3. Hope

Scenarios

1. Candice lives next door to you, and you know that she has been having treatment for cancer. When you ask her how it is going, she tells you that the doctors are saying encouraging things, but that she can't see that she'll ever get back to how she was. She shakes her head and says that there doesn't seem much point in life anymore.

2. Your colleague, Dalton, is chatting to you about his retirement plans. He is going to be able to take early retirement in a couple of years and is hoping to play a lot of golf and learn watercolour painting. His one concern is having to spend time looking after his elderly mother, who he views as a bit of an inconvenience.

What question might you ask to take the conversation further?

Read Mark 5:21-43

What are the differences between Jairus and the woman?

What does the woman need to realise about Jesus and her suffering?

What does Jairus need to realise about Jesus and his suffering?

(See online commentary for more help)

Read Romans 8:28-39

What comfort does this passage give us in our sufferings?

How can we know that God loves us if our circumstances seem to suggest otherwise?

(See online commentary for more help)

Sharing your story

What story could you share about how God has given you hope in the midst of suffering?

Praying for opportunities

Who would you like to share a message of hope with?

Extra Resources

How can a good God allow suffering? (short video) - Glen Scrivener
How can a good God allow suffering? (longer talk) - Don Carson

Next session: 4. Truth
Back to introduction

Planning your Visit

Welcome from the Vicar

Let me welcome you to St John’s! I am so delighted you have found our web site. We are a Church family in Wimborne for anyone living, working or studying around this area. Whoever you are, whatever your age, whether you’re an experienced Christian or not, we would love you to join us.

From an intrigued onlooker to the committed follower we are keen that everyone should grow in relationship with God through knowing Jesus. To help us do that our emphasis is on hearing God speak to us by his Holy Spirit through his word, the Bible. Each of us knows that we only grow in a relationship with someone and get to know them when we spend time listening to them and responding and reacting to what they say. So the focus of St John’s is on listening to God’s word, talking to him in prayer and taking up all that he says.

The Church family here at St John’s longs to help anyone who wants to investigate the life of Jesus. On this site you will find people, meetings, talks and events shaped to help you take another step forward in finding out more about God and his love for us in Jesus, and to help you get linked into the church family life.

I do hope I will have the opportunity to meet you personally in the very near future and that you will quickly feel at home at St John’s.

Revd. Peter Breckwoldt