Facing Grief, Illness, and Loss

Ray Rhodes, Jr. serves as founding pastor of Grace Community Church of Dawsonville, GA and as president of Nourished in the Word Ministries. He has served four congregations over three decades of pastoral ministry, and for fifteen years, he has led Nourished in the...

In this issue of Theology for Life Magazine, we’ve been considering loss, grief, illness, and how by growing in our understanding of the grace of God, we can then walk with others who are dealing with these challenging events or seasons. We understand that we haven’t...

Nancy Guthrie and her husband, David, are the co-hosts of the GriefShare video series used in more than 10,000 churches nationwide and also host Respite Retreats for couples who have experienced the death of a child. She is also the host of Help Me Teach the Bible, a...

Let’s talk for a minute about the things someone can do for one who is grieving. The list below isn’t exhaustive—there are only 7 things—but it is meant to give us all a starting point. Hopefully these 7 things will be helpful to you in your relationships, whether you...

From my perspective as a pastor, it seems like churches go through seasons of crises. One year it’s marital problems, and it seems like every marriage is falling apart. The next year its illness and death, and it seems like every family is suffering loss. Other times...

Have you ever seen a bulldozer clearing a field for new construction? The grass, the little saplings, and even the larger trees—all fall equally and inexorably prey to the power of the one who is making the area conform to his vision, to his plan. The feeble plants do...

It was a cold night in the first week of January. Out in the country, so far removed from the majority of civilization, it seemed unfathomable that so terrible a thing could happen. But it did. The next day, news crews would attempt to stoically report on what would...

Marissa Henley, the author of Loving Your Friend through Cancer: Moving beyond “I’m Sorry” to Meaningful Support, loves to write and speak about suffering and God’s character. She lives in Arkansas with her husband, three kids, and one disobedient dog. She’d love to...

I spent most of my young adult years quoting Romans 8:28 to friends and family who were suffering. This promise from God’s Word has always been one of my favorite verses: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are...