🔴 Live Online Church Service - Seacoast Church

Main message: God’s love does not guarantee a pain-free life, and when reality doesn’t match our expectations we must not misread God’s character or timing; he sees the whole story, can redeem suffering, and remains trustworthy even when he delays. The story of Lazarus (John 11) shows that delays or unanswered "whys" aren’t proof God isn’t at work.

Key points:

• Don’t assume love = no suffering: Jesus loved Lazarus, yet Lazarus got sick and died.
• Five biblical categories for suffering: tests from God, consequences of our sin, others’ sin, spiritual warfare, and the broken (fallen) world — often mixed and not always immediately clear.
• Wrong assumption 1: “If God loves me, I won’t suffer.” Wrong assumption 2: “If God doesn’t act quickly, he isn’t acting.” Wrong assumption 3: “If I’m suffering, God must have caused it for a good reason.”
• God’s timing exceeds our deadlines; delays don’t equal inactivity, and Jesus can work even after the worst outcomes.
• God doesn’t have to cause pain to redeem it — he can use suffering for good without having willed the harm; practical responses include bringing pain to Jesus, seeking prayer, and trusting his character.

Scriptures mentioned: John 11, Genesis 22, James 1, Galatians 6, Ephesians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 15, John 10, John 12