Biblical truth for people navigating life's struggles and seeking meaning. Join us every Sunday for hope, community, and answers to real problems.
Join us this Sunday for our next session in the series
This program is designed for individuals navigating life's struggles and seeking meaning, comfort, and hope through accessible biblical teaching. Our approach focuses on pastoral care through Scripture, providing deep examination of God's Word that speaks directly to hurting people.
We examine what Scripture actually teaches about the situations many of us face: loss, grief, financial difficulties, broken relationships, health problems, and the many other trials that God's Word addresses with hope and truth. This is biblical truth for people navigating loss, pain, and life's challenges while searching for hope, meaning, and God's presence.
"The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is on Me, because Jehovah has anointed Me to bear good news to the poor one. He has sent Me to bind up the broken of heart, to proclaim liberty to captives, and complete opening to the ones being bound; to call out the acceptable year of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all those mourning; to appoint to the mourning ones of Zion, to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of infirmity, so that one calls them trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, in order to beautify Himself." - Isaiah 61:1-3
Session 17 - Phase 2: "Navigating Specific Struggles." When children break our hearts—through rebellion, estrangement, addiction, or mental illness—where do we turn? Through the father of the prodigal son (Luke 15) and Hannah's surrender of Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2), we discover faithful parenting isn't about controlling outcomes but trusting God with what we cannot fix. The father exemplifies love that waits, watching the road with longing but respecting his son's agency. Hannah models love that surrenders, releasing Samuel to God's purposes. Together they reveal that parenting through heartache means keeping our hearts open even when we cannot control our children's choices, and learning that God's mercy meets us through the long seasons of waiting, hurting, and hoping.
Sunday at 2:30 PM PST/5:30 EST
122 minutes
Luke 15:11-24, 1 Samuel 1:9-11, 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Biblical study + Live Q&A
Watch previous Sunday Bible Study sessions and open forums. Each session includes biblical teaching on life's struggles, followed by live Q&A where we address real questions from real people seeking biblical truth for their pain.
Phase 2: "Navigating Specific Struggles." When children break our hearts through rebellion, estrangement, addiction, or mental illness, where do we turn? Examines the father of the prodigal son (Luke 15) exemplifying love that waits—watching the road with longing but respecting agency, unable to control the son's heart but controlling his own by keeping it open. Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2) models love that surrenders—releasing Samuel to God's purposes through her prayer and song of trust. Together they reveal faithful parenting: love that waits without controlling, love that surrenders what we cannot fix, trusting God through the long heartache. Features deeply personal family stories (son's suicide, daughter with schizophrenia), Rembrandt's "Return of the Prodigal Son" painted after burying wife and four children with only his worn Dutch Bible remaining, and extensive Q&A on trusting God's timing, processing grief, and finding hope when parenting outcomes aren't what we prayed for.
Luke 15:11-24, 1 Samuel 1:9-11, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Proverbs 22:6
Phase 2: "Navigating Specific Struggles." Examining four biblical accounts of illness. Epaphroditus: mercy in weakness (Philippians 2:25-27) - faithful servant nearly dies, Paul grateful for God's mercy not just on Epaphroditus but himself, showing faithfulness doesn't guarantee health. Trophimus: faith amid unresolved sickness (2 Timothy 4:20) - Paul leaves trusted co-laborer sick in Miletus, apostles faced unanswered prayers, burdens remain for deeper purpose. Crippled woman: chronic suffering never cancels worth (Luke 13:10-17) - 18 years bent, still in synagogue, Jesus affirms her as daughter of Abraham before physical healing, identity secure in Christ. Hezekiah: healing calls for humility (2 Kings 20:1-11) - given 15 years but pride creeps in, healing not end of spiritual formation. Features personal testimony about friend Paul with Lewy body dementia, figs' healing compounds, and extensive Q&A on truth (emet), Hebrew graphemes, resurrection, bones symbolism, and God's preservation of Scripture.
Philippians 2:25-27, 2 Timothy 4:20, Luke 13:10-17, 2 Kings 20:1-11, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Psalm 73:26
Phase 2: "Navigating Specific Struggles." Examining God's provision through the widow of Zarephath. Zarephath means "refining place" - both Elijah and widow refined by dependence, not judgment. Explores how crisis doesn't mean God's absence, divine direction arriving within crisis not before it, God choosing unlikely people (vulnerable widow) to sustain His prophet, the widow's handful of meal and little oil becoming daily sufficiency. Features Hebrew word studies on "sustain" (kûl), God causing humbling/hunger/manna (Deuteronomy 8:3), multiplication principle (five loaves), and God's provision being adequate not abundant. Extensive Q&A on Zarephath as testing/refining, Hebrew word families, manna pointing to Christ, sticks representing tribes, and living in the moment.
1 Kings 17:8-16, Matthew 6:24-34, Zechariah 13:9, 1 Peter 1:7, Philippians 4:11-13, Deuteronomy 8:3, John 6:5-14
Phase 2: "Navigating Specific Struggles." Examining Peter's denial and restoration. Some mistakes alter life's direction, others leave scars time can't erase. Through Luke 22, discovers that sin often begins with distance - Peter follows afar off, sits among Christ's enemies, then denies Him three times. Yet Jesus turns and looks at Peter with eyes of flame - holy love that brings conviction. Peter's bitter tears led to restoration. Explores the difference between godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) and worldly regret, Judas vs Peter, Jesus praying for Peter before his failure. Features discussion on self-forgiveness, Esau's tears without repentance, and applying truth: failure isn't final when grace is real.
