Good Shepherd Community Church

A person’s worldview = the overall perspective from which they see and interpret the world.

Atheism – There is no God. Everything that happens in the world is the result of natural causes and random chance. All suffering is meaningless pain.

Deism – There is a God who created the world and its natural processes, but He is not actively involved in what happens to us. He has left the world to operate based on natural causes. Suffering is the result of God’s natural design, so He has a general purpose for it, but suffering has no specific purpose in a specific instance.

Theism – The God who created the world also governs the world according to His own purposes. Nothing happens in the world unless He causes it or purposely allows it. Everything happens for a reason, including suffering.

“People with no religious affiliation have significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than people who endorsed a religious affiliation.” – Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempts, American Journal of Psychiatry.

God is the sovereign creator of all things. He is the master builder, the involved parent, and the commanding general. He is present and in control, at all times, in every location.

God is the caring provider for all He has made.

God is present and in control of all things!
God is not the enemy of those who believe; He is our caring Father and Friend!

Why does God allow suffering?
· To humble the proud.
· To crush the wicked.
· To SAVE us.

The real world:
· God is present with us and in control of everything.
· God is our loving Father and Friend, not our enemy.
· God uses suffering to humble us, change us and save us by giving us HIMSELF.
· Suffering will not have the last word for those who trust Him. God will heal us and exalt us – either in this life or the next.