Death

and

Suffering

Philippians 1:21 (CEV)

21 If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more.

We have a ticket for:Group Plan – Jesus comes for me

before I die (“Rapture”)

Individual Plan – I die before

Jesus comes

back for all the Christians

RAPTURE

This word is not found in the bible, but neither

is airplane or phone

RAPTURE

Meeting Jesus in the air at His 2nd Coming

RAPTURE

Joy

Delight

RAPTURE

For those left behind:

Misery

Fear of Death

Everyone who dies before the Rapture will go through dying

Everyone has lost a loved one to death

Phases of Dealing With Loss

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

The 5 Stages

1. You will not get over the loss.

2. You will learn to live with it.

3. You will heal and rebuild yourself.

4. You will never be the same

MY LOSSES

My Dad Age 67

COPD –SmokerChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

My MomAge 82

Diabetes

My Aunt“I see Jesus coming

for me”

Losing Carolyn52 years of marriage

Radiation of Chest and Neck

for Cancer - Hodgkin's 40 years ago

Carolyn’s Story

Dream while in a coma

“Do you want to go on or go back

for a little while”

The 5 Stages

1. You will not get over the loss.

2. You will learn to live with it.

3. You will heal and rebuild yourself.

4. You will never be the same

Not Everyone Goes Through

All Stages

No Set Order

No Finish Line

The Hope Factor

Our future is secured by Jesus

Without Hope we are self-preoccupied

Romans 10:17 (CEV)17 No one can have faith without hearing

the message about Christ.

The Word of God strengthens Our Faith and our hope

You GRIEVE because you LOVE

LOVE is part of you

LOVE has no end

GRIEVING

Not one size fits all

2 Corinthians 1:4

4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with

others in trouble.

Romans 12:15 15 When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad.

Job 2:11 (CEV)Job’s Three Friends

11 Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah were three of Job’s friends, and they heard about his troubles. So they agreed to

visit Job and comfort him.

Job 2:12 (CEV)

12 When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him.

And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their

heads and cried bitterly.

Matthew 7:24-27 (CEV)

Wise Man builds is house on the Rock24 Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of

mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it

was built on solid rock.26 Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey

them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. 27 The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it

fell with a crash.

Romans 8:32Rock Solid Statement—God did not

spare His own Son

32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?

Table Sharing Questions

1. What foundation do you have?

2. What can Jesus do for you today?