact, He fills us with His Spirit so that He runs the race not along side us, but in us – empowering us before, during, and after each segment of the race. We can try to run the race without Him, but we will fare no better than those athletes of old who simply collapsed mid race in agonizing defeat.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (TPT)

1As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.

2We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 24, 2022. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions from The Gospel Project – a Bible study curriculum developed by Lifeway Christian Resources. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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