Luke 22:54-62, John 21:15-17, Psalm 51:1-12, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Micah 7:8-9
Phase 2: "Navigating Specific Struggles." Exploring Jacob's decades-long grief over Joseph and what Scripture teaches about sorrow that refuses to leave. Through Genesis 37 and 45, discovers that Jacob refused to be comforted - not rebellion, but love remembering. His grief is faith's silence, not faith's absence. Examines the Hebrew word "nakam" (comfort/sigh), how God's faithfulness doesn't depend on our feelings, grief needing presence not pressure. Features discussion on the received text, translation principles, and Hebrew word studies.
Genesis 37:31-35, 45:26-28, 47:9, Hebrews 11:8-13, Psalm 42:3-5, Jeremiah 31:15-17
Phase 2: "Navigating Specific Struggles." Examining anxiety through Elijah's experience under the juniper tree where fear and exhaustion drove him to despair. Explores the physiology of anxiety, how God addresses both body and soul, and practical steps for managing overwhelming worry. Features the Hebrew word "yare" (fear), discussion of Philippians 4:6-7, casting cares on God, and the difference between godly concern and destructive anxiety.
1 Kings 19:1-18, Philippians 4:6-7, Matthew 6:25-34, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 94:19
Eleventh session examining how Scripture addresses the weight of life pressing us down. Through Elijah's story after Mount Carmel, we explore God's tender care in human collapse, the pattern of despair following victory, God's provision of rest and food before addressing spiritual needs, and the still small voice that speaks in our darkest moments. Depression is not disqualification - it's often where God meets us most intimately.
1 Kings 19:1-18, Psalm 42:5-11, Lamentations 3:17-26, 2 Corinthians 1:8-10
Tenth and final session in God's Heart for the Hurting series. Explores renewal through ordinary providence in Ruth's story and personal encounter in Mary Magdalene's experience. Examines how God turns endings into beginnings, the pattern of loss giving way to presence and renewal, and discovering that faithfulness in the ordinary is the soil of new beginnings.
Ruth 1-2, John 20:1-18, Isaiah 43:18-19
Ninth session exploring the unique pain when relationships end despite faithfulness. Examines the man born blind who was cast out for telling truth (John 9), understanding what is and isn't our responsibility when fellowship is lost, living with relationships that may never be restored, and discovering Christ's intentional pursuit when human fellowship ends. Features discussion on forgiveness without reconciliation, the difference between faithfulness and failure, and practical guidance for processing relational loss while maintaining faith.
John 9:1-38, Romans 12:18, 1 Peter 2:23
Eighth session addressing the hardest question: Why? Why did this happen? Why is God allowing this? Explores trusting God's character when His plan makes no sense, viewing the Prodigal Son parable from the father's perspective, and learning to hold both devastation and trust simultaneously.
Luke 15:11-20, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 55:8-9
Seventh session exploring the exhaustion that comes from long seasons of suffering and what Scripture teaches about God's rest. Examines the difference between physical rest and soul rest, how to find restoration when you're too tired to keep going, and Christ's invitation to the weary and heavy laden.
Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 23, Hebrews 4:9-11
Sixth session exploring peace when the storm doesn't end. Distinguishes between peace and numbness, surrender and resignation. Examines what happens when storms last years or decades, how to find God's presence in ongoing pain, and the difference between the world's peace and Christ's peace that surpasses understanding.
Mark 4:37-40, John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-9
Fifth session addressing the exhaustion of praying repeatedly with no visible results. Explores honest anger at God, the difference between God's will and what He allows in a fallen world, surrender without immediate relief, and learning to pray persistently while trusting God's timing even when the answer is no.
Job 30:20, Luke 22:42, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
Fourth session exploring how God's love remains constant regardless of our feelings. Examining what Scripture teaches about the difference between knowing God loves us intellectually versus feeling His love experientially.
Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:9-10
Third session exploring what happens when multiple devastating losses hit simultaneously—examining Job's total collapse and discovering hope that survives even when everything falls apart. Covers being known by God as His workmanship, practical steps for surviving compound crises, and extensive Q&A on biblical interpretation, the transfiguration, Reuben's sin and redemption, spirits in prison, and finding reconciliation in difficult scriptural passages.
Job 1:14-19, Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 2:8-13
Second session exploring the painful but liberating truth that living faithfully doesn't guarantee protection from life's hardships. Through personal vulnerability about family struggles, we discover why even the most godly people face persecution and suffering.
2 Timothy 3:10-12
Introduction to our series exploring the biblical reality of feeling forsaken, examining the honest cries of both King David and Jesus Christ. Features extensive Q&A on God's sovereignty, biblical study methods, and finding hope in spiritual dryness.
Psalm 22:1-2, Matthew 27:46
Review key concepts from our Sunday Bible Study sessions with interactive flashcards. Perfect for deepening your understanding and preparing for upcoming discussions.
Click the card to flip between questions and answers, or use the arrow keys to navigate.
You Matter to God in Your Pain
Episodes 1-10
Practical Biblical Help for Real Problems
Episodes 11-20
God's Power in Your Weakness
Episodes 21-30
Becoming Who God Wants You to Be
Episodes 31-40
A Future and a Hope
Episodes 41-50
All are welcome. Come as you are, with your questions, struggles, and hopes. This is a safe space to be honest about your pain while finding biblical truth that brings real comfort.
Every Sunday includes a open forum where you can ask biblical questions related to your struggles. Here are some common questions from hurting people and pastoral responses.
Questions are reviewed and may be addressed in upcoming sessions